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Classics 2019 > Alexander the Great > Flashcards

Alexander the Great Flashcards

1
Q

what is first among equals in greek?

A

primus inter pares

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2
Q

were macedonians similar to greeks?

A

yes

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3
Q

what did macedonians like to do that was different to their greek counterparts?

A

fight, hunt and drink

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4
Q

did macedonians see themselves as different to the greeks

A

yes

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5
Q

how does philip eventually become king?

A

his brother king perdicas III is killed in battle leaving only an infant son. philip becomes regent, and then eventually king

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6
Q

what was philips biggest legacy to his son Alexander?

A

his army

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7
Q

how many men were in philips army

A

10,000

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8
Q

how many men did alexander have in his army when he set off to his expedition through persia

A

30,000

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9
Q

name alexanders mother

A

Olympias

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10
Q

Name alexanders father

A

Philip

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11
Q

in what battle did philip take over athens and thebes

A

the battle of chaeroneia

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12
Q

describe olympias

A

fiery, culty, masterful, proud

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13
Q

describe philip

A

cultured, rational, educated, passionate, generous

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14
Q

What were the three main parts of the army

A

phalanx in the centre and cavalry either side, one of which was the companions, led by Alexander

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15
Q

what is the role of the hypaspists and how well trained were they

A

crack shots and to protect the unguarded (right) side of the infantry

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16
Q

who won the battle of chaeroneia

A

philip, alexander and the macedonian army

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17
Q

how were athens and thebes treated after the battle of chaeroneia

A

athens - leniently

thebes - harshly because they held philip hostage

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18
Q

what did philip get out of the league of corinth

A

the athenian fleet, control, hegemon position, larger army to take on persia, forced unity

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19
Q

what state wasn’t a part of the league of corinth

A

sparta

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20
Q

how did philip die in 336 bc

A

murdered - stabbed by pausanias but could have been orchestrated by many others

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21
Q

who became alexanders second in command when philip died and who was he

A

Parmenio, a friend of Philips (the generation above Alexander)

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22
Q

where did alexander go after crossing the hellespont and why

A

to troy to sacrifice to the greek and trojan gods. alex thought he was the second achilles and carried a copy of the illiad throughout his journey

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23
Q

who was memnon and who was he fighting for in the battle of Granicus

A

He was Greek, but fought for the Persians with other greek mercenaries, and knew a lot about Alexanders battle plans. He wasn’t trusted enough being a Greek however, so the Persians couldn’t use this information to their advantage

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24
Q

Where was the battle of Granicus fought

A

across both sides of the river with one side on each bank

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25
Q

What advice did Parmenio give Alexander about the battle of granicus and what did alexander decide to do

A

parmenio said to wait till the morning, alex decided they could win and started straight away, believing it would boost the morale of his troops to win in tough circumstances

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26
Q

After the battle of Granicus what happened to: memnon

A

fled south to miletus and halicarnassus

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27
Q

After the battle of Granicus what happened to: Sardis

A

surrendered to alex and one of their leaders joined his army

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28
Q

After the battle of Granicus what happened to: Ephesus

A

eventually surrendered and Alex set up a democracy there to make his mark

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29
Q

After the battle of Granicus what happened to: the greek mercenaries that that fought for Memnon

A

taken back to macedonia in chains as prisoners to work. alex did this to set an example to the greeks that if they broke the rules of the league of corinth this could happen to them

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30
Q

What did alex do for his soldiers after the battle of granicus

A

held games, theatre etc. to further boost their morale

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31
Q

What happened in Halicarnassus

A

Besieged with Memnon inside, eventually broken after 12 months using siege engines etc.

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32
Q

What is the legend of the Gordium knot

A

wagon carried Midas + his parents and the oracle declared a king would arrive. This wagon was fastened to the pole with a complex knot of which no one could see beginning or end. Legend has it that whoever could untie the knot would become ruler of Asia.

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33
Q

What happened to Alexander at Gordium

A

Alex couldn’t figure it out so he cut it through with his sword and released the pin. He felt this fulfilled the prophecy so he would soon rule Asia. He was even more determined to kill Darius and take over Persia - sense of destiny

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34
Q

What happened to Memnon while Alex was in Gordium

A

was killed

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35
Q

Who did Alex capture in the battle of Issus

A

Darius’s wife, mother and children

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36
Q

What led to Alex and Darius meeting where they did at Issus

A

Alex was told by Parmenio that Darius was at Sochi. He went there only to find that Darius was actually camped at Issus, where Darius found and mamed Alex’s sick and wounded. Alex headed to Issus where they met on the narrow plain near Issus between the Meditteranian and Mount Amanus

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37
Q

How did the battle site at Issus advantage and disadvantage each side and who ended up winning the battle

A

The plain was so narrow Darius couldn’t fit his full battle line, whereas Alex had enough room and was able to beat Darius as he fled

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38
Q

When did the siege of Tyre occur

A

332BC

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39
Q

Why did Alexander besiege Tyre

A

He wanted to sacrifice to Heracles on the island, but the Tyranians wouldn’t accept him

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40
Q

How did Alexander ultimately win the siege of Tyre

A

The Persian fleet surrendered to Alexander, and he used these warships to attack Tyre from all sides

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41
Q

How long did the siege of Tyre last

A

7 months

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42
Q

What threat did the success of the siege of Tyre put an end to?

