Text 2. Alexander the Great and his Influence

King Philip of Macedonia and many of his subjects looked on one day in 342 B.C as men attempted to tame a horse. The huge horse kept rearing up, kicking its legs wildly and throwing its head back and forth. The king wanted to buy the horse, but the decided it was too mean and wild. Then his 14-year-old son Alexander spoke up. "What a horse they are losing, and all because they don’t know how to handle him, or dare not try!” According to the historian Plutarch:

“Philip kept quiet at first, but when he heard Alexander repeat these words several times and saw that he was upset, he asked him, “Are you finding fault with your elders because you think you know more than they do, or can manage a horse better?” “At least I could manage this one better,” explained Alexander.”

Alexander bet his father that he could ride the horse. Alexander approached the horse and stroked it to calm it down. Then Alexander mounted it and galloped around the field. Plutarch wrote:

“Thereupon the rest of the company broke into loud applause, while his father, we are told, actually wept for joy. And when Alexander had dismounted he kissed him and said, “My boy, you must find a kingdom big enough for your ambitions. Macedonia is too small for you.”

Alexander would indeed follow his father’s advice. Riding this horse, he would venture far beyond Macedonia to create the largest kingdom the ancient western world had yet known.

From 399 to 338 B.C., individual Greek city-states fought each other for power. However, no city-state could establish the kind of power Athens had enjoyed during the Golden Age.

Macedonia was a large state just north of Greece. It had little power because it was far less organized than the smaller Greek city-states. However, when King Philip, Alexander’s father, took the throne in 359 B.C., he turned Macedonia into a military power.

Most ancient armies were made up of soldiers who served for a limited time and then returned home. Philip, however, established a professional army of full-time, well-paid, highly skilled soldiers.

A military genius, Philip developed new battle formations and a large number of weapons for his army. These new weapon included catapults, machines that could hurl burning spears or 50-pound rocks over walls, and battering rams on wheels that could smash through locked doors and closed gates.

Philip used his powerful army to build an empire. Soon after coming to rule in 359 B.C., he defeated large tribes to the north and west of Macedonia. Then he turned south to Greece. The Greek armies were no match for the Macedonian military and fell at the Battle of Chaeronea. In 388 B.C., Philip became ruler of Greece.

Philip might have ended Greece’s independence after his victory. Yet he did not. After he had defeated the Greeks, Philip ordered that Athens not be destroyed because he admired its culture. Philip had gained respect for Greek ways during his youth when he spent three years in Thebes as a hostage.

When Philip defeated the Greeks, he reorganized their armies and combined them with Macedonia’s troops. Philip then set out to conquer the great Persian Empire with his powerful army. However, shortly before his first expedition to Persia, Philip was murdered. Philip’s son Alexander would have to fulfill Philip’s dreams of empire.

Alexander was only 20 when his father was murdered in 336 B.C. But he firmly took charge of his father’s kingdom. He put down the revolts that sprang up. Then he turned his ambitions toward winning new lands.

With his troops, Alexander began a 20,000-mile journey of conquest, or victory by force over other peoples.

Alexander the Great was a brilliant general. By outwitting his enemies, he defeated armies much larger than his own. Alexander was only 16 when he joined his father’s army. For the rest of his life, he marched from battle to battle.

At the age of 21 Alexander left the Macedonian capital with an army of 35,000 men. He never returned.

King Darius III of Persia stood between Alexander and the rest of Asia. Their armies fought at the Gulf of Issus in 333 B.C. and at Guagamela two years later. Each time Darius had more soldiers. But Alexander’s clever planning won the battles, forcing Darius to flee for his life.

Before invading Egypt, Alexander had to conquer Tyre, the last base the Persian navy controlled. Alexander’s soldiers took seven months to build a bridge to the walled island, while Tyrian soldiers hurled molten lead at them from catapults.

Spear points have been found wherever Alexander fought. His infantry carried 14-foot spears, while most armies at the time carried much shorter ones.

