CHAPTER 5 • Section 4
by a cavalry charge. As the Persian lines crumbled, Darius again panicked and fled.
Alexander’s victory at Gaugamela ended Persia’s power.
Within a short time, Alexander’s army occupied Babylon, Susa, and Persepolis.
These cities yielded a huge treasure, which Alexander distributed among his army.
A few months after it was occupied, Persepolis, Persia’s royal capital, burned to the
ground. Some people said Alexander left the city in ashes to signal the total destruction of the Persian Empire. The Greek historian Arrian, writing about 500 years after
Alexander’s time, suggested that the fire was set in revenge for the Persian burning
of Athens. However, the cause of the fire remains a mystery.
Alexander’s Other Conquests
Critical Thinking
• How could Alexander have supplied his
troops during his 11-year campaign?
(Possible Answer: by buying or stealing
supplies along the way)
• Why did Alexander’s troops remain
loyal for over a decade? (Possible
Answers: Alexander’s charisma, the joy
of conquest, the spoils of victory)
Alexander’s Other Conquests
Alexander now reigned as the unchallenged ruler of southwest Asia. But he was
more interested in expanding his empire than in governing it. He left the ruined
Persepolis to pursue Darius and conquer Persia’s remote Asian provinces. Darius’s
trail led Alexander to a deserted spot south of the Caspian Sea. There he found
Darius already dead, murdered by one of his provincial governors. Rather than
return to Babylon, Alexander continued east. During the next three years, his army
fought its way across the desert wastes and mountains of Central Asia. He pushed
on, hoping to reach the farthest edge of the continent.
Tip for Gifted and Talented
Students
Alexander in India In 326 B.C., Alexander and his army reached the Indus Valley.
At the Hydaspes River, a powerful Indian army blocked their path. After winning
a fierce battle, Alexander’s soldiers marched some 200 miles farther, but their
morale was low. They had been fighting for 11 years and had marched more than
11,000 miles. They had endured both scorching deserts and drenching monsoon
rains. The exhausted soldiers yearned to go home. Bitterly disappointed, Alexander
agreed to turn back.
Explain that Persepolis is located in
southwest Iran, northeast of the city of
Shiraz. Have students use the Internet to
find more information about Persepolis.
40°E
Black Se
Crete
MT
Eu
Cyprus
ra
tes
0
1,000 Kilometers
Alexandria
Eschate
MEDIA
ATROPATENE
R.
Babylon
Susa
Taxila
Hydaspes
(326)
.
d us R
T
AI
Persepolis
NS
Alexandria D E S E R T O F
GEDROSIA
GEOGRAPHY SKILLBUILDER: Interpreting Maps
R.
.
T S 40°N
In
UN
2. Place Lysimachus, Cassander,
Antigonus, Ptolemy, Seleucus
le
ARABIAN
DESERT
n
si a
P e r ulf
G
DESERT
K
U
Aornos
(327)
KINGDOM OF
SELEUCUS
O
S M
1. Region Africa, Europe, Asia
D
M
Bactra
RO
LIBYAN
Ni
SKILLBUILDER Answers
NABATAEA
KINGDOM
OF
PTOLEMY
IN
H
US
ZAG
Memphis
Siwah
Marakanda
H
Gaugamela
(331)
Ecbatana
Gaza
Alexandria
500 Miles
0
Bukhara
.
is R
Damascus
Tyre
ph
S.
Ti g r
Mediterranean
Sea
US
Sea
Aegean
Sea
AS
Alexander’s empire
at its height, 323 B.C.
Path of conquest
Major battle
an
Troy
Interactive This map is available in an
interactive format on the eEdition.
UC
Granicus
(334) Ancyra
Sardis
ARMENIA
KINGDOM OF
ANTIGONUS
Issus
TA U
RU S M T S.
(333)
Tarsus
Hellespont
Thebes
CA
spi
a
KINGDOM OF
LYSIMACHUS
PAPHLAGONIA
BITHYNIA
KINGDOM OF
CASSANDER
Ca
To follow Alexander’s conquests, tell students to read across the map from left to
right beginning in the northwest corner
of the map at Troy. Ask them to find
two of the many cities Alexander named
after himself.
Analyzing Motives
Why did
Alexander continue
his conquests after
Darius was dead?
Alexander and His Successors, 336–300 B.C.
History from Visuals
Interpreting the Map
B. Possible Answer
Alexander believed
it was his destiny to
conquer and rule
men. The defeat of
the Persians only
fueled his dreams
of further world
conquest.
1. Region Onto which continents did Alexander’s empire spread?
2. Place Which kingdoms succeeded the empire of Alexander the
Great after his death in 323 B.C.?
MAURYAN
EMPIRE
Tropic of Cancer
144
DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION:
GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS
Researching the Life of Alexander the Great
Class Time 45 minutes
Task Researching different aspects of Alexander’s life and designing a proposal for a multimedia presentation
Purpose To understand one of the key rulers of the ancient world
Instructions Divide students into four groups. Each group will investigate
one aspect of Alexander’s life:
• education
• military conquests
• administrative and cultural achievements
• historical legacy
144
Chapter 5
Students should use both primary and secondary sources. Have them use
library materials or the Internet to conduct their research. (Arrian’s Life of
Alexander the Great may be a useful starting point.)
Tell students that presentations should list artwork, images or descriptions
of battles, and maps that they plan to use. As they plan their presentations,
encourage students to think of imaginative ways to deliver information
(audio narratives with sound effects, short movie clips, interactive maps,
and images). If time permits, have groups complete their presentations
and present them to the class.