A

the threat of the Persian fleet

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43
Q

What did Parmenio advise for the battle of gaugamela and what did alex actually do

A

a night attack, “I do not steal victory” set to fight during the day

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44
Q

what did alexander declare himself as after winning the battle of gaugamela

A

king of asia

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45
Q

where did darius go after the battle of gaugamela

A

he retreated to the wild east to raise a new army

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46
Q

What did alexander take back after the battle of gaugamela and what did this mean for the original plan for the expedition

A

Alexander took back the statues of the greek heroes that had been stolen from Athens in the Persian war. This was an end to the original mission which was to retrieve these statues. After this, Alexander continued on his own objectives

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47
Q

What started to happen to the men as they moved east

A

They began to become homesick

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48
Q

What changed to the terrain in the east

A

more mountains and vegatation

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49
Q

what happened to the style of battles in the east

A

with more mountains, there could be no more staged battles and the focus turned to guerilla warfare

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50
Q

what is positive for bessus in the east

A

it is his home territory so he is able to raise an army there

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51
Q

what does bessus rename himself and what role does he take on

A

Artaxerxes III and becomes Great King

52
Q

why did alexander continue east

A

to assert control, shut down his enemies, gain more territory and destroy rebel satraps

53
Q

why did continuing east take 3 years

A

difficult terrain and guerilla warfare mostly

54
Q

how did the burning of the summer palace of Xerxes occur

A

While drunk at a party Alexander was cheered into setting fire to the palace

55
Q

describe the philotas conspiracy

A

Some men in the army heard of a plot to kill Alex and told Philotas to get an audience with the king. Philotas told them Alex was busy and they’d have to see him later, and neither Philotas nor the men went back. Alex found out about the plot and questioned why Philotas didn’t notify him. Philotas was arrested and charged with treason. He was tortured and then the actual men involved with the plot were also charged with treason and all of them, including Philotas were stoned to death

56
Q

who was philotas

A

Parmenio’s (second in command) son and controller of the left wing cavalry

57
Q

what are some examples of the policy of fusion

A

mixed marriages, persian punishment, policy of reconciliation, persian dress, accepting and recruiting Persians into Alexanders army

58
Q

was Philotas actually guilty of the plot? what are the theories?

A

It is hard to tell whether Philotas was actually guilty. He obviously downplayed the plot, there is also question whether he even believed the plot was real. Clearly Philotas didn’t take this issue seriously enough, but it is unlikely Philotas wanted Alexander dead as they were childhood friends. Some say his friends tried to turn Alexander off Philotas while others say he started the plot himself to have a reason to get rid of him since he objected to the policy of fusion

59
Q

Why did alex need Parmenio gone

A

because he was an objector of the policy of fusion, and was very popular, and controlled a large section of, the army. he would easily have backing for an uprising against alexander, and alexander thought his loyalty was wearing thin

60
Q

how did alexander manage to get rid of parmenio without causing a riot

A

Parmenio was popular with the troops - could start a riot if a direct move was made against him
So he got to Parmenio by blaming Philotas for the conspiracy, and Alexander pinned it on Parmenio as well by saying he must have had a part in it as well, so he sent Polydamas to Ecbatana with Parmenios death warrant

61
Q

How did Alexander take care of bessus

A

Ptolomy was sent from Egypt with 6000 men to take care of Bessus. He was taken to Bactra-Zariaspa, tried for usurpation and condemned to have his nose and ears cut off and be crucified. This is another example of Alex using persian punishments = POF

62
Q

how did the sogdian leaders react to alexander coming into the region

A

initially surrendered to him, but when they received aid started to resist

63
Q

why did alexander kill cleitus

A

because he rebuked him at a banquet, saying his victories had been won by all macedonians and that he himself had saved him. cleitus was hustled from the room by officers, but reappeared for one final rebuke and Alexander in a frenzy stole a spear and killed him.