The Persian rulers of Egypt gave their land and money to Alexander without a fight. In Egypt, Alexander founded Alexandria, the first of many cities he would name after himself.

After marching 400 miles through mountain and fighting battles in sub-zero cold, Alexander’s army looted and destroyed Persepolis.

Alexander’s army began to move more and more slowly. The treasure they had captured made mountain travel difficult. Alexander finally burned his share of the loot and ordered his men to do the same.

In 323 B.C., Alexander suddenly died of a fever. He was 33 years old. During the 13 years of his rule, he had created the largest empire in the western world.

After Alexander’s death in 323 B.C., Greek culture still united the empire. But politically the empire broke apart because no single leader had enough power to take Alexander’s place.

When Alexander the Great died, his generals split his empire among themselves. The giant empire was cut up into as many as 34 kingdoms. In bloody fighting, five generals took control of different part of the empire.

 

Word check

Ex. 1. Match the words in column A with their definition in column B.

A 1) catapult 2) conquest 3) to venture 4) a hostage 5) a ram 6) loot 7) a spear (point) 8) to capture 9) a match

B a) a victory by force over other people b) to go so far as c) a machine that could hurl burning spears or 50 pound rocks over walls d) a device that could smash through looked doors closed and gates e) goods (esp. private property) taken away unlawfully and by force f) weapon with a metal point on a long shaft, used in hunting or (formerly) by men fighting on foot g) to take or obtain as a prize by force h) a person given or left as a pledge i) person able to meet another as his equal in strength, skill

Ex. 2. Suggest the English for

наблюдать; придираться к кому-либо; усмирять (укрощать) лошадь; держать пари; разразиться аплодисментами; рискнул отправиться далеко; установить такую власть; пользоваться властью; превратил Македонию в военную державу; большинство древних армий составляли солдаты; солдат, находящийся на постоянной военной службе; таран, греческие армии не были достойным соперником; он восхищался греческой культурой; как заложник; перехитрив своих врагов; бросали расплавленный свинец, армия Александра разграбила; сокровища, которые они захватили; империя развалилась на части.

Ex. 3. Fill in the following proposition: on, with, into, beyond, during, for, over, down, apart.

1. King Philip of Macedonia and many of his subjects look … one day in 342 B.C. as men attempted to tame … a horse.

2. “Are you finding fault … your elders because you think you know more than they do?”

3. Alexander bet … his father that he could ride the horse.

4. The rest of the company broke … loud applause.

5. Riding this horse, he would venture far … Macedonia to create the largest kingdom.

6. No city-state could establish the kind … power Athens had enjoyed … the Golden Age.

7. King Philip turned Macedonia … a military power.

8. Most ancient armies were made … of soldiers who served for a limited time.

9. The Greek armies were no match … the Macedonian military.

10. Alexander firmly took charge … his father’s kingdom.

11. Politically the empire broke … because no single leader had enough power to take Alexander’s place.

Comprehension

Ex. 1. Complete the sentences, use the information from the text.

1. Then his 14-year-old son Alexander spoke up ….

2. Alexander … his father that he could ride the horse.

3. Riding this horse, he would venture far beyond Macedonia to create ….

4. However, no city-state could … the kind of power Athens … during the Golden Age.

5. When King Philip, Alexander’s father, took the throne in 359 B.C., he turned ….

6. Philip established a professional army of ….

7. These new weapon developed by Philip included ….

8. Philip ordered that Athens not be destroyed because ….

9. By … Alexander defeated armies much larger than his own.

10. Alexander finally burned his share of the … and ordered his men ….

11. Politically the empire … because no single leader had enough power ….

Ex. 2. Say if the statements are true or false.

