ALEXANDER
THE
GREAT
Relationship with
Macedonians
The Sogdian Rock
Use the clip from In the Footsteps of
Alexander to answer the following
questions:
1. What was it about the Sogdian Rock that
made it supposedly impenetrable?
2. How did Alexander overcome the
challenge of the Sogdians to find
“soldiers who can fly”?
Alexander Gets Married!
After the capture of the Sogdian Rock,
Alexander fell in love with Roxane the daughter
of Oxyartes, the local satrap. They were married
in a traditional Persian ceremony.
The picture of the ceremony is from a later Indian source.
Was it love or politics?
In small groups discuss whether you think Alexander married
for love or politics.
Some things to think about....
•Roxanne was the daughter of Oxyartes (local baron who Alex
defeated in The Sogdian Rock)
•Why did Alex choose to get married in a traditional Persian
ceremony?
• What were the positive and negative outcomes of this?
The Policy of Fusion
Alexander knew that if he was to rule the Persian Empire, he would need to
gain the support of the Persians. This seems to have been his main
motivation behind his ‘Policy of Fusion’, the name given to his attempts to
bring Greeks and Persians together.
Some features of the Policy of
Fusion:
• Appointment of Persians to
leadership positions (First
example – Mazaeus was
reappointed satrap of Babylon)
• Adoption of Persian dress by
Alexander.
• Adoption of some Persian
customs (eg. proskynesis).
Problems caused by the Policy of
Fusion
 Burning of Persepolis 330BC
 Death of Philotas and Parmenio 330BC
 Death of Cleitus 328BC
 Callisthenes and proskynesis 327BC
 Royal Pages Conspiracy 327BC
 Mutiny on the Hyphasis 326BC
 Journey through Gedrosia 325 BC
 Execution of Generals of Medea 325BC
 Flight of Harpalus 325BC
 Mutiny at Opis 324BC
 The Susa Weddings 324BC
The Burning of the Palace at Persepolis
Arrian’s version:
“Alexander wished to punish the Persians for their invasion of
Greece; his present act was retribution for the destruction of
Athens, the burning of the temples, and all the other crimes they
had committed against the Greeks. My own view is that this was
bad policy.”
Read Diodorus’ account of the burning of the
palace (booklet), then Plutarch’s (Artus p.63)
Answer the questions in your booklet on p. 5
THEN highlight the key parts in Diodorus’ account
The Conspiracy of Philotas
Philotas and Parmenio
Conspiring against Alexander?
The Conspiracy of Philotas
Philotas
Boyhood friend of Alexander
Commander of Companion Cavalry
Why get rid of him?
• He was an egomaniac who often boasted of his
achievements and belittled Alexander’s
• Others had reported his disloyalty to Alex.
• He and his father represented the older
Macedonians who had served under Philip and did
not support the Policy of Fusion.
• He could be a potential rival to Alex - conspirators
against Alex would look to him for help
• Alex was becoming increasingly paranoid
• If he made an example of Philotas, other
‘conspirators’ would be discouraged.
The Conspiracy of Philotas
Parmenio was executed as well … the
reason for (his) execution may have been
that Alexander could not believe that he
had no share in his son’s conspiracy; on
the other hand, even granting his
innocence, his living on after his son’s
execution was already in fact a danger; for
he was a man of immense prestige: he
had great influence not only with
Alexander but also with the army – and not
only the Macedonian units, but also with
the mercenary soldiers.
- Arrian
Parmenio
Murdered at
Ecbatana
By officers acting
under Alex’s orders
In 330BC
The Murder of Cleitus
Events leading to Cleitus’ death (flowchart)
TASK: In your booklets (p. 9) make a flowchart of events leading to
Cleitus’ death. The first one has been done for you.
Cleitus
General in army
Had served under Philip
Saved Alex’s life at Granicus
Killed at Maracanda
Callisthenes and Proskynesis
Complete the notes on this, using Hamilton (top p105-top p107) and
Artus p.95
Persians: “This is showing respect to
someone of greater social rank. And who
is greater than the Great King?”
Greeks: “We only bow down before the
gods. No way should this be done before
a mortal man – it is hubris.”
The Pages Conspiracy
The Pages Conspiracy
The Necessary Knowledge: (Booklet p. 11)
1. Who were the Royal Pages?
2. Why did the Pages get upset with Alexander?
3. What did they plan to do about it?
4. Why did the plot fail?
5. How was Callisthenes involved? And what
happened to him?
