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alexander the great Flashcards

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1
Q

When was Alexander the Great born?

A

356BC in Pella (Macedonia)

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2
Q

Who was the father of Alexander the Great?

A

Philip II

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3
Q

Which country was Philip King of?

A

Macedon

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4
Q

Who was the mother of Alexander?

A

Olympias

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5
Q

Who was the main tutor of Alexander?

A

Aristotle

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6
Q

Who wrote a biography of Alexander?

A

Plutarch

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7
Q

What was the name of the author of the Anabasis (a military history of Alexander’s reign)?

A

Arrian

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8
Q

Which Persian King was defeated by the Greeks in 480BC?

A

Xerxes

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9
Q

How many wives did Philip have?

A

3

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10
Q

When did Philip marry Olympias?

A

357BC

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11
Q

Which battle did Philip win in 338BC, giving him control of Greece?

A

Chaeronea

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12
Q

What was the name of the long Macedonian spear?

A

Sarissa

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13
Q

What was the core of the Macedonian army?

A

Phalanx (tight formation of soldiers)

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14
Q

How long was the Macedonian spear?

A

6m

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15
Q

What part of the cavalry was made up of the noblest Macedonians?

A

Companion Cavalry

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16
Q

What were the cavalry known for?

A

Shock tactics (pretending to retreat to lure enemy, then suddenly turning round?

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17
Q

Who were the fastest cavalry?

A

Thessalian

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18
Q

Name one type of light infantry unit.

A

Agrianes or peltast

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19
Q

Why could the light infantry move quickly?

A

They didn’t wear armour

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20
Q

Who were the elite force of Alexander’s army?

A

Hypaspists

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21
Q

When the army was on campaign what were they expected to do?

A

Live of the land

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22
Q

How many were in the Macedonian army when it invaded Persia?

A

50,000

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23
Q

Who is supposed to be an ancestor of Alexander?

A

Herakles

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24
Q

What is supposed to have struck Olympias when she was pregnant?

A

Lightning

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25
Q

What image did Philip dream was sealing Olympias’ womb?

A

Lion

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26
Q

What animal did Philip see with Olympias?

A

Snake

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27
Q

Which God did Delphi suggest Philip should honour?

A

Ammon

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28
Q

Where was Olympias from?

A

Epirus in Greece

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29
Q

Who did Olympias claim Alexander was the son of?

A

Zeus

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30
Q

Which book did Alexander keep?

A

Homer’s Iliad

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31
Q

Name the tutor of Alexander

A

Aristotle

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32
Q

What was the name of the horse Alexander tamed?

A

Bucephalus

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33
Q

What did Alexander say he would pay if he lost the bet about the horse?

A

The price of the horse

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34
Q

What did Alexander realise the horse was scared of?

A

Its shadow

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35
Q

At what age was Alexander entrusted with the Kings seal?

A

16

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36
Q

Where was there a revolt that he overcame?

A

Maedi

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37
Q

Who did he lead a charge against at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338BC?

A

Sacred Band of Thebes

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38
Q

What had Philip II become before he began planning his expedition against Persia?

A

Hegemon (leader)

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39
Q

What was the name of Philip’s bodyguard?

A

Pausanias

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40
Q

Who had Philip failed to punish for abusing his bodyguard, leading to his assassination by his bodyguard?

A

Attalus

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41
Q

What weapon did he have hidden to kill Philip with?

A

Dagger

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42
Q

Who caught the murderer and killed him?

A

Perdiccas

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43
Q

Who was left as regent of Greece when Alexander went to Asia?

A

Antipater

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44
Q

Who helped develop the Macedonian army and commanded the left wing in battle?

A

Parmenio

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45
Q

Who was the close friend of Alexander?

A

Hephaestion

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46
Q

Who was appointed official historian by Alexander?

A

Callisthenes

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47
Q

Why did Persia have good communications?