CHAPTER 5 • Section 4
332 B.C.
Alexander entered Egypt and
founded the city of Alexandria.
MACEDONIA
306 B.C.
Antigonus I
312 B.C. became
king of
Seleucus
Macedonia.
took
most of
Persian
Empire.
ALEXANDER'S EMPIRE
PERSIA
334 B.C.
Alexander led 35,000
soldiers into Anatolia.
336 B.C.
Philip II was assassinated. Alexander
became king of Macedonia at age 20.
323 B.C.
Alexander died at
age 32. His
generals began a
power struggle.
EGYPT
323 B.C.
Ptolemy
became
governor
of Egypt.
By the spring of 323 B.C., Alexander and his army had reached Babylon. Restless
as always, Alexander announced plans to organize and unify his empire. He would
construct new cities, roads, and harbors and conquer Arabia. However, Alexander
never carried out his plans. He became seriously ill with a fever and died a few
days later. He was just 32 years old.
C. Possible
Answers Yes—the
empire might still
have splintered
without Alexander
to bind it together.
No—Alexander
might have had
time to carry out
his plans to unify
the empire.
Alexander’s Legacy After Alexander died, his Macedonian generals fought
among themselves for control of his empire. Eventually, three ambitious leaders
won out. Antigonus (an•TIG•uh•nuhs) became king of Macedonia and took control
of the Greek city-states. Ptolemy (TAHL•uh•mee) seized Egypt, took the title of
pharaoh, and established a dynasty. Seleucus (sih•LOO•kuhs) took most of the
old Persian Empire, which became known as the Seleucid kingdom. Ignoring
the democratic traditions of the Greek polis, these rulers and their descendants
governed with complete power over their subjects.
Alexander’s conquests had an interesting cultural impact. Alexander himself
adopted Persian dress and customs and married a Persian woman. He included
Persians and people from other lands in his army. As time passed, Greek settlers
throughout the empire also adopted new ways. A vibrant new culture emerged from
the blend of Greek and Eastern customs.
Hypothesizing
Was the power
struggle that followed Alexander’s
death inevitable?
SECTION
326 B.C.
Alexander’s
army reached
the Indus
Valley.
4
• Macedonia
• Alexander the Great
MAIN IDEAS
CRITICAL THINKING & WRITING
2. Which of Alexander’s
3. How was Philip II able to
6. FORMING AND SUPPORTING OPINIONS Do you think that
Alexander's Empire
I. Philip Builds
Macedonian Power
A.
B.
II. Alexander
Conquers Persia
Ask students how many years are represented on the time line. (30) How old
was Alexander when he arrived in Egypt?
(24) How many years after Alexander
entered Anatolia did he die? (11)
More About . . .
Blending an Empire
As Alexander’s empire grew, he sought to
unite Macedonians and Persians. He
adopted a Persian style of dress, married
a Persian princess, and presided over a
mass marriage of 80 of his men to
Persian women. He also brought Persian
troops into his army and made young
Persian nobles part of his elite cavalry.
SECTION 4 ASSESSMENT
• Darius III
USING YOUR NOTES
conquests do you think was
the most significant? Why?
Analyzing Time Lines
ASSESS
ASSESSMENT
TERMS & NAMES 1. For each term or name, write a sentence explaining its significance.
• Philip II
History from Visuals
conquer Greece?
Alexander was worthy of the title “Great”? Explain.
4. Philip II’s goal was to conquer
Persia. Why did Alexander
continue his campaign of
conquest after this goal had
been achieved?
would have been as successful in ruling his empire as he
was in building it? Explain.
8. MAKING INFERENCES Why do you think Alexander
5. What happened to Alexander’s
empire after his death?
7. HYPOTHESIZING If Alexander had lived, do you think he
adopted Persian customs and included Persians in his
army?
9. WRITING ACTIVITY EMPIRE BUILDING In small groups,
create storyboards for a video presentation on the
growth of Alexander’s empire.
CONNECT TO TODAY CREATING A MAP
Use atlases to find the modern countries that occupy the lands included in Alexander’s
empire. Create a map that shows the boundaries and names of these countries. Compare
your map to the map of Alexander’s empire on page 144.
Classical Greece 145
Have students work in small groups to
answer the questions. Then put the
outline in Question 2 on the board and
complete it as a class.
Formal Assessment
• Section Quiz, p. 74
RETEACH
Review the time line on page 145 to
reteach the major events of Alexander’s
empire building. For more help, use the
Reading Study Guide to review the main
ideas of the section.
Reading Study Guide, p. 49 (also in Spanish)
ANSWERS
1. Philip II, p. 142
• Macedonia, p. 142
• Alexander the Great, p. 143
2. Sample Answer: I. A. builds army,
B. conquers Greece (most important—helped
spread Greek culture). II. A. burns Persepolis,
B. Darius found murdered.
3. Greek city-states did not join forces;
Macedonian army well-trained
4. Persian conquest fueled his dreams of more
victories in the east.
5. Leading generals fought for control, dividing
the empire.
• Darius III, p. 143
6. Yes—He was a great military leader who
helped create a new culture; No—He simply
used superior might. The good that came
from the conquests was the work of others.
7. Yes—He was an intelligent leader; No—Military
leadership and political leadership require
different skills.
8. to make the Persians feel less threatened and
thereby make them easier to rule
9. Rubric Storyboards should
• show evidence of teamwork.
• present events accurately and in
chronological order.
CONNECT TO TODAY
Rubric Maps should
• include a title.
• show accurate borders and current names.
Teacher’s Edition
145