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Ancient Greece – Lesson 4
The Greek Empire
In the late 400s B.C. the Peloponnesian Wars raged in Greece. During this time the Persian empire, which
you read about in the last lesson, still controlled a huge part of the world. Egyptians, Phoenicians, Jews,
Babylonians, and Indians all lived under the rule of Persian kings. Connecting this empire was a network of
roads and messenger services. The Greek historian Herodotus may have traveled those roads around 450 B.C.
He once made a 1,500-mile journey in about 90 days. He was amazed by the relay of royal messengers who
traveled the same roads in just nine days! “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor night holds back (the
messengers from) the accomplishment of the course that has been assigned him,” he marveled. Today the
United States Postal Service uses similar words to describe the task of letter carriers as they transport mail
across the country and around the world. A man named Alexander traveled the roads of the Persian empire
between 334 and 323 B.C., a little over 100 years after Herodotus. He conquered many areas and eventually
became known as “Alexander the Great.” As a result of his victories, Greek language and traditions spread as
far as Egypt in Africa and the Indus Valley in Asia.
Alexander of Macedonia
Although the Peloponnesian Wars ended in 404 B.C., conflict continued to weaken the Greek citystates. This left them open to attack from Macedonia, a powerful kingdom to the north. By 336 B.C.
Macedonia’s army had conquered most of Greece. Macedonia’s king at this time was a 20-year old man
named Alexander. He had already proven that he was a bold commander. He was also well educated.
Aristotle, one of the most famous philosophers in Athens, had been his private teacher. Because of Aristotle’s
teachings, Alexander developed a deep respect for Greek culture and traditions.
Expanding the Empire
In 334 B.C. Alexander and his armies set out to conquer Persia. For three years they fought their way
along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean. Everywhere they went, they seized food and whatever else
they needed to continue their journey. The powerful Macedonian army never lost a battle. In 331 B.C.
Alexander proclaimed, or publicly declared, himself ruler of Persia’s vast empire as well as of Greece. To
secure his power, Alexander pushed his army farther east. In a few more years his troops had entered the
Indus River valley. There they defeated an army that used elephants. Many of Alexander’s soldiers had never
seen such animals before. After his victory, though, the young emperor became sick. Unable to complete the
journey, he died in June 323 B.C., in Babylon.
Question Time: Answer the following questions based on what you just read above.
1. What was the most powerful empire when
Alexander began?
2. Who did it rule over?
3. Why was Macedonia tempted to invade
Greece?
4. How long did it take for Alexander to
complete his conquests, and what major areas
became part of his empire?
5. What finally ended the expansion of
Alexander’s empire?
A City in the Empire
About nine years before he died, Alexander planned the creation of a city in Egypt, on the western
edge of the Nile Delta. Alexandria, named after the emperor, soon became one of the most important cities
in the Greek empire. The city of Alexandria was an example of how Greek civilization and ideas were carried
far beyond Greece.
A Blending of Cultures
Like the many cities that Alexander had built, Alexandria’s basic layout mirrored a Greek polis. It had
an agora, a theater, several temples, a stadium, and a gymnasium. Alexandria’s harbor became a major hub of
Mediterranean trade. At the mouth of the harbor stood a gigantic lighthouse. This was one of the first
lighthouses in the world. Its beam was a guide for sailors many miles away at sea. The mixture of peoples and
cultures in Alexandria created an unusual community. Besides building temples to Greek gods, Alexander
planned a temple to the Egyptian goddess Isis. The Greek and Macedonian citizens of Alexandria took part in
democratic assemblies. Egyptians in Alexandria had courts of their own. So did the city’s Jews, who lived in
their own section of the city. Craftworkers made Greek-style pottery. Papermakers continued to practice
their ancient craft.
A Legacy of Learning
Not far from Alexandria’s busy agora stood the city’s museum. At the museum, scholars studied the
world and how it worked. To help with their research, they used the books in the library nearby. Alexandria’s
library had almost 500,000 books written on papyrus rolls, and librarians were always searching for more!
