HS150 World Civilizations I The Conquests of Alexander the Great.

The Conquests of Alexander the Great
Alexander III, son of Philip II, King of Macedonia is probably one of the greatest military leaders in history. He carved an empire greater than anything that came before and helped spread Greek thoughts and ideas. His empire stretched from modern-day Greece to India.
Alexander the Great defeated the great Persian Empire and subjected it to his rule. Although his empire only lasted during his short life, he has shown that the title “Great” fits him.
The Home Front
Before he can do anything about foreign threats, Alexander had to consolidate his power. The unified country of Greece as we know it today did not exist during his time. Instead, the Greeks lived in city-states. Citizens of each city-state was not a Greek citizen but of just that city. Each city had its own rules and leaders. They also had their own armies and troops. Although his father united the city-states under his rule, they revolted soon after the news of King Philip’s death was heard.
His first order of business was to make sure that no one challenged him to the throne. He had some of his cousins and his father’s generals executed in order to make sure that he stayed in power.
News of King Philip's death gave a chance for some of the city-states to revolt. Athens, Thebes, Thessaly, and Thracian tribes rose up in revolt. Alexander quelled these rebellions quickly. He was proclaimed “Hegemon” by the Greek city-states, a title his father also held.
Against the Persians
With the home front stabilized, Alexander then set his sights to the Persian Empire. His father had plans to conquer it but was cut short when he was assassinated in 336 BCE. Before setting off to Persia, alexander left Antipater, one of his father’s generals, in Macedonia to oversee the kingdom in his stead. He left 13,000 troops under Antipater’s command.
His army was made up of around 30,000 infantry and more than 5,000 cavalry forces. Most of the soldiers were Macedonian while the rest was made up of Greek soldiers. Alexander relied on his cavalry. They were his main striking force. And if the cavalry charge proved to be ineffective, the infantry, armed with 13-foot sarissas and shields then went into battle.
The first battle between Alexander and the Persians happened at the Granicus River. He was against three satraps or local kings. With their defeat, a lot of Persian cities in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) overthrew their leaders and opened the gates for the Macedonian army. Alexander then started to conquer one coastal city after another. He did not want to face the Persians in the sea. Instead, he wanted to defeat them on land. Alexander also liberated the city of Ephesus, site of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders. Alexander even offered to rebuild the temple, which burned down on the night of his birth but was refused by the city. He also laid siege to the city of Halicarnassus, home to another Wonder. The city resisted but the widow of the previous ruler, Ada, adopted Alexander and surrendered the city. He then restored her to the satrapy. By 332 BCE, he had conquered eastern Asia Minor and then went west.
He fought and defeated King Darius III of Persia at the river...