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Greek Civilization

Geography and History Activity

Lesson 4 Hellenistic Culture

Understanding Location: HellenisticCitiesSoonafterthedeathofAlexandertheGreat,hisempirewasdividedintothreekingdomsandthensome50yearslater,afourthkingdom.TherulersandwealthycitizensoftheselandswantedtoimportGreekcultureintotheirkingdoms.TheybuiltnewcitiesandwantedtomakethemlikeAthensandotherGreekculturalcenters.TheybroughtinGreekarchitectsandsculptorstoplanandbuildthenewcities.TheHellenisticcitiesbecamegreatcentersoflearning,filledwithlarge,beautifulbuildingsanddecoratedwithsculptureandart.

Location and CitiesWaterwasacriticalfactorastowherenewcitieswerebuiltandwhethertheythrived.Locationonaseamadetravelandtradeeasier.Asupplyoffreshwaterwasessentialforsurvivalfordrinking,growingfood,andcleaning.

ThemostimportantofthenewcitieswasAlexandria,Egypt.IthadtwoharborsontheMediterraneanSea.RainwatercollectionsystemsandacanaltotheNileRiverguaranteedasupplyoffreshwater.Inaddition,AlexandriasmuseumandlibraryattractedscholarsfromallovertheHellenisticworld.Thegreatlighthouse,knownasthePharosofAlexandria,wasoneoftheSevenWondersoftheWorld.

Anothercity,Antioch,inwhatisnowTurkey,wasoneofthenewHellenisticcitiesandthecapitaloftheSeleucidKingdom.TheharborofAntiochwasatthemouthoftheOrontesRiver.Antiochslocationatthewesternendofanoverlandtraderoutemadeitabusycity,visitedbypeoplefromallovertheHellenisticworld.GoodscamefromtheEastandwerethenshippedbyseatoportsallaroundtheMediterranean.LikeAlexandria,Antiochwasaninternationalandstylishcity.ManyGreeksmigratedtothisnewcity.Thecity,withitswidestreets,hadtheaters,temples,alibrary,andpublicsquareswithstatuesofheroes,gods,andgoddesses,muchlikeAthensandothergreatcitiesofGreece.PeoplefrommanydifferentreligionsandculturesalsomovedtoAntioch,andtheythrivedintheHellenisticculture.

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Geography and History Activity Cont.

PergamumwasonahillontheCaicusRiver16miles(25.7km)fromtheAegeanSea.ItsbuildingsincludedalibrarythatwassecondonlytotheoneatAlexandria,agrandtheater,andmanytemples.TherulersbroughtworksofartfromGreecetodecoratethecity,includinganaltarofZeusthatwasamasterpieceofHellenisticart.Theyalsocommissionednumerousworksofsculpture,painting,anddecorationfromresidentartists.

Trade,commerce,andtheexchangeofideasandartwerecommonamongtheHellenisticcities.Theywereallconnectedbylandorbysea(orboth).ThroughthespreadofGreekculture,theywereconnectedculturally,too.

Architecture and SculptureHellenisticarchitectureandsculptureweremodeledonClