HOMEWORK: PHILLIP VS ALEXANDER

STUDENT NAME: _______________________

______________

DATE:

DIRECTIONS: Review the articles below, underlining key details that

you find in the text. Compare and contrast the lives of Alexander the
Great and Phillip of Macedon on the pages that follow.
ARTICLE #1: Alexander the Great
Alexander was born in 356 BCE to Phillip II of Macedon. Like his father,
Alexander was very well educated as a young boy. The
famous Greek scholar, Aristotle, taught Alexander
from 344 BCE until 340 BCE. While Alexanders father
waged war against other Greek city-states, Alexander
learned about Greek drama, government, writing,
philosophy, and religion from his tutor, Aristotle. The
lessons that Aristotle taught Alexander would greatly
influence his life.
Aristotle believed that the Greeks were the smartest
people in the
world and that Greek culture was the most
advanced. Aristotle told Alexander to treat the Greeks as friends and
relatives, but to treat his enemies like beasts or plants. Aristotle
encouraged Alexander to conquer his enemies, especially the Persians
who lived east of Greece. Because of Aristotles teachings, Alexander
dreamed of spreading Greek ideas to the entire world.
In 336 BCE, Alexanders father, Phillip II, was assassinated (murdered).
Alexander became the leader of all of Greece and he was only 20 years
old! After years of observing his fathers military campaigns, and years
of studying under Aristotle, Alexander finally had his chance to lead the
Greek army against the Persians and other enemies of Greece. He
began his reign as king by eliminating potential challengers to his
power. Alexander had his cousin executed, along with two other
potential challengers to the throne. In 335 BCE, Alexander led his army
across different parts of Greece, defeating small rebellions against his
power and uniting Greece into one powerful empire.
With Greece united under his power, Alexander followed the teachings
of Aristotle, and began to spread his empire to the east. In 334 BCE,
Alexander began to conquer modern day Turkey. In 332 BCE, Alexander
waged war against the Phonecians. From there, Alexanders army
defeated the Egyptians and then the Babylonians in 331 BCE. After

defeating the Egyptians, Alexander began to think of himself as a god.

Alexander became known to the Egyptians as the master of the
universe. Next, Alexander set his sights on the Persian Empire. After a
series of battles against Darius III, the king of Persia, Alexander
conquered the Persian army. By 323 BCE, Alexander had built the
largest empire in the world. He had spread Greek culture throughout
his empire, and his power was unmatched by any other king on earth.
Alexander had earned his nickname, Alexander the Great.
Alexander wanted to spread Greek culture to the people that he
conquered, but he respected other cultures, too. Alexander wanted
people in his empire to know that he respected their culture. Alexander
did not want the groups that he conquered to think that they had to
change their lives completely; they did not have to start acting Greek
in every way. Alexander knew that if people in his empire became
unhappy, they could rebel against him.
Alexander found a few ways to show respect for the people in his
empire and still spread Greek culture. For example, in some places that
Alexander ruled, he let the people keep their own leaders and
government. When Alexander conquered Persia, he let the Persians
keep the same laws they had before Alexander came. Although
Alexander did not allow people he conquered to collect taxes or
become leaders in his army, he did show respect to the people by
letting them keep some of their own leaders and systems of
government.
Alexander did not force anyone to accept Greek culture. For example,
all people were allowed to worship their own gods or they could
worship Greek gods. In the Greek empire, many people worshiped both
Greek and non-Greek gods. People were also allowed to speak and
write in Greek or in their own language. Because the Greek language
was so advanced, many people chose to learn Greek, but they were
given a choice. Alexander let the people he conquered marry Greek
people. People in Alexanders empire could have Greek culture and
their own culture. Again, this showed that Alexander respected other
peoples cultures while keeping power over his empire.
Cultural diffusion is the way in which cultural elements move from
one part of the world to another. As Alexander conquered other
empires, Greek ideas and culture diffused (or spread) across Asia.
Alexander built Greek-style cities in the places he Egypt, Mesopotamia,
and even parts of India. Alexanders cities had Greek theaters so that
people could watch and enjoy Greek dramas. Alexander built Greek
libraries so that people could read about ancient Greek heroes. These
libraries helped Alexander spread the Greek language, and many
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people in Alexanders empire began to learn Greek language and

