Phillip II (359-336 BC) of Macedonia in the north of Greece, re-established the country's power and alliances with the other states of Greece. He was to lay the groundwork for his son, Alexander the Great, to conquer most of the known world.
The young Alexander came to power after his father's assassination in 336 BC. Two years later, after establishing his power over Greece, he attacked the Persian empire. His successes were spectacular. His conquests ranged over Persia and Egypt and even reached as far as the Punjab in India. But in Babylon in the spring of 323 BC he died of a fever. His empire was divided amongst his generals - those that were strong enough to keep their spoils. To Seleucus went all of Alexander's empire, except Egypt. Seleucus (Nikator) did not have an easy time establishing his kingdom. The kingdom dwindled in time until it's final extinction at the hands of Pompey the Great in 64 BC. To Ptolemy went Egypt. His dynasty was to last until the suicide of Cleopatra VII in 30 BC. Macedonia itself went to the feeble-minded half-brother of Alexander, Philip III, against a background of civil war. Macedonia was conquered by the Romans in 197 BC. |
Click on image for more details and history
Ancient Greek World
Alexander and his successors
The Celts
Persian Empires
Biblical Lands