Hellenism and

Alexander the Great

The Hellenistic World

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

Alexander the GreatPersonal Desire for

GreatnessAs a boy, Alexander said:

“My father will get ahead of me in everything, and will leave nothing great for me to do.”

• 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)

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

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

AlexanderInspired Confidence

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 Alexander’s image as the “Perfect Greek")

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)

AlexanderRuthless execution of his

plan• Battle of Phoenicia and Judea• Egypt

– Welcomed Alexander

– Recognized as Pharaoh – He founded Alexandria

• Became the center of learning

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

AlexanderRuthless execution of his

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

Post-Alexander Empire

• Empire divided by the generals– Egypt—Ptolemy – Persian area and

India—Seleucus – Pergamum—Attalids – Greece, Asia Minor,

Macedonia—4 generals

• 1 year old son did not receive the throne

Ptolemy Seleucus Attalids 4 Generals

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)

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)

Hellenistic Art

• Often showed movement

• Victory at Samothrace

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)

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

Architecture

• Lighthouse at Alexandria– Pharos Island – Over 400 feet

high– Light intensified

with reflectors– One of 7 wonders

of ancient world

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)

Hellenistic Science

• Euclid (320-260 BC)– Lived in Alexandria– Compiled Elements of

Geometry• Used as a text book until

1900• Basis for Newtonian

physics

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

Archimedes – Hydraulics

• Invented a planetarium• Buoyancy – King’s crown

The wreath and the gold have equal weight

The wreath displaces

more water

MacedonianCrown

4th c. BC

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)

Archimedes – Mechanics

• Levers– Defined theory

• Pulleys– Challenge to drag

a ship• Ship building

– Giant ship– Cargo of 60 ships

Archimedes – Warfare

• War with the Romans– Claw cranes

Archimedes – Warfare

• Catapults• Mirrors

Modern attempt to duplicate

mirror warfare (at MIT)

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 = 3:2• Surface ratios = 3:2

– Ratio of volumes and areas of cone, sphere and cylinder = 9:6:4

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

Hellenistic Creativity

• Discussion: How can a leader affect creativity?

• Discussion: Is theory more creative than application?

Thank You

Be bold in your personal creativity.