1. King Philip of Egypt and many of his slaves look on one day in 342 B.C. as men attempted to tame a horse.

2. Alexander bet his father that he could write an ode.

3. King Philip kissed his son and said: “You must find another kingdom. Greece is too small for your ambitious”.

4. Macedonia had much power because it was better organized than the smaller Greek city-states.

5. Philip’s army was made up of soldiers who served for a limited time and then returned home.

6. A large number of weapons for Philip’s army included spears, guns and tanks.

7. The Macedonian armies were no match for the Greek military and fell at the battle of Marathon.

8. After he had defeated the Greeks, Philip ordered that Athens be destroyed because he found fault with its culture.

9. Alexander was only 10 when he firmly took charge of his father’s kingdom.

10. Alexander ordered his men to burn their share of the loot but he didn’t burn his.

11. Culturally the empire broke apart because no single leader had enough knowledge to take Alexander’s place.

Ex. 3. Answer the following questions.

1. Under what circumstances did King Philip say, “My boy, you must find a kingdom big enough for your ambitions. Macedonia is too small for you”.

2. Did Alexander follow his advice?

3. Who turned Macedonia into a military power?

4. What army did Philip develop?

5. Were the Greek armies a match for the Macedonian military? Why?

6. Why didn’t Philip order to destroy Athens?

7. When did Alexander take charge of his father’s kingdom?

8. Why could Alexander defeat armies much larger than his own?

9. What qualities do you think made Alexander a great leader?

10. What were the major regions included in Alexander’s vast empire?

Ex. 4. Speak on

1. the rise of Macedonia.

2. Alexander’s conquests.

 

Text 3. Elizabeth I.

Read the text and answer the question: What is the reign of Elizabeth I noted for?

Elizabeth I was born in 1533 to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Although she entertained many marriage proposals and flirted incessantly, she never married or had children. Elizabeth, the last of the Tudors, died at seventy years of age after a very successful forty-four year reign.

Elizabeth inherited a tattered realm: dissension between Catholics and Protestants tore at the very foundation of society; the royal treasury had been bled by Mary and her advisors. Mary’s loss of Calais left England with no continental possessions for the first time since the arrival of the Normans in 1066 and many (mainly Catholics) doubted Elizabeth’s claims to the throne. Continental affairs added to the problems – France had a strong footland in Scotland, and Spain, the strongest western nation at that time, posed a threat to the security of the realm. Elizabeth proved most calm and calculating (even though she had a horrendous temper) in her political acumen, employing capable and distinguished men to carrying out royal prerogative.

Her first order of business was to eliminate religious unrest. Elizabeth lacked the fanatism of her siblings, Edward VI favored Protestant radicalism, Mary I, conservative Catholicism, which enabled her to devise a compromise that, basically, reinstated Henrician reforms. She was, however, compelled to take a stronger Protestant stance for two Reasons: the machinations of Mary Queen of Scots and persecution of continental Protestants by the two strongholds of Orthodox Catholicism, Spain and France. The situation with Mary Queen of Scots was most vexing to Elizabeth. Mary, in Elizabeth’s custodity beginning in 1568 (for her own protection from radical Protestants and disgruntled Scots), gained the loyalty of Catholic factions and instituted several failed assassination / overthrow plots against her cousin, Elizabeth. After irrefutable evidence of Mary’s involvement in such plots came to light, Elizabeth sadly succumbed to the pressure from her advisors and had the Scottish princess executed in 1587.

The persecution of continental Protestants forced Elizabeth into war, a situation which she desperately tried to avoid. She sent an army to aid French Huguenots (Calvinists who had settled in France) after a 1572 massacre wherein over three thousand Huguenots lost their lives. She sent further assistance to Protestant factions on the continent and in Scotland following the emergence of radical Catholic groups and assisted Belgium in their bid to gain independence from Spain. The situation came to head after Elizabeth rejected a marriage proposal from Philip II of Spain; the indignant Spanish King, incensed by English piracy and forays in New World exploration, sent his much-feared Armada to raid England. However, the English won the naval battle handily, due as much to bad weather as to English naval prowess. England emerged as the world’s strongest naval power, setting the stage for later English imperial designs.

