Alexander the Great Flashcards
what is first among equals in greek?
primus inter pares
were macedonians similar to greeks?
yes
what did macedonians like to do that was different to their greek counterparts?
fight, hunt and drink
did macedonians see themselves as different to the greeks
yes
how does philip eventually become king?
his brother king perdicas III is killed in battle leaving only an infant son. philip becomes regent, and then eventually king
what was philips biggest legacy to his son Alexander?
his army
how many men were in philips army
10,000
how many men did alexander have in his army when he set off to his expedition through persia
30,000
name alexanders mother
Olympias
Name alexanders father
Philip
in what battle did philip take over athens and thebes
the battle of chaeroneia
describe olympias
fiery, culty, masterful, proud
describe philip
cultured, rational, educated, passionate, generous
What were the three main parts of the army
phalanx in the centre and cavalry either side, one of which was the companions, led by Alexander
what is the role of the hypaspists and how well trained were they
crack shots and to protect the unguarded (right) side of the infantry
who won the battle of chaeroneia
philip, alexander and the macedonian army
how were athens and thebes treated after the battle of chaeroneia
athens - leniently
thebes - harshly because they held philip hostage
what did philip get out of the league of corinth
the athenian fleet, control, hegemon position, larger army to take on persia, forced unity
what state wasn’t a part of the league of corinth
sparta
how did philip die in 336 bc
murdered - stabbed by pausanias but could have been orchestrated by many others
who became alexanders second in command when philip died and who was he
Parmenio, a friend of Philips (the generation above Alexander)
where did alexander go after crossing the hellespont and why
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
who was memnon and who was he fighting for in the battle of Granicus
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
Where was the battle of Granicus fought
across both sides of the river with one side on each bank
What advice did Parmenio give Alexander about the battle of granicus and what did alexander decide to do
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
After the battle of Granicus what happened to: memnon
fled south to miletus and halicarnassus
After the battle of Granicus what happened to: Sardis
surrendered to alex and one of their leaders joined his army
After the battle of Granicus what happened to: Ephesus
eventually surrendered and Alex set up a democracy there to make his mark
After the battle of Granicus what happened to: the greek mercenaries that that fought for Memnon
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
What did alex do for his soldiers after the battle of granicus
held games, theatre etc. to further boost their morale
What happened in Halicarnassus
Besieged with Memnon inside, eventually broken after 12 months using siege engines etc.
What is the legend of the Gordium knot
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.
What happened to Alexander at Gordium
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
What happened to Memnon while Alex was in Gordium
was killed
Who did Alex capture in the battle of Issus
Darius’s wife, mother and children
What led to Alex and Darius meeting where they did at Issus
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
How did the battle site at Issus advantage and disadvantage each side and who ended up winning the battle
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
When did the siege of Tyre occur
332BC
Why did Alexander besiege Tyre
He wanted to sacrifice to Heracles on the island, but the Tyranians wouldn’t accept him
How did Alexander ultimately win the siege of Tyre
The Persian fleet surrendered to Alexander, and he used these warships to attack Tyre from all sides
How long did the siege of Tyre last
7 months
What threat did the success of the siege of Tyre put an end to?
the threat of the Persian fleet
What did Parmenio advise for the battle of gaugamela and what did alex actually do
a night attack, “I do not steal victory” set to fight during the day
what did alexander declare himself as after winning the battle of gaugamela
king of asia
where did darius go after the battle of gaugamela
he retreated to the wild east to raise a new army
What did alexander take back after the battle of gaugamela and what did this mean for the original plan for the expedition
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
What started to happen to the men as they moved east
They began to become homesick
What changed to the terrain in the east
more mountains and vegatation
what happened to the style of battles in the east
with more mountains, there could be no more staged battles and the focus turned to guerilla warfare
what is positive for bessus in the east
it is his home territory so he is able to raise an army there
what does bessus rename himself and what role does he take on
Artaxerxes III and becomes Great King
why did alexander continue east
to assert control, shut down his enemies, gain more territory and destroy rebel satraps
why did continuing east take 3 years
difficult terrain and guerilla warfare mostly
how did the burning of the summer palace of Xerxes occur
While drunk at a party Alexander was cheered into setting fire to the palace
describe the philotas conspiracy
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
who was philotas
Parmenio’s (second in command) son and controller of the left wing cavalry
what are some examples of the policy of fusion
mixed marriages, persian punishment, policy of reconciliation, persian dress, accepting and recruiting Persians into Alexanders army
was Philotas actually guilty of the plot? what are the theories?
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
Why did alex need Parmenio gone
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
how did alexander manage to get rid of parmenio without causing a riot
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
How did Alexander take care of bessus
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
how did the sogdian leaders react to alexander coming into the region
initially surrendered to him, but when they received aid started to resist
why did alexander kill cleitus
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.
