Alexander & the Hellenistic Era

2.02 Identify the roots of Greek civilization and recognize its achievements from the Minoan era through the Hellenistic

period.2.03 Describe the developments and achievements of

Roman civilization and analyze the significance of the fall of Rome.

Macedonians Invade Greece

• Viewed by the Greeks as barbarians

• Rural farmers• Probably not Greek• Emerged as a

powerful kingdom by the 5th century BC

Philip II

• Came to power in 359 BC• Built a powerful army• Turned Macedonia into the chief

power of the Greek world• Admired Greek culture• Wanted to unite Greece under

Macedonia• Crushed the Greeks in battle in 338 BC

and gained control of the country• Wanted to invade Persia but was

assassinated

Alexander the Great• Philip’s son• Took control when he was 20 years old• Began his attack of the Persian Empire in 334 BC• In two year he had control of Syria, Palestine and Egypt• Built Alexandria as the Greek capital of Egypt

Alexander the Great• Reached all the way to

India before turning back• Died at the age of 32• Legacy– Monarchy– Spread of Greek language

and culture throughout parts of Asia and northern Africa

– Spread Eastern culture throughout Greece

The Hellenistic Era

• Word Hellenistic comes from Greek word meaning “to imitate Greeks”

• Describes an age that saw the expansion of the Greek language and ideas to the non-Greek world

Hellenistic Kingdoms

• Alexander’s kingdom fell apart soon after his death

• 4 Hellenistic kingdoms emerged– Macedonia– Syria– Pergamum– Egypt

Hellenistic Kingdoms

• Greeks and Macedonians formed the ruling class

• All government business was transacted in Greek

• New cities spread Greek culture as far as modern Afghanistan and India

Hellenistic Cities• Alexandria– Became home to scholars of

all kinds– Library became the largest in

ancient times– Museum that welcomed

scholarly research• Pergamum– Most important city in Asia

Minor– Attracted scholars and artists– Library was only second to

Alexandria

Hellenistic Arts & Literature• Founding of new cities

presented opportunities for architects and sculptors

• Buildings and sculptures maintained characteristics of classical Greece

• Literature was very important although little of it remains

• A new type of comedic play emerged that only entertained

Astronomy

• Aristarchus– Developed the theory that

the sun was the center of the universe

• Eratosthenes– Determined that the Earth

was round– Calculated a close

approximation of the circumference of the Earth

Mathematics

• Euclid– Wrote a textbook

on plane geometry that has been used up to modern times

Science

• Archimedes– Established the values of

pi– Devised the

“Archimedes’ screw” a machine used to pump water out of mines and to lift irrigation water

Philosophy• Athens remained the center of

philosophy• Epicureanism– Founded by Epicurus– Believed that human beings

were free to follow their own self interests and make happiness their goal

– The means to happiness was the pursuit of pleasure

– Pleasure = freedom from emotional turmoil and worry

– Pleasure centered on friendship

Philosophy

• Stoicism– Taught by Zeno– Material possessions were

not necessary in order to be happy

– Happiness could only be found by living in harmony with the will of God

– Once you live in harmony you can bear whatever life offers

– Public service was regarded as noble