Hellenism and Alexander the Great

1. Hellenism and Alexander the Great

2. Hellenism • Greece declined after the Peloponnesian War. • Greece was conquered by Phillip of Macedonia. • Phillip used his son, Alexander, as a general and as an ambassador.

3. Phillip’s Innovations in war

4. Alexander the Great Personal 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.

5. Alexander • Had a vision for the “Greek” world and his own glory. • Created a new empire that is called the Hellenistic World.

6. The Hellenistic World Fourth Century B.C. (after Alexander) 6

7. Alexander Made King at Pella Danube • Some territories revolted along the Danube. • Advisors told him to just give up these territories. • He marched to the Danube and stopped the revolt. • While securing the kingdom north to the Danube,Thebes rebelled. • He destroyed Thebes except the temples and the house of the poet Pindar. • The 30,000 survivors were sold into slavery. • He never had a rebellion in Greece again.

8. Alexander Inspired Confidence • The “Perfect Greek“ • Handsome • Well educated (by Aristotle) • Respectful of Greek past (memorized the Illiad and carried it with him)

9. Alexander Inspired Confidence • The “Perfect Greek“ • 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)

10. Alexander Inspired Confidence The “Perfect General” • Never lost a battle • Personally fought in battles (wounded several times) • After a battle mingled with the survivors Alexander Personally Covers Darius

11. Alexander Inspired Confidence • 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

12. Alexander Inspired 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.

13. Alexander Inspired Confidence The “Perfect Conqueror” • Respected local religions and customs Desert soothsayer Rebuilt Karnak and Luxor temples Alexander in Egypt

14. Alexander Inspired Confidence The “Perfect Strategy” • Realized that the Persian navy could land troops behind him Followed a coastal route that allowed him to control all ports behind him When in battles, waited for the perfect moment to commit his elite troops Alexander’s Initial Path

15. Bactra: Bessus, Darius’ successor, is captured and killed. Babylon: 10,000 marry June 323 BC, Alexander dies (malaria?) Torturous return journey Thousands die Gaugamela: 90,000 Persians Lunar eclipse & meteor showers frighten Persians Darius flees Siwa: Oracle declared him to be Son of Ammon (i.e., Zeus) “Liberated” Persian-occupied Egypt Proclaimed a pharaoh Hydaspes: Indian king Porus Persepolis: Persian capital destroyed Tyre: 7-month siege Half-mile causeway Killed 8,000 Sold 30,000 as slaves Pella: May 334 BC 42,000 soldiers Granicus: 25,000 Persians (only 110 Greeks lost) Troy: Achilles tomb, Sacred shield from Temple of Athena Cut the Gordian knot (rule Asia) Founded Alexandria Alexander’s Campaign Issus: 100,000 – 600,000 Persians (Darius flees leaving wife and mother behind) 40,000 men 20,000 miles 11 years Never lost a battle 15

16. Alexander I would rather live a short life of glory than a long one of obscurity. —Alexander the Great Sarcophagus dating from the 4th Century BC

17. Alexander Discussion • Are great leaders great because they are personally good leaders or because the situation makes them great? • Does a great leader need to be creative? • What is the role of preparation in creativity?

18. Post-Alexander Empire One year old son did not receive the throne Empire divided by the generals Pergamum Attalids Greece, Asia Minor, Macedonia 4Generals Egypt Ptolemy Persian area, India Seleucus

19. Prophecy Fulfilled One year old son did not receive the throne Empire divided by the generals Then a warrior king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and take action as he pleases. And while still rising in power, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be uprooted and go to others besides these. —NRSV Daniel 11:3-4 Pergamum Attalids Greece, Asia Minor, Macedonia 4Generals Egypt Ptolemy Persian area, India Seleucus

20. Ptolomies in Egypt Ran Egypt like a business • Port city became the capital. • Priest class became bureaucrats for running the government. • Money introduced. • Greek became the language of the people. Pergamum Attalids

21. Alexandria Mediterranean • Capital of Egypt for ~1,000 yrs. (until Muslim invasion) • Libraries built collecting every known book of the ancient world (~700,000) • Intellectual center of world • Septuagint (OT) 3rd C BC • Lighthouse was world wonder Alexandria Pergamum Attalids Approx. 400 ft tall Giza pyramid was ~480 ft. tall

