Alexander's achievements
I can describe some of Alexander's greatest achievements.
Alexander's achievements
I can describe some of Alexander's greatest achievements.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Defeating the Persian Empire and expanding Greek control into Egypt and India were not Alexander's only achievements.
- He sliced the famous Gordian knot in two and conquered Babylon, a city the Greeks could scarcely imagine.
- He founded the great city of Alexandria in Egypt, which came to be ruled by one of his generals, Ptolemy.
- Ptolemy and his son tried to turn Alexandria into the greatest of all Greek cities, building an incredible library.
- Alexandria became a centre of learning which attracted brilliant minds like Euclid and Galen.
Common misconception
Alexandria is a city in Greece.
Alexander the Great founded the city of Alexandria in Egypt, not on the mainland or any island of Ancient Greece. There is still a city called Alexandria on the original site in Egypt today; some ruins of the ancient city can be visited by tourists.
Keywords
Conquer - to gain something, such as land, by force is to conquer it
Library - a library is a place that has many books and other learning resources
Attract - to be appealing in some way to others is to attract people
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
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