Year 4 - History
Why Alexander is called 'The Great'
Ancient Greek civilisation: why is Alexander called 'The Great'?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils learn about the historical conflict between the Greek city-states and Persia. They then broaden their knowledge of this rivalry by learning about Alexander the Great's life. They end the unit by considering the reasons why Alexander has been called 'The Great'.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain why Alexander has been called 'The Great'.
Key Notes
- 'The Great' is not a title that Alexander had during his lifetime; it is an epithet, given to him after his death.
- The Ancient Romans, who grew in power some time after Alexander, admired his achievements and used this epithet for him.
- Alexander is remembered as 'Great' due to his military prowess: never losing a battle and personally leading his men.
- He has also been named 'The Great' for managing to keep his vast empire united, although it fragmented after his death.
- In founding Alexandria, which went on to become a hugely important centre of learning, he has also been seen as 'Great'.
Vocabulary To Learn
- epithet: a word or phrase that is attached to someone's name is called an epithet
- Ancient Romans: the Ancient Romans were a powerful ancient civilisation that began in Italy
- prowess: great skill, talent or ability is called prowess
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Alexander 'The Great' was the title that Alexander had when he was a living ruler.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.
'The Great' is not a title that Alexander had during his lifetime; it is an epithet, given to him after his death. The Ancient Romans, who grew in power some time after Alexander, admired his achievements and used this epithet for him.
2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'epithet'
a word or phrase that is attached to someone's name is called an epithet.
3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.
Mistake: Alexander 'The Great' was the title that Alexander had when he was a living ruler. Correction: 'The Great' is not a title. It is a type of nickname called an epithet. Epithets are only used to refer to people that have died and they tell us more about something significant the person did or what the person was like.
More Lessons In This Unit
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