1. Hellenism and Alexander the Great

2. The Hellenistic World

3. Alexander Creativity 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

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 Inspired 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)

6. Alexander Inspired 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

7. 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
Respected local religions and customs
Desert soothsayer
Rebuilt Karnak and Luxor temples

8. 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")

9. Alexander Ruthless 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)

10. Alexander Ruthless execution of his plan
Battle of Phoenicia and Judea
Egypt
Welcomed Alexander
Recognized as Pharaoh 
He founded Alexandria
Became the center of learning

11. Alexander Ruthless 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

12. Alexander Ruthless execution of his plan
Conquest of Eastern Persia
Conquest of Bactria (Afghanistan and Pakistan)
Turning aside at India and return to Persia

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

14. 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)

15. Hellenization Greek became language of art and commerce Greek Trade
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)

16. Hellenistic Art
Often showed movement
Victory at Samothrace

17. 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)

18. 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

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

20. 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)

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

22. 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

23. Archimedes – Hydraulics
Invented a planetarium
Buoyancy – King’s crown
The wreath and
the gold have
equal weight
Macedonian
Crown
4th c. BC
The wreath
displaces
more water

24. 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
Devised Scientific notation (5 x 107)

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

26. Archimedes – Warfare
War with the Romans
Claw cranes

27. Archimedes – Warfare
Catapults
Mirrors

28. Modern attempt to duplicate mirror warfare (at MIT)

29. 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

30. Hellenistic Science Aristarchus of Samos (250 BC) Eratosthenes
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

31. Hellenistic Creativity
Discussion: How can a leader affect creativity?
Discussion: Is theory more creative than application?

32. Be bold in your personal creativity.
Thank You
Be bold in your personal creativity.