Inspectors at the harbor searched newly arrived ships to see if they carried any books. They kept whatever
they found until copies could be made for the city’s library.
An Alphabet
Scholars from many countries visited the library in Alexandria to study the books there. The skills of
reading and writing had become important for preserving information. Unlike Egyptian hieroglyphics,
Mesopotamian cuneiform, and Chinese characters, written Greek used a simple alphabet. Each symbol
represented a sound. Learning to read required mastering less than 30 letters, rather than hundreds of
symbols. The alphabet made it easier for more people to learn to read and write.
Math and Science
The library in Alexandria contained many books on mathematics. Ancient Greece produced brilliant
mathematicians. They had learned a great deal from earlier Egyptian scholars, whose achievements in math
and science you learned about in Chapter 4 (Ancient Egypt). Today many of the things you do in math class
are legacies of their work. Arithmetic, geometry, and mathematics are all words that have Greek origins.
Question Time: Answer the following questions based on what you just read above.
6. How did Alexander’s layout for Alexandria in
Egypt reflect his admiration for Greek heritage?
7. How did an alphabet simplify the problem of
reading and writing?
Around the time of Alexander, travelers told of the “Seven Wonders of the World.” They were called
wonders because of their size, beauty, craftwork, or all three. Today only the pyramids still stand, but
many people try to imagine the other ancient wonders. This is an artist’s idea of what they may have
looked like:
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
1. Statue of Zeus at Olympia
About 435 B.C.
The statue of Zeus showed the god on his throne. It is said to have been about 40 feet high. Historians say it was
probably the most famous statue in the ancient world.
2. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
About 550 B.C.
This temple is said to have been more than 40 feet high. It was made almost entirely of marble and was dedicated to the
Greek god Artemis.
3. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
About 353 B.C.
This tomb was built for a Persian ruler called Mausolus. It was decorated with a pyramid. The tomb was so famous that
all large tombs are now called mausoleums.
4. Colossus of Rhodes
About 200 B.C.
The Colossus was a bronze statue built to honor the sun god Helios. A Greek sculptor is said to have worked for 12 years
to create the statue.
5. Lighthouse of Alexandria
About 283-246 B.C.
This lighthouse stood over 400 feet high. A fire that burned at the top of it guided ships into the harbor of Alexandria for
about 1,500 years.
6. Pyramids of Egypt at Giza
About 2600-2500 B.C.
The pyramids were built as tombs for Egyptian kings. The largest one, called the Great Pyramid, stands about 450 feet
high.
7. Hanging Gardens at Babylon
About 605-562 B.C.
These gardens were probably laid out on a large terrace about 75 feet above the ground. They were watered by the
Euphrates River.
Why it Matters
After Alexander died, no one person was able to control the vast empire. By 300 B.C. Alexander’s
generals had divided it up. Although Alexander’s empire did not last, his short rule had far-reaching effects.
One of the most important was the mixing of cultures throughout North Africa and western and central Asia.
Many legacies of ancient Greece continue to influence cultures today. You can see Greek influence in classes
on such subjects as math, philosophy, and science. Perhaps most important, Greek ideas live on in the way
our government operates – as a democracy.
Main Ideas
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When Alexander the Great conquered the Persian empire, he spread Greek culture from Egypt to India.
Alexandria, one of the empire’s most powerful cities, reflected the great mix of cultures within the
empire.
Legacies from ancient Greece influence today’s education, government, philosophy, sports, and drama.
Question Time: Answer the following questions based on what you just read above.
8. Over what period of time were the
wonders constructed?
9. What were some reasons for which they
were built? Which of the wonders can still
be seen today?
10. What areas of modern life are
influenced by the legacy of ancient Greece?
11. What conclusions can be made about
Greece’s importance to history?