6. What events related to the conspiracy?
The Two Mutinies
at the River Beas/Hyphasis (India)
326BC
1. Watch the clip
and note down
what happens.
2. Fill in the table in
your booklet (p.
12)
3. Watch the clip
again – which bit
is which?
at Opis (Central Persia)
324BC
The Mutiny at the River Beas
(Hyphasis)
The Necessary Knowledge:
1. List the reasons why Alexander’s men
refused to go any further than the river
Beas.
2. How did Alexander react to the mutiny?
3. Why did he decide to take an alternative
route back?
The Gedrosian Desert 325BC
The Gedrosian Desert
The Gedrosian Desert 325BC
1.
Read Artus’ account of the crossing of
the desert (pg.69).
As a class: Brainstorm the difficulties faced
by the Macedonians in this crossing.
2. Read the accounts of the crossing of the
Gedrosian Desert by Arrian (Artus pages
70-71).
• Why did Alexander want to cross the
Desert?
• What action does Arrian call “one of
Alexander’s noblest”?
•What evidence is there of Alexander’s
excellent leadership skills during the
difficult march through Gedrosia?
The Gedrosian Desert
Pic: www.livius.org
The Macedonian Generals of Media
Hamilton 128-130, Artus p.72
1. Which Macedonians were involved in the abuse of power?
How many?
2. What were the charges?
3. How did Alexander react?
4. Why did Alexander punish them so severely?
Result:
Fear spread throughout the empire and even Harpalus fled in
fear.
The Harpalus Affair
Harpalus was one of Alexander’s boyhood friends, who had been left with the
job of looking after Alexander’s Treasury at Babylon in 331.
Six years later, upon hearing that Alexander was returning to Babylon, Harpalus
panicked and fled with 5000 talents and 6000 men.
Where to and Why?
Athens. Harpalus had become corrupt and misspent Alexander’s money. Alex
had executed a number of his officials. H feared he was next. H had been made
Athenian citizen.
What happened?
H tried to stir up a rebellion against Alexander. Athens refused H. entry to city,
because of his army. Took his forces to Taenarum and left them there. This time,
Athens put him under open arrest and took his 700 remaining talents.
The Susa Weddings 324BC
The Wedding Ceremonies:
The weddings were celebrated after the Persian manner, seats being
placed in a row for the bridegrooms; and after the banquet the
brides came in and seated themselves, each one near her own
husband. The bridegrooms took them by the right hand and kissed
them; the king being the first to begin, for the weddings of all were
conducted in the same way. This appeared the most popular thing
which Alexander ever did; and it proved his affection for his
Companions. Each man took his own bride and led her away; and on
all without exception Alexander bestowed dowries, He also ordered
that the names of all the other Macedonians who had married any
of the Asiatic women should be registered. They were over 10,000 in
number; and to these Alexander made presents on account of their
weddings. The wedding ceremonies lasted for 5 days and took place
in a luxurious tent erected for the occasion.
- Arrian
Who married who?
•Alexander married 2 princesses, the eldest daughter of Darius,
Barsine, and the youngest daughter of Artaxerxes III.
•Hephaistion married another daughter of Darius (so that Alexander
was uncle to his children).
•The other companions married Persian noble women; more than 90
noble marriages were celebrated and each pair was given a
handsome dowry by Alexander.
•Alexander also ordered all the Macedonians who had previously
married Asiatic women to register their marriages. 10,000 men
followed this order and Alexander rewarded them with wedding
gifts. (This act was designed to improve relations with his troops and
it had nothing to do with the policy of fusion which was confined to
Macedonians and Persians, not all Asians).
The Susa Weddings 324BC
Answer the following questions:
1. Briefly describe how the Susa Weddings
were staged.
2. How and why did Alexander
acknowledge existing relationships
between Greeks and Persians?
The significance of the Susa Weddings:
•Many of these marriages did not last after Alexander’s death but they were very
important:
•Symbolic of the fact that power had now passed to the Macedonians.
•Marked the fact that Alexander was now the Great King ruling in an
•oriental style as the absolute monarch (the weddings were another example of
•Alexander’s policy of fusion).
TASK: To what extent did Alexander believe in the ‘Brotherhood of
Man’? Was the policy of fusion about equality between races, or
maintenance of an Empire?
Explain your view in 400 words, using examples from the
information gathered over the past few lessons.