Lecture 4: Invention of inventing (Alexandria) Flashcards
Who is Alexander the Great?
He was a pupil of Aristotle, the king of Macedonia, great military leader, and a great strategist.
What was special of Macedon?
It was a good place for farming and abundant in gold.
Who is Phillip II?
He was the father of Alexander, who had the intention of taking over Greece (except the Athens). He was assassinated in 336 BC and was an inspiration figure to the Romans.
Why was Persian an adversary to Macedon and Greece?
- They are large and wealthy = powerful army
- Has the territories of Egypt and Sumerian
What did Alexander the Great do before engaging the Persian Empire?
He would capture Athens in order to unify the military power of Greece.
What was the result of the invasion of the Persian Empire?
Alexander the Great managed to conquer Persia with 30,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry. Claiming the territories that once belong to their enemy.
Which civilization accepted Alexander the Great as their leader?
The Egyptians made Alexander the Great a pharaoh but also establish a capital city named, “Alexandria”.
What was the flaw of Alexander the Great?
He only had the desire to conqueror but didn’t spend the time to establish a well-rounded government that would have lasted for centuries.
How did Alexander the Great die?
Died from heavy drinking or poisoned, leading to these territories to collapse.
Who is Ptolemy I (405 BC)?
He was the first general that served under Alexander the Great, a poet, philosopher, and artist.
What was Ptolemy I’s interest?
led to the investment in the growth of technology such as research institute, libraries, and mouseion
How did Ptolemy I organize the Alexandria Library?
He divided the library into faculties
c. 1 million ‘books’ were original text of the Alexandria library
What happens if the library was destroyed?
Ptolemy III has built a back-up library that has partial amount of books that are copies of the original.
Why would the Alexandria Library (including the back-up) be destroyed?
Due to religion, specifically Christianity, as the Christianity would view the ancient knowledge of Greece as pagan.
What happens to the copies that do survive?
The Arabs will be able to have possession of the copies, which would be used to be built for mechanical clocks, but like the Christians, the Arabs would burn the text due to religious reasons.
