Hellenism and Alexander the Great

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Hellenism and Alexander the Great
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The Hellenistic World
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AlexanderCreativity in Leadership

• Created and followed plans in the days when no
  one else seemed to even make plans
  
• The plans succeeded because
• Personal desires for greatness
• Inspired confidence
• Dedication to execution of the plan

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Alexander the GreatPersonal Desire for Greatness

• As a boy, Alexander said
• My father will get ahead of me in everything,
  and will leave nothing great for me to do.

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AlexanderInspired Confidence

• The "perfect Greek"
• Handsome
• Well educated (by Aristotle)
• Respectful of Greek past (memorized and carried
  with him a copy of the Illiad)
  
• Adept in rhetoric and diplomacy (ambassador)
• Athletic (competing throughout his life)
• Scientist (strong interest in plants, animals,
  geography, and even took scientists on his
  campaigns)

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AlexanderInspired Confidence

• The Perfect General
• Never lost a battle
• Personally fought in battles (wounded several
  times)
  
• After a battle mingled with the survivors
• Honored the dead
• Strongly religious burials
• Exempted their families from further military
  duty and from taxes
  
• Broke up regional regiments to have loyalty
  directly to him

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AlexanderInspired Confidence

• The Perfect Conqueror
• Spared families of conquered kings
• This won the cooperation of the families
• Treated conquered soldiers with respect
• This convinced some conquered soldiers to switch
  sides and support him
  
• Respected local religions and customs
• Desert soothsayer
• Rebuilt Karnak and Luxor temples

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Alexander Ruthless execution of his plans

• Execution of rivals in the Macedonian court
  (sensed because his father had been assassinated
  by a personal guard)
  
• Suppression of the Thebian revolt
• 30,000 Thebians sold into slavery
• Tyre destroyed (except the temples and the house
  of Pindar the poet, which perpetuated Alexanders
  image as the Perfect Greek")

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AlexanderRuthless execution of his plan

• Destroy the Persian ports
• Battle of Granicus River
• Crossing of the river during morning Persian
  sacrifices to the sun and sudden cavalry attack
  
• Gordian knot
• Battle of Issus
• Greeks outnumbered 3 to 1 (some say 10 to 1)
• Persian emperor, Darius III, personally
  commanding the Persian army
  
• Alexander personally led attack directly at
  Darius III
  
• Darius fled, the Persians broke, and the Greeks
  won the battle
  
• Spared lives of queen and court (admiration from
  Persians)
  

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AlexanderRuthless execution of his plan

• Battle of Phoenicia and Judea
• Egypt
• Welcomed Alexander
• Recognized as Pharaoh ?
• He founded Alexandria
• Became the center of learning

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AlexanderRuthless execution of his plan

• Battle of Gaugamela
• Alexander crossed the Tigris River and waited
• Several celestial events over next three nights
• Alexander attacked directly at Darius and Darius
  fled
  
• Darius was killed by his own troops

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AlexanderRuthless execution of his plan

• Conquest of Eastern Persia
• Conquest of Bactria (Afghanistan and Pakistan)
• Turning aside at India and return to Persia

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Post-Alexander Empire

• 1 year old son did not receive the throne

• Empire divided by the generals
• EgyptPtolemy
• Persian area and IndiaSeleucus
• PergamumAttalids
• Greece, Asia Minor, Macedonia4 generals

Ptolemy
Seleucus
Attalids
4 Generals
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Hellenization

• Hellenistic kingdoms (dynasties)
• Border wars between each other
• Imported Greeks as bureaucrats, soldiers,
  artisans (Greek-like cities)
  
• Greeks offered land for immigration
• Occupied kingdoms adopted Greek ways in addition
  to their own culture
  
• Egyptians, Persians
• Some Jews resisted (Pharisees versus Saducees)

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Hellenization

• Greek became language of art and commerce
• Language of the Eastern Mediterranean through
  Roman and Byzantine Empires (until
  1453 AD)
  
• Greek Trade
• Cities throughout empire
• Money standardized (Athenian)
• Greeks were natural traders (ancient heritage)

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Hellenistic Art

• Often showed movement
• Victory at Samothrace

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Hellenistic Art

• Usually very dramatic
• Laocoön and His Sons
• Story of a man who tried to convince the Trojans
  not to accept the Trojan horse (killed by Athena
  with a snake)
  

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Architecture

• Temple of the Muses built at Alexandria
• First state-supported university
• Teachers from all over the world
• Library with a copy of nearly every book
• Commerce and learning support each other
• Ships required to allow scribes to copy their
  books

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Architecture

• Lighthouse at Alexandria
• Pharos Island
• Over 400 feet high
• Light intensified with reflectors
• One of 7 wonders of ancient world

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Architecture

• Temple of Zeus at Pergamum
• Rivalry with Alexandria
• Scholars in Alexandria prohibited shipment of
  papyrus to Pergamum
  
• Pergamum developed parchment
• Parchment works best in sheets bound together
  (first books)

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Hellenistic Science

• Euclid (320-260 BC)
• Lived in Alexandria
• Compiled Elements of Geometry
• Used as a text book until 1900
• Basis for Newtonian physics

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Hellenistic Science

• Archimedes (287-212 BC)
• Lived in Syracuse
• Greatest scientist until Newton
• Trained at Alexandria
• Major discoveries in hydraulics, mathematics,
  mechanics, warfare, and astronomy

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Archimedes Hydraulics

• Invented a planetarium
• Buoyancy Kings crown

The wreath and the gold have equal weight
The wreath displaces more water
Macedonian Crown 4th c. BC
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Archimedes Mathematics

• Geometric calculations
• Area/volume of circle, sphere, cone
• Developed system similar to calculus
• Polygons inside circle with ever higher numbers
  of sides
  
• Calculated value for pi (?) to accuracy of
  0.0002
  
• Devised Scientific notation (5 x 107)

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Archimedes Mechanics

• Levers
• Defined theory
• Pulleys
• Challenge to drag a ship
• Ship building
• Giant ship
• Cargo of 60 ships

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Archimedes Warfare

• War with the Romans
• Claw cranes

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Archimedes Warfare

• Catapults
• Mirrors

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Modern attempt to duplicatemirror warfare (at
MIT)
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Archimedes Creativity (Environment and
Motivation)

• Favor to the King
• civic duty
• Scientific curiosity
• War
• His opinion of his greatest accomplishment
• "Perfect" geometric shape which he asked to be
  inscribed on his tomb
  
• Sphere inscribed in cylinder
• Volume ratios 32
• Surface ratios 32
• Ratio of volumes and areas of cone, sphere and
  cylinder 964

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Hellenistic Science

• Aristarchus of Samos (250 BC)
• Purposed heliocentric universe
• Eratosthenes
• Calculated the circumference of
  the earth
  
• Claimed a ship could sail around
  Africa to India
  
• Claimed a ship could sail west
  to India

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Hellenistic Creativity

• Discussion How can a leader affect creativity?
• Discussion Is theory more creative than
  application?

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Thank You

• Be bold in your personal creativity.