A

The Royal Highway

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48
Q

How many men were available to Darius in the Persian army?

A

120,000

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49
Q

How many cavalry did Darius have?

A

30,000

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50
Q

Which conquest was Alexander keen to recreate?

A

Troy

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51
Q

One motive for attacking Persia was revenge for the invasion of Greece in …?

A

480BC

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52
Q

Who were the Persian King’s personal guard?

A

Immortals

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53
Q

How was the majority of the Persian army made up?

A

Conscripts

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54
Q

Name a historian who tells us about Alexander’s campaigns

A

Arrian

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55
Q

Name a biographer who writes about Alexander’s campaigns

A

Plutarch

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56
Q

What year did Alexander begin his invasion of Persia?

A

334BC

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57
Q

Who had Philip previously sent to Asia to prepare his campaign?

A

Parmenio and Attalus

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58
Q

Which water did Alexander cross to begin his campaign?

A

Hellespont

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59
Q

How many cavalry did Alexander take into Persia?

A

5000

60
Q

Where was Alexander’s first battle fought?

A

River Granicus

61
Q

Who was the leader of the Persian forces at this battle?

A

Memnon of Rhodes

62
Q

What had he advised Darius III to do?

A

Scorched earth policy

63
Q

Why did the Persians not take his advice?

A

Because he was Greek

64
Q

How did the Persians recognise Alexander at the battle?

A

Splendid armour

65
Q

What does Alexander break at the battle of Granicus?

A

Spear

66
Q

Who saves Alexander from death at the battle of Granicus?

A

Cleitus the Black

67
Q

What does Alexander do to the foreign mercenaries (fighting for Persia) at the end of the battle?

A

Massacres them

68
Q

Which goddess does Alexander send gifts to on the acropolis?

A

Athena

69
Q

What is at Gordium?

A

The knot

70
Q

What does the Gordium prove?

A

The ruler of Asia

71
Q

How does Alexander deal with the Gordium?

A

He cuts it

72
Q

What was the second battle fought in Persia?

A

Issus

73
Q

What happens to Darius in the second battle fought in Persia?

A

He flees the battlefield

74
Q

Who is captured in second battle fought in Persia?

A

The family of Darius

75
Q

Where does Alexander have to capture by siege in 332BC?

A

Tyre

76
Q

Why was it so important to capture the city which was captured by siege in 332BC?

A

To control the coast

77
Q

What did Alexander construct to achieve the siege?

A

A causeway

78
Q

How long did the siege last?

A

7 months

79
Q

Which temple protected people who were spared by Alexander?

A

Herakles

80
Q

When Alexander enters Egypt where does he go?

A

The oracle at Siwa

81
Q

What does he learn at the place he went when he enters Egypt?

A

He is the son of Ammon

82
Q

The third Persian battle is fought at ..?

A

Gaugamela

83
Q

What year did the third Persian battle take place?

A

331BC

84
Q

Why did Darius choose this battlefield for the third Persian battle?

A

Flat open plain

85
Q

Which Persian source mentions the third Persian battle?

A

Astronomical Diary

86
Q

What omen was seen at the battle?

A

An eagle flew from Alexander straight to the enemy

87
Q

What does Alexander let his men do before the battle?

A

Rest

88
Q

Who suggests that they should not attack immediately?

A

Parmenio

89
Q

How many Persians does Arrian suggest died?

A

300,000

90
Q

Which city did Alexander advance to after the battle?

A

Babylon

91
Q

Which of Alexander’s companions is accused of conspiracy in 330BC?

A

Philotas (son of Parmenio)

92
Q

Whose death does this also eventually lead to?

A

Parmenio

93
Q

Alexander wanted to take the Persian capital which was..?

A

Persepolis

94
Q

He had to pass through a narrow pass called …

A

Persian Gate

95
Q

Darius had left this man in charge and he tried to stop Alexander passing through.

A

Ariobarzanes

96
Q

What year did Alexander capture the Persian capital and treasury?

A

330BC

97
Q

What happens while Alexander and his troops are there?

A

They burn the city

98
Q

Who encourages this to happen?

A

Thais (an Athenian woman)

99
Q

Who urges him not to do this?

A

Parmenio

100
Q

Who kills Darius after he flees the battle of Gaugamela?

A

Bessus

101
Q

Where was he the satrap of?

A

Bactria

102
Q

What name did he take after the death of Darius III?

A

Artaxerxes V

103
Q

What happened to the person who kills Darius after he flees the battle of Gaugamela in 329BC

A

Executed

104
Q

Who was killed by Alexander in 328BC?

A

Cleitus

105
Q

What was the Persian custom that he objected to?

A

Proskynesis

106
Q

What is blamed for the killing?

A

Alcohol

107
Q

Where does Alexander begin a campaign in 326BC?

A

Indus Valley (India)

108
Q

Which place does Alexander capture by siege during this campaign?

A

Aornos Rock

109
Q

How does Alexander capture the rock?

A

Constructs a mound

110
Q

Who was the Indian King Alexander fought?

A

Porus

111
Q

What unusual type of forces were used by the Indian ruler?

A

War Elephants

112
Q

What is the name of the battle fought with the Indian ruler?

A

Hydaspes River (Beas)

113
Q

Which of Alexander’s companions dies and has a city named after them?

A

Bucephalus

114
Q

What does the silver tetradrachm of Ptolemy show Alexander wearing?

A

Elephant headdress

115
Q

What happens at the Hyphasis?

A

Mutiny

116
Q

Who led the Persian fleet home?

A

Nearchus

117
Q

Which desert does Alexander cross on the way home?

A

Gedrosian

118
Q

What else caused death on the journey home?

A

Monsoon

119
Q

Which satrap is arrested and executed when Alexander returns to Susa?

A

Abulites

120
Q

What did Alexander arrange at Susa in 324BC?

A

Mass marriages

121
Q

Who had Alexander married previously?

A

Roxanne

122
Q

What evidence is there of him becoming more paranoid?

A

Conspiracy of the Pages

123
Q

Who is killed as a result of this conspiracy?

A

Callisthenes

124
Q

Who does Alexander replace Antipater with at this point?

A

Craterus

125
Q

Why did Alexander found so many cities?

A

To spread Hellenic culture

126
Q

Which companion of Alexander died in 324BC?

A

Hephaestion

127
Q

Where were they when Hephaestion died?

A

Ecbatana

128
Q

How did Alexander honour him?

A

Funeral pyre costing 10,000 talents

129
Q

What role had he had in the army?

A

Commander of the Companion Cavalry

130
Q

In what year did Alexander die?

A

323BC

131
Q

Which city had Alexander returned to?

A

Babylon

132
Q

Why did he not enter the city?

A

A bad omen

133
Q

What happened while Alexander was not sitting on his throne?

A

A stranger sat on it

134
Q

What did Alexander do the night before he fell ill?

A

Drinking all night

135
Q

What does he do each day despite being ill?

A

Bathes and sacrifices

136
Q

Where do Arrian and Plutarch get the details of the death from?

A

Court journals

137
Q

Which temple did Alexander’s men suggest taking him to?

A

Serapis

138
Q

Who does Alexander say he leaves his kingdom to?

A

‘the strongest’

139
Q

What do some people suggest killed him?

A

Poison

140
Q

Who took control of Egypt?

A

Ptolemy

141
Q

Who controlled Macedonia and Greece?

A

Cassander

142
Q

How many cities did Plutarch say Alexander had founder?

A

70

143
Q

How many cities did Alexander actually found?

A

20

144
Q

Who revives the idea that Alexander was poisoned later?

A

Olympias

145
Q

Who orders the execution of Roxane and her son?

A

Cassander

Ancient history (5 decks)

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