Greece: Alexander and Hellenism

Macedon

Situated immediately north of what we now call Greece was the territory called Macedon (modern-day Macedonia). While the Greek city-states to the south were busy building up their strengths and fighting amongst themselves, Macedon was preparing for conquest. In the mid-4th century BCE, King Philip II of Macedon marched through Greece and conquered all the Greek city-states. This marked the end of the polis and democracy (for now).

Alexander

Perhaps you have heard of Alexander, usually referred to as Alexander the Great. Alexander was the son of King Philip II of Macedon. Philip II made sure his son was taught by the best teacher in the world, Plato's student Aristotle. Alexander inherited the Greek empire with a powerful military and he decided to use it to conquer Persia. Alexander redistributed the Persian wealth among his own people, which provided funding for more military conquests in Asia and Africa. Wherever Alexander's army marched, he renamed cities or founded new cities after himself. For example, the famous city of Alexandria in Egypt took its name from Alexander. Alexander's conquest reached all the way to the border of India. The fact that he conquered it all so quickly is amazing, and even more so considering he died at only 32.

A mosaic depicting Alexander the Great on his horse Bucephalus.

Hellenism

Alexander's conquest began the Hellenistic period, which would last 300 years, even continuing after the empire was taken over by Rome. Hellenism was a blend of Greek, Egyptian, Persian, and Indian cultures. The Greeks invented early gears, water screws, crossbows, cameras, and the catapult. We know from Module 1 that the Egyptians, Persians, and Indians were also technologically advanced. Their combined knowledge led to a rise in astronomy, anatomy, geometry, women’s education, and trade. New libraries, museums, schools, art galleries, and even zoos sprung up across the lands Alexander conquered.

Legacy of the Greeks

Once the Romans invaded in the 2^nd century BCE, Greek culture, knowledge, and religion formed the basis of Roman society. In other words, the Romans controlled the land, but Hellenism still ruled the culture. Greek sculptures, columns, and architecture are still highly valued by modern experts. Additionally, English borrowed many words from Greek roots, like “democracy” which comes from demo- meaning people and -ocracy meaning rule.

**Examples of Common Greek Root Words**
Greek Root	Meaning	Example(s) in English
Anti	Against	Antisocial, Antibiotic
Bio	Life	Biology
Geo	Earth	Geography, Geometry
Mono	One	Monogamy, Monarchy, Monotheism
Phono	Sound	Microphone, Telephone
Poly	Many	Polygamy, Polygon, Polytheism
Theo	God/Religion	Theist, Atheism, Theocracy

Practice Activity

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