22. Alexandria Lighthouse Pergamum Attalids

23. Library and Museum at Alexandria Assembled groups of scholars for the first time • Supported by the state. • An ancient think tank. • “Borrowed” scrolls from all ships docking in Alexandria. Pergamum Attalids

24. Science The intellectual climate of Alexandria spawned many scientific developments. Examples: • Hero of Alexandria • Euclid • Eratosthenes • Euclid • Eratosthenes

25. Hero Pergamum Attalids

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

27. Hellenistic Science Eratosthenes(276-194 BC) • Director of Alexandria Library • Claimed a ship could sail west to India. • Calculated circumference (C) of the earth: Given x & y α = arctan(y/x) = 7˚ (787km/C = 7/360) C = 40474km Accurate to 1% Alexandria (Tower) α x y 787 km Syene (well) α Earth’s center

28. Septuagint Jewish scholars in Alexandria translated the Hebrew scriptures into Greek. • Tradition: 70 scholars in 70 days • This was the Bible used by the early Christians. (Hebrew was unknown at the time.) • This is the book from which Old Testament references within the New Testament were taken. • This became the authority for later translations of the Bible. Pergamum Attalids

29. Writing Media Clay • Inexpensive • Durable if baked • Cumbersome Papyrus • Inexpensive • Durable if dry and little used • Available only in Egypt Pergamum Attalids

30. Writing Media Alexandrian library • Greeks felt that knowledge was critical (like a religion). • Records kept as scrolls.

31. Writing Media Alexandian rivalry with Pergamon Library • Egyptians refused to supply papyrus • Therefore, Pergamon adopted (perfected) a new material for writing— Parchment* *Parchment is from skin of cattle, sheep, or goats; vellum is from skin of younger animals (veal = baby calf).

32. Writing Format Parchment in scrolls was stiff and difficult to read. • A new format was needed • Codex • Note: A book is printed and a codex is handwritten

33. Writing: Scroll vs. Codex Codex (Latin = wood block) or hand-written book. • Expensive, so both sides used. • Allowed “random access.” • Most codices still made of papyrus until 4th century. Codex Sinaiticus (parchment)

34. Writing: Papyrus to Codex

35. Writing: Direction • Early Greek was written right-to-left, like Phoenicians and Egyptians. • Later boustrophedon ("ox-turning") was used. • By end of 5th century BC, left-to-right was standard.

36. Hellenistic Science Archimedes (287-212 BC) • Lived in Syracuse • Greatest scientist until Newton • Trained at Alexandria

37. Preparing Your Mind Solving a problem is like looking for valuable antiques. You will find only junk unless you know what you are looking for. Great new ideas are too different from our current thinking, and too similar to nonsolution to be casually recognized. But when we know what to look for, the probability of finding a great solution soars . . .

38. Preparing Your Mind The ancient genius Archimedes took baths all of his life, and each time he entered the bath, the water rose. But only when he was looking for a way to measure the volume of the king’s crown did he recognize the rising water as a brilliant volume-measuring solution. He was so excited that he ran naked from the bath. To find a breakthrough that exciting, you must have a clear vision of the solution that you are seeking. Then you too can recognize your answer when you step into it. —Scott Thorpe, How to Think Like Einstein

39. Archimedes—Book and Bath

40. Archimedes Lateral Thinking Eureka • King of Syracuse vs. the Goldsmith • Buoyancy Principle Macedonian Crown 4th c. BC The wreath and the gold have equal weight The wreath displaces more water

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

42. Archimedes Warfare War with the Romans Claw cranes

43. Archimedes Warfare Catapults Mirrors

44. Archimedes Warfare Modern attempt to duplicatemirror warfare (at MIT)

45. Archimedes Mathematics Error regions • Developed system similar to calculus Polygons inside and outside circle with ever higher numbers of sides to reduce error regions Calculated value for pi (∏) to accuracy of 0.0002 • Devised Scientific notation • Example: 5.2 x 107

46. 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

47. Hellenistic Creativity Discussion Is theory more creative than application?

48. Hellenism • Discussion • Why did Greek culture come to dominate the world of the Eastern Mediterranean? • Was the Greek culture good or bad for the people in the Eastern Mediterranean? • Is there a similar culture that is becoming dominant today? If so, what are its cultural elements? • Is that cultural dominance good or bad?

49. Thank You Be bold in your personal creativity