64
Q

what did alexander do after he killed cleitus

A

remained in his tent for 3 days with no food or water and tried to kill himself

65
Q

who did Alexander marry the year after killing cleitus, and whats her status

A

Alex married Roxanne, the daughter of the sogdian chief Oxyartes who had continued to resist Alexander even after the defeat of Spitamenes

66
Q

why did alex marry roxanne

A

It is wondered whether it was a marriage for love or an act of policy to secure the loyalty of the Sogdian chiefs

67
Q

How did the Macedonians react to Alexanders marriage to Roxanne

A

They were very critical of the marriage

68
Q

what is proskynesis

A

a deep bow or prostration before the Great King

69
Q

what did proskynesis mean to the Greeks and Macedonians

A

they only bowed to the Gods, so it was outrageous they would bow to Alexander who was just a regular man

70
Q

what did proskynesis mean to the Persians

A

Just a sign of respect

71
Q

who was callisthenes

A

alexanders historian

72
Q

What did callisthenes do that was controversial

A

refused to perform proskynesis to alexander, and so went away the poorer by a kiss

73
Q

how did alexander get his revenge on callisthenes

A

told everyone one evening that it was easy to speak positively about macedonians but who was talented enough to speak against them. callisthenes fell for this trap and ripped into the macedonians, who became angry

74
Q

what was callisthenes other role apart from historian

A

tutor of the Royal Pages

75
Q

who were the Royal Pages

A

young Macedonian nobles, the closest attendants of Alexander

76
Q

what did Hermolaus do, that earned him a public flogging by Alexander

A

on a hunting trip with Alexander, he forestalled the king by killing a wild boar

77
Q

What did Hermolaus do following his punishment from killing a boar before Alexander

A

he resented his punishment and plotted together with a number of other pages to kill Alexander. they saw themselves as killers of a tyrant

78
Q

did the Royal Pages approve of the policy of fusion and Alexander’s implied divinity

A

nope, they dissaproved

79
Q

how did Callisthenes inspire the Pages

A

He inspired their dislike of Alexander and was placed under arrest, accused of encouraging this. They were inspired by the fact he stood up to Alexander

80
Q

When Hermolaus asked Callisthenes “How would one become the most famous man?”, Callisthenes replied?

A

By killing the most famous man, only a conspiracy theory though

81
Q

How did each of these groups respond to Callisthenes death soon after the Pages conspiracy?

a) the greek world
b) the army

A

a) anger

b) not particularly concerned as many disliked him for his notorius arrogance

82
Q

what are the unproven conspiracies on how Callisthenes died

A

Ptolomy - tortured and hanged

Chares - carried around with the army in captivity and died seven months later

83
Q

what is the greek word for excessive pride

A

hubris

84
Q

what is the greek word for a longing or desire to do something

A

pothos

85
Q

what is the greek word for an ideology that aims to adopt Persian culture to blend and be more Persian

A

orientalism

86
Q

what is the greek word for a federal leader, the leader of the League of Corinth

A

hegemon

87
Q

what is a satrap

A

a regional governor of a province in Persia

88
Q

what is the Persian term for prostrating yourself before the Great King

A

proskynesis

89
Q

what is the harem

A

group of female companions brought along with the army for sexual relations, could also be eunuchs - neutered males

90
Q

what is a sarissa

A

pike - long spear like weapon held with two hands and pointed out front by the Phalanx

91
Q

what are the Phalanx

A

the centre, the middle (infantry section) of the army on foot

92
Q

what is an oblique charge

A

performed by the cavalry, a diagonal charge to catch the opponent off guard

93
Q

which King led the “defence of the Punjab”

A

King Porus

94
Q

What battle was the real struggle Alexander had with King Porus

A

The Battle of the Hydaspes River

95
Q

How many elephants were in King Porus’s army

A

200

96
Q

How did Alexander treat King Porus after winning the Battle of the Hydaspes

A

like a King, he returned his Kingdom to him and also increased it in size

97
Q

By the time of the Hydaspes River, how long had it been since Alexander last fought a full scale pitched battle

A

5 years

98
Q

Alexanders troops launched a haul of missles at the elephants, which wounded them and caused them to _____ (Hydaspes)

A

stampede - this caused complete mayhem and soldiers from both sides were trampled

99
Q

Which was Alexanders most difficult battle, and the last of his great battles?

A

The Battle of the Hydaspes

100
Q

How did the mutiny on the Beas river occur

A

The men were tired, the weather was bad, fighting was fierce so at the Beas river they refused to go any further.