Elizabeth was a master of political science, She inherited her father’s supremacist view of the monarchy, but showed great wisdom by refusing to directly antagonize Parliament. She acquired undying devotion from her advisement council, who were constantly perplexed by her habit of waiting to the last minute to make decisions. She used the varying factions (instead of being used by them, as were her siblings), playing one off another until the exhausted combatants came to her for resolution of their grievances. Few English monarchs enjoyed such political power, while still maintaining the devotion of the whole English society.

Elizabeth reign was during one of the most constructive periods in English History. Literature bloomed through the works of Spencer, Marlowe and Shakespeare. Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh were instrumental in expanding English influence in the New World. Elizabeth’s religious compromise laid many fears to rest. Fashion and education came to the fore because of Elizabeth’s penchant for knowledge. Courtly behaviour and extravagant dress. Good Queen of Bess, as she came to be called, maintained a regal air until the day she died; a quote, from a letter by Paul Hentzen, reveals the aging queen’s regal nature: “ Next came the Queen in the sixty-fifth year of her age, as we were told, very majestic; her face oblong, fair, but wrinkled; her eyes small yet black and pleasant; her nose a little hooked; her lips narrow…she had in her ear two pearls, with very rich drops…her air stately; her manner of speaking mild and obliging.” This regal figure surely had her faults, but the last Tudor excelled at rising to challenges and emerging victorious.

 

Ex. 1. Study the words and make sure you know them in English:

постоянно, беспрестанно; разорванный в клочья; спор, разлад; государство; проницательность; позиция; заставлять; восстанавливать; фракция; неопровержимый; разъяренный; набег; ставить в тупик; величественный

 

Ex. 2. Match the words from column A with those from B and make up the sentences of your own.

A	B
1) pose a threat	a) натравить друг на друга
2) horrendous temper	b) любовь к знаниям
3) comу to the fore	c) выходить вперед; идти впереди всех
4) penchant for knowledge	d) одобрять предложения
5) in custodity	e) поставить под угрозу
6) play one off another	f) под опекой
7) entertain a proposal	g) ужасный темперамент

 

Comprehension

Ex. 1. Say what these dates refer to: 1533; 1568;1587; 1572; 1603.

 

Ex. 2. Complete the sentences according to the text:

1. Elizabeth entertained many…

2. When she came to power she inherited a tattered…

3. She proved most calm…

4. … was to eliminate religious…

5. Elizabeth sadly succumbed…

6. She sent an army to…

7. English Queen rejected…

8. She used the varying factions…

9. Her reign was during one…

10. Elizabeth’s religious compromise…

 

Ex. 3. Put the sentences into the right order as they appear in the text.

1. Elizabeth’s royal treasury had been bled dry by Mary and her advisors.

2. After irrefutable evidence of Mary’s involvement in plots came to the light, Elizabeth had the Scottish princess executed in 1582.

3. She sent an army to aid French Huguenots after a 1572 massacre wherein over 3000 Huguenots lost their lives.

4. Elizabeth I employed capable and distinguished men to carry out royal prerogative.

5. The situation with Mary Queen of Scots was the most vexing to Elizabeth.

6. She rejected a marriage proposal from Philip II of Spain.

7. The English defeated the Spanish Armada.

8. Her reign is considered one of the most constructive periods in English History.

9. English emerged as the world’s strongest naval power.

10. Elizabeth, the last of the Tudors, died at seventy years of age after a very 44-year reign.

Ex. 4. Give full answers to the following questions:

1. What dynasty did Elizabeth II belong to?

2. What was the country like when Elizabeth came to the throne?

3. What was her first action as the Queen?

4. Why did she order to execute Mary Queen of Scots?

5. What was the Queen by religion? Why did England enter the war helping Huguenots?

6. The English won the naval battle with Spanish Armada, didn’t they? Why?

7. Why was she considered a master of political science?

8. Which aspects of her reign were the most prominent?

9. How long did her reign last?

 

Discussion

 

Ex. 1. Discuss in groups the following:

a) Elizabeth was a master of political science

b) Elizabeth I and her religious intentions.

 

Ex. 2. “Elizabethian Era in British History”.