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The Macedonian kings Philip II and his son Alexander conquered Greece, Egypt, and Persia, initiating the transition from the independent Greek city-states to large, multi-ethnic urban centers. Under Philip and Alexander's successors, the Hellenistic kings, the Greek language and culture spread from the Mediterranean as far east as India. Trade increased, and Greek became the universal language of business. Royal patronage stimulated the arts and learning among the privileged, while ordinary people confronted growing poverty and difficult conditions in these cosmopolitan cities. Learning ObjectivesIn Chapter 3, the students learn about the geography and natural resources that both challenged Macedonia 's rulers and helped lead to Macedonian power. about Philip II's (359-336 B.C.E.) revolutionary use of long pikes and other military innovations in the expansion of his kingdom. how Alexander the Great (r. 337-323 B.C.E.) extended Philip's kingdom, and about Alexander's military skill. how Greek religion and philosophy influenced Alexander's self-image. about the political uses of marriage. that historians still debate whether Alexander's goal was to meld the different peoples of his empire into a united people. how Alexander's premature death led to the breakup of his empire into successor states. about the Hellenization of Alexander's empire, which continued in its successor states. about the mutual influence of Hellenized culture and other cultures, including Buddhism. about the standardization of coinage and the cosmopolitan nature of trade in the Hellenistic kingdoms. about the worsening brutality of war and a consequent increase in slavery. that although kingdoms replaced city-states as the dominant political organization, cities still flourished as centers of culture and trade. |