Emily's Post

September 26th, 1950

Dear Journal,
This entry is one of my first to write since beginning my archeologist studies of Alexander the Great, and the city that  he founded called Alexandria. Through my studies I have learned that Alexander the Great really was, well, great! It is incredible to think that he conquered an empire  of over three thousand miles in under eleven years! Last week while I was on the excavation site of Gaugamela, one of Alexander's battles against the Persians, I discovered the head of a Javelin! An amazing find considering it dates back to 331 B.C.! It's astounding to think that even with such simple weapons, Alexander the Great was still able to win every battle he ever fought and conquer so many different cultures!
Now that I have been to the excavation site in Alexandria, the full impact of the Hellenistic culture has hit me! In the ruins of Alexandria the Egyptian, Persian, and Greek influences are much too prominent to ignore. The ancient city was such a huge source of Hellenistic culture that learning, the arts, and trade seemed to have no other choice but to flourish. Learning was especially strong in the Alexandrian Library and Museum where the famous scholar, Euclid, wrote his book on geometry called the "Elements". Hellenistic culture led to so much cultural development that it has affected even our own culture today. From how we view our solar system, to our use of geometric math formulas, the Hellenistic culture was one of great knowledge and many discoveries.
Through my research of Alexander the Great and his accomplishments I am surprised to find many similarities between him and the great American military leader George S. Patton. Like Alexander, Patton made fast, though-out military movements that would crush his enemies in battle. Patton used this strategy multiple times, including when he defeated the Germans in their last offensive attack in the Battle of the Bulged during WWII. George Patton  had incredible strategic skills, and a strong instinct, both of which helped him to be a great leader like Alexander the Great.
The difficult part is that I now have to try to focus my thoughts from those of great leaders and fascinating cultures, to those of packing up. Tomorrow we will begin the long journey back home to London. I'm sure though that even when I leave these sites of history, that the lessons I've learned on leadership, and what truly makes a man great, will never leave me.

Until Next Time,
Arthur Carding




Sources:
"Ancient Greece." Ancient Civilizations Online Textbook. Ushistory.org, 2013. Web. 26 Sept. 2013. <http://www.ushistory.org/civ/5.asp>.

Beck, Roger B., Linda Black, Larry S. Krieger, Phillip C. Naylor, and Dahia Ibo Shabaka. World History Patterns of Interaction. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2007. Print.

"George S Patton Leadership Case Study." Leadership with You Your #1 Online Guide to Leadership. Www.leadership-with-you.com, June 2013. Web. 26 Sept. 2013. <http://www.leadership-with-you.com/george-s-patton-leadership.html>.


ushistory.org."Ancient Greece". Ancient Civilizations Online Text Book. Web. 26 Sep 2013. <www.ushistory.org/civ/5.asp>

Worthington, Ian, Prof. "How "Great" Was Alexander?" Utexas.edu. The Ancient History Bulletin, 1999. Web. 26 Sept. 2013. <http://www.utexas.edu/courses/citylife/readings/great1.html>.

"Lesson 3 Alexander the Great." Www.eduplace.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2013. <http://www.eduplace.com/ss/socsci/ca/books/bkf3/reviews/pdfs/LS_6_12_03.pdf>.