101
Q

Why did the army mutiny at the Beas river

A
  • no one knew how far they were going to go. there was question whether even Alex knew this
  • they mistook the river Beas for the river Ganges, rumoured to be 6km wide and 200m deep
  • rumours of the great armies of India beyond the river
  • didn’t share Alexanders thirst for conquest
  • forced to wear Indian clothes as all the Macedonian ones were gone
  • Horses hooves worn out
  • 8 years away from home
  • exhausted and homesick
  • horror from the conflict with Porus’s elephants
102
Q

How did Alexander respond to the mutiny at the Beas River

A
  • he was furious and shut himself in his tent like his ancestor Achilles
  • he hoped the men would change their mind but they didn’t
  • offered sacrifice to the Gods who “didn’t want him to cross further East”
  • announced he would turn back
103
Q

How was Alexander injured by the Mallian village

A

shot with an arrow through the lung, his men thought he had died but were extremely relieved when he was paraded in front of them, showing he was still a popular commander and his men felt that they could not do without him

104
Q

How did Alexanders group travel back

A

through the Gedrosian desert

105
Q

What horrors did the army face travelling through the Gedrosian desert

A

shortage of food and water so many starved, horses were unsuited to the terrain so they were killed and eaten, wagons could not be dragged through the sand so were left behind, flash floods drowned a number of them, many men (estimated 40,000 men) and animals died in the desert. The navy didn’t fare much better, having to resort to piracy to survive

106
Q

Why did Alexander choose to cross the Gedrosian

A

to run parallel to the fleet and supply them and to outdo Cyrus and Semiramis - his competitive nature

107
Q

What occurred at the Susa weddings

A

An example of the Policy of Fusion, a mass wedding to reduce the risk of Persian mutiny against Alexander. Alexander promoted these marriages by making a promise that if they had boys they would be sent back to Macedonia at 10 years of age to be trained and brought up like Greek children. This reduced the number of Persian men who had any power, and strengthened Alexanders power within the Empire.

108
Q

What was the Policy of Reconciliation

A

policy of allowing Persian officials such as satraps and governors to continue in their position once they had pledged their loyalty to Alexander. This ensured the empire continued to run smoothly and the status quo was maintained

109
Q

What was the Policy of Fusion, give examples

A

took the policy of reconciliation a step further and expanded Persian privileges to the conquered Persians in order to blend the races together harmoniously eg: adopting Persian dress, mixed marriages, educating Persian children with a Greek education, persian punishment, proskynesis, bringing persians into the Macedonian army

110
Q

what was the cause of the Mutiny at Opis

A

Alexander offered to let his senior officers return home to Macedonia with gold and riches. They were to be replaced with new Persian trainees, called the Successors. But also, growing unpopularity of the Policy of Fusion, especially proskynesis and Alexanders use of Persian dress

111
Q

How did Alexander react to the mutiny at Opis

A

locked himself in his tent for 2 days. When his men would not relent, he threatened to replace the whole army with Persian men

112
Q

How did Alexanders men then react after he threatened to replace them all with Persian men at the mutiny at opis

A

they broke down, begging forgiveness. weeping, alexander accepted their apologies and allowed them to kiss him so he got his own way

113
Q

how were the 13 ringleaders of the mutiny at opis punished

A

they were murdered

114
Q

Who was Hephaestion and where did he die

A

Alexanders lover and basically prime minister, second only to Alexander, he died in Ecbatana

115
Q

What was the deification order

A

an order that meant the Greek cities had to establish temples offering divine honours to him. this did not mean he thought of himself as an actual God even though he was honoured as one

116
Q

How and where did Alexander die, and what plans did he have in place beforehand that he didn’t get to complete

A

He made his way back to Babylon, and decided to embark on an Arabian expedition because, primarily, they had not sent an embassy to honour him. This was only a pretext for the real reason: conquering Arabia. The mission was cancelled after Alexander became ill with a fever, deteriorated and died when he was not yet 33 years old

117
Q

“he wanted to _____ the _____ of Macedonia and Persia, for ___ ____ _____ ____ _____ ____ ____ ____ ____” - ?

A

combine, kingships, the two people to rule a mighty empire together - Artus

118
Q

“Alexander began to ___ ____ ____ and the ____ of the ___ ___ ____” -?

A

adopt Persian luxury, extravagence, Kings of Asia - Diodorus

119
Q

in what year was alexander born

A

356BCE

120
Q

how old was alexander when he died

A

33

121
Q

“He received confirmation of __ ___ ___” -?

A

His divine status - Artus

122
Q

“hoped that Alexander’s intention to ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ __ ___ ___ utterly indicated that ___ ___ ___ ___ ___, and did not intend to __ ___ ___” -?

A

set the palace on fire and destroy it, he was thinking of home, settle among foreigners - Plutarch

123
Q

“Alexander had counted on ____ to bring the ___ ___ ___ ___” -?

A

proskynesis, Macedonians and Persians together - Artus

124
Q

“one would have thought that ____ ____ ____ ____ ____” -?

A

everyone had drunk the water -Arrian

125
Q

“fusing the Macedonians and Persians ___ ___ ___ ___” -?

A

into one ruling race - Artus

Classics 2019 (3 decks)

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