writing. In his cities, Alexander built Greek temples so that people
could worship Greek gods. Because of Alexander, Greek language,
religion, architecture, and drama spread throughout the world. By
respecting other cultures, Alexander was able to spread Greek culture,
and maintain power over his empire. In 323 BCE, Alexander died at the
age of 32. Although historians disagree about the cause of his death,
all historians agree that Alexander built one of the greatest empires of
all time.

HOMEWORK: PHILLIP VS ALEXANDER

DIRECTIONS: Review the articles below, underlining key details that
you find in the text. Compare and contrast the lives of Alexander the
Great and Phillip of Macedon on the pages that follow.
ARTICLE #2: Phillip of Macedon
Around 380 BCE, Macedon was one of the poorest
city-states in Greece. Other city-states, like Athens
and Corinth, looked down upon the Macedonians.
These parts of Greece made money through
trade. They could trade easily because they were
next to the Mediterranean Sea. Macedon was not
next to the sea so the Macedonians were not as
wealthy as the Athenians and Corinthians.
Born in 382 BCE, Phillip was the son of a king. In his youth,
Phillip was captured and held hostage in Thebes, the leading Greek city
at the time. While in captivity, Phillip received a military and diplomatic
education from a leading Greek Scholar. When Phillip returned to
Macedon after being freed in 364 BCE, he had a plan. After the death of
his brother in 359 BCE, Phillip became the king of Macedon. Phillip was
tired of his people being the poorest in Greece; he thought it wasnt
fair. The Macedonians had a strong army, and Phillip had received
military training in his childhood. Phillip used his army to conquer other
city-states in Greece. That way, the Macedonians could get money and
food by trading on the Mediterranean Sea.
Phillip was a fierce warrior. In 358 BCE, Phillip married Audara, the
great-granddaughter of an Illyrian king. Despite his marriage to
Audara, Phillip led his army against her people in 357 BCE, killing 7,000
Illyrians in the battle. The next year, Phillip and Audara gave birth to
Alexander. Born in 356 BCE, Alexander would eventually take over his
fathers growing empire, learning to fight ferociously as his father. In

354 BCE, Phillip led a battle against the city of Methone, the last city
controlled by the Athenian city-state. Phillips army was victorious in
war, but Phillip lost his eye after a brutal battle.
By 338 BC, King Phillip had taken control of all of Greece. The
Macedonians went from being the poorest people in Greece to being
the rulers of Greece. In 336 BCE, Phillip was assassinated and his son,
Alexander, took control of the growing Greek empire. Alexander would
become known as Alexander the Great, a powerful king responsible for
spreading Greek culture to most of the known world. But Alexanders
kingdom would not have been possible without his father, Phillip II.

HOMEWORK: PHILLIP VS ALEXANDER

STUDENT NAME: _______________________
______________

DATE:

COMPARE AND CONTRAST PHILLIP AND

ALEXANDER
Phillip II of
Macedon

Differences

Example:

Category
Example:

Phillip II was 52 years

old when he died.

How are they

different?

Age at death

Alexander
the Great

Example:

Alexander the Great

was 32 years old
when he died.

Category #2:
Category #3:
Category #4:
Category #5:

Similarities
How are Phillip and Alexander the same?
1. Alexander and Phillip were both kings of Macedon.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

CHALLENGE WORK #1: ARISTOTLES INFLUENCE

STUDENT NAME: _______________________
______________

DATE:

AGREE OR DISAGREE: Without Aristotle, Alexander would have

NEVER spread Greek culture throughout his empire.
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CHALLENGE WORK #2: ALEXANDER VS. PHILLIP

STUDENT NAME: _______________________
______________

DATE:

AGREE OR DISAGREE: Alexander the Great was a better king than

Phillip II.
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