Alexander the Great

1. Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic World

2. Macedon • How did Macedon differ from the rest of the Greek world (mainland Greece, the islands, and the coast of Asia Minor)? • Characterize Philip's dominance of Greece under the "League of Corinth." • Why did the Greeks decide to attack Persia?

3. Questions on Plutarch’s Life • What was the political situation in Greece on Philip of Macedon's death? To what extent were Philip's and Alexander's interests better served by belief in a unified Greece than in the polis? • What seems to have been Alexander's policy toward the peoples he conquered? What seems to have been the expectation of his own followers? How can you explain their attitudes? • Hellenistic civilization has been described as a fusion of Greek and Near Eastern societies and cultures. To what extent does this source provide evidence either for or against this characterization? • What implications did Macedon's political structure have for women? How does the period compare with that of the classical polis? • To judge from Plutarch, were ancient people who believed in omens, gods, and miracles simply gullible?

4. What happened to Alexander's vast empire after he died? • To what extent did Greek people and culture fuse with that of the lands the Greeks occupied? • What was the status of women in the Hellenistic world? • How did Hellenistic kings establish their legitimacy?