Page 79 - 100 Events That Made History

Old enemies
Alexander’s sights were set on the Alexander died at the
Persian empire. The Greeks had never age of 32 in the palace
forgiven King Xerxes for invading and of Nebuchadnezzar II
burning Athens in 480 BCE. Alexander of Babylon.
defeated DARIUS III (Xerxes’s great-great-
great-great-grandson) at the Battle of Issus
in 333 BCE and then again, once and for all,
at the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BCE.

Xerxes humiliated
the Greeks during the
Greco-Persian wars.
Perfect revenge
Next, Alexander moved on to PERSEPOLIS, the
Persian capital. Most of its palaces and fine buildings
had been completed during Xerxes’s reign. Alexander
instructed his men to kill every last Persian, loot the
city’s treasures, and torch its buildings. Much of Sudden end
Persepolis was burned to the ground, just as the Alexander marched his men as far
Greek capital, Athens, had been in 480 BCE. as India, but then they refused to

By the way… go any farther. They returned to
Babylon where, in June 323 BCE,
Alexander’s boyhood
Alexander fell ill and died,
tutor was the
ancient Greek
philosopher Aristotle. possibly by poisoning. Alexander’s
son was not born until after his
death, so the empire was shared
between his GENERALS.

How it changed the world

Alexander’s conquests spread
Greek culture, language, and ideas
across Asia as far as India. He
destroyed the Persian empire, and
the cities he established (many
named Alexandria) strengthened
trade between Europe and Asia.

General SELEUCUS I NICATOR Alexander’s bodyguard,
ruled over Babylonia. Lysimachus, took over Asia
The Seleucid empire he Minor, including the city of
established lasted until Pergamon, which soon fell to his
64 BCE. At its height, it backstabbing lieutenant, PHILETAERUS
spread as far as Afghanistan (left). He founded the Attalid
and northwestern India. dynasty, which ruled Asia
Minor until 133 BCE.
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