what did alexander do after he killed cleitus
remained in his tent for 3 days with no food or water and tried to kill himself
who did Alexander marry the year after killing cleitus, and whats her status
Alex married Roxanne, the daughter of the sogdian chief Oxyartes who had continued to resist Alexander even after the defeat of Spitamenes
why did alex marry roxanne
It is wondered whether it was a marriage for love or an act of policy to secure the loyalty of the Sogdian chiefs
How did the Macedonians react to Alexanders marriage to Roxanne
They were very critical of the marriage
what is proskynesis
a deep bow or prostration before the Great King
what did proskynesis mean to the Greeks and Macedonians
they only bowed to the Gods, so it was outrageous they would bow to Alexander who was just a regular man
what did proskynesis mean to the Persians
Just a sign of respect
who was callisthenes
alexanders historian
What did callisthenes do that was controversial
refused to perform proskynesis to alexander, and so went away the poorer by a kiss
how did alexander get his revenge on callisthenes
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
what was callisthenes other role apart from historian
tutor of the Royal Pages
who were the Royal Pages
young Macedonian nobles, the closest attendants of Alexander
what did Hermolaus do, that earned him a public flogging by Alexander
on a hunting trip with Alexander, he forestalled the king by killing a wild boar
What did Hermolaus do following his punishment from killing a boar before Alexander
he resented his punishment and plotted together with a number of other pages to kill Alexander. they saw themselves as killers of a tyrant
did the Royal Pages approve of the policy of fusion and Alexander’s implied divinity
nope, they dissaproved
how did Callisthenes inspire the Pages
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
When Hermolaus asked Callisthenes “How would one become the most famous man?”, Callisthenes replied?
By killing the most famous man, only a conspiracy theory though
How did each of these groups respond to Callisthenes death soon after the Pages conspiracy?
a) the greek world
b) the army
a) anger
b) not particularly concerned as many disliked him for his notorius arrogance
what are the unproven conspiracies on how Callisthenes died
Ptolomy - tortured and hanged
Chares - carried around with the army in captivity and died seven months later
what is the greek word for excessive pride
hubris
what is the greek word for a longing or desire to do something
pothos
what is the greek word for an ideology that aims to adopt Persian culture to blend and be more Persian
orientalism
what is the greek word for a federal leader, the leader of the League of Corinth
hegemon
what is a satrap
a regional governor of a province in Persia
what is the Persian term for prostrating yourself before the Great King
proskynesis
what is the harem
group of female companions brought along with the army for sexual relations, could also be eunuchs - neutered males
what is a sarissa
pike - long spear like weapon held with two hands and pointed out front by the Phalanx
what are the Phalanx
the centre, the middle (infantry section) of the army on foot
what is an oblique charge
performed by the cavalry, a diagonal charge to catch the opponent off guard
which King led the “defence of the Punjab”
King Porus
What battle was the real struggle Alexander had with King Porus
The Battle of the Hydaspes River
How many elephants were in King Porus’s army
200
How did Alexander treat King Porus after winning the Battle of the Hydaspes
like a King, he returned his Kingdom to him and also increased it in size
By the time of the Hydaspes River, how long had it been since Alexander last fought a full scale pitched battle
5 years
Alexanders troops launched a haul of missles at the elephants, which wounded them and caused them to _____ (Hydaspes)
stampede - this caused complete mayhem and soldiers from both sides were trampled
Which was Alexanders most difficult battle, and the last of his great battles?
The Battle of the Hydaspes
How did the mutiny on the Beas river occur
The men were tired, the weather was bad, fighting was fierce so at the Beas river they refused to go any further.
Why did the army mutiny at the Beas river
- 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
How did Alexander respond to the mutiny at the Beas River
- 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
How was Alexander injured by the Mallian village
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
How did Alexanders group travel back
through the Gedrosian desert
What horrors did the army face travelling through the Gedrosian desert
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
Why did Alexander choose to cross the Gedrosian
to run parallel to the fleet and supply them and to outdo Cyrus and Semiramis - his competitive nature
What occurred at the Susa weddings
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.
What was the Policy of Reconciliation
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
What was the Policy of Fusion, give examples
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
what was the cause of the Mutiny at Opis
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
How did Alexander react to the mutiny at Opis
locked himself in his tent for 2 days. When his men would not relent, he threatened to replace the whole army with Persian men
How did Alexanders men then react after he threatened to replace them all with Persian men at the mutiny at opis
they broke down, begging forgiveness. weeping, alexander accepted their apologies and allowed them to kiss him so he got his own way
how were the 13 ringleaders of the mutiny at opis punished
they were murdered
Who was Hephaestion and where did he die
Alexanders lover and basically prime minister, second only to Alexander, he died in Ecbatana
What was the deification order
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
How and where did Alexander die, and what plans did he have in place beforehand that he didn’t get to complete
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
“he wanted to _____ the _____ of Macedonia and Persia, for ___ ____ _____ ____ _____ ____ ____ ____ ____” - ?
combine, kingships, the two people to rule a mighty empire together - Artus
“Alexander began to ___ ____ ____ and the ____ of the ___ ___ ____” -?
adopt Persian luxury, extravagence, Kings of Asia - Diodorus
in what year was alexander born
356BCE
how old was alexander when he died
33
“He received confirmation of __ ___ ___” -?
His divine status - Artus
“hoped that Alexander’s intention to ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ __ ___ ___ utterly indicated that ___ ___ ___ ___ ___, and did not intend to __ ___ ___” -?
set the palace on fire and destroy it, he was thinking of home, settle among foreigners - Plutarch
“Alexander had counted on ____ to bring the ___ ___ ___ ___” -?
proskynesis, Macedonians and Persians together - Artus
“one would have thought that ____ ____ ____ ____ ____” -?
everyone had drunk the water -Arrian
“fusing the Macedonians and Persians ___ ___ ___ ___” -?
into one ruling race - Artus
