Study guide- Alexander the Great to the fall of the Roman Empire
1. Alexander the Great:
Philip II- King of Macedonia who conquered Greece
Macedonia- Kingdom located just north of Greece
Alexander the Great- Philip II’s son who established a huge empire (an
empire stretching from the Greek mainland all the way to the Indus
River Valley)
Aristotle- Greek tutor of Alexander
Alexandria- Egyptian city created by Alexander that was the center of
Hellenistic culture
After his death, his empire was divided into 3 parts
What is the legacy of Alexander the Great?
Hellenistic culture- blending of Greek, Egyptian, Persian and Indian
cultures that gave rise to advancements in math, science, art, and
literature
2. Roman Republic
Early History
City was built along the Tiber River on the Italian Peninsula
Etruscan kings ruled early Romans- in 509 B.C. they revolted and
set up a republic
Romans put their laws down in the Twelve Tables
 Equality under the law
 Innocent until proven guilty
 Right to confront accuser
 Cannot be punished for thoughts
Key Terms:
a. Republic- a government where citizens elect their leaders
b. Consuls- leaders of Rome; head of army
c. Senators- made laws; patricians; 300; served for life; chose leaders
(consuls)
d. Senate- lawmaking body
e. Tribunes-assembly of plebeians
f. Patricians- wealthy landowners
g. Plebeians- common people; majority of Romans
h. Dictator- person given power during wartime
Punic Wars- wars between Rome and Carthage to gain control of
Mediterranean Sea
o
Rome won and expanded territory [gained islands of Sicily, Corsica,
and Sardina]
o
2nd war- Hannibal lead elephants across Alps
o
3rd war- Carthage was totally destroyed
Julius Caesar- was liked by soldiers and wor king class
o Julius Caesar, Pompey and Crassus formed the first triumvirate- This
competition led to civil war.
o appointed Dictator for life; Senators felt he had too much powerwanted to be king
o Assassination- by Senators in Senate; ended Roman Republic and led to
civil war between Octavian and Marc Antony
3. Roman Empire
a. Octavian (Augustus)- 1st emperor of Rome; defeated Marc Antony;
stabilized government-created a strong cent ral government
b. Pax Romana- 200 years of peace beginning with Augustus
c. Expansion- Strong military; conquered most of Europe (including areas
in Spain and England); extended citizenship to conquered peoples; led
to an economy based on slave labor and a widening gap between rich
and poor
d. Diocletian- divided the empire into East and West
e. Christianity- Jesus was born during rule of Augustus; Romans thought
he was a threat to the government; Christians were persecuted because
they would not worship Roman gods or emperor; Constantine made
Christianity legal with the Edit of Milan
f. Decline of Empirei. Causes: poor leaders, poor harvests, decline in trade, high
unemployment, high taxes, invasions by Germanic tribes, use of
mercenaries (foreign soldiers paid to fight for Rome)
g. Achievements- law [Twelve Tables]; Architecture (arch and dome);
language; literature
h. Rome was greatly influenced by Greece, especially in architecture,
sculpture (Greco-roman culture)