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.
