Alexander the Great’s father, Philip, united all of the various Greek states under his rule. He invited the most renowned thinker in Greece, AristotleAristotle (384–322 B.C.) was a greek philosopher, founder of the sciences of logic, physics, and biology, whose writings were a major conceptual res... more, to instruct Alexander when he was thirteen years old. AristotleAristotle (384–322 B.C.) was a greek philosopher, founder of the sciences of logic, physics, and biology, whose writings were a major conceptual res... more likely instilled in Alexander a vision of extending the blessings of classic Greek culture to the whole world. At a very young age Alexander conquered the Mediterranean world as far east as India and set about a concerted effort to assimilate each nation into Greek culture. His dream was to create a Pan-Hellenic world where there would no longer be Greeks and Barbarians. He encouraged his soldiers to intermarry and he established institutions like the gymnasium to infuse Greek culture into the conquered societies. He assimilated the religions of the conquered people by asserting that all of the gods were the same but they were simply called by different names in different cultures. Alexander established a great city bearing his name in Egypt(c. 1,550 B.C.) The New Kingdom of Egypt begins as the Pharaohs of Egypt regain independence and displace the Hyksos. The technical innovations brough... more on the mouth of the Nile that became a great center of learning. Here Platonist philosophers, especially the StoicsA respected and popular school of ancient philosophy that taught that living by reason without passions was the path to wisdom, happiness and fulfillm... more, promoted an allegorical interpretation of Classic Greek literature, which approach was then applied to Jewish and Christian scriptures. The dispute between the Alexandrian allegorical approach and the AntiochA large and important city in Syria and the meeting point of the East and West. more literal approach to interpreting scripture became a central issue in Christian doctrinal disputes that prompted and shaped the creeds. Greek became the universal language throughout the conquered world. With all this, Greece left its imprint on the Mediterranean world for nearly two thousand years.
The impact of Alexander the GreatAlexander the Great (356–323 B.C.) was King of Macedon and went on to create one of the largest empires of the ancient world by the time he was thir... more on Christianity is greater than most persons realize. Some scholars argue that he is the source of the myth of Jesus’ divinity, while some religious persons see in Alexander a type or precursor for ChristDerived from a Greek term meaning anointed and is equivalent to the word “messiah” from Hebrew roots. The anointing references the act of installi... more. Regardless, at a minimum, he provided a bridge between the monotheistic culture of the Jews and the quasi-polytheistic doctrineis derived from the Latin word for teaching, doctrina, and is an important aspect of Christianity more so than other world religions because Christian... more of Christianity (trinity) facilitating the conversionThis term is derived from the Latin word for “turning,” and is a theological term that refers to one turning his will from evil to good and is gen... more of Jews and GentilesAn ancient term referring to people who are not Jews or otherwise descended from the house of Israel. In Christianity, over time, it also came to be u... more to Christianity. What am I referring to?
There are a number of parallels between Jesus(c. 4 B.C.–A.D. 30-33) Also known as Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and Savior of the World. He is the founding figure of Christianit... more and Alexander. They both died when they were 33 years old. They both claimed divine sonship and dual paternity (Heracles for Alexander) and as human beings with flesh and blood they broke the barrier between humanity and the divine. Virgin births are attributed to both and world rule were their destiny, yet they both died before they fully realized their missions to bless all humanity. The popular ancient myths surrounding Alexander certainly contributed to the acceptance of the Christian message, even if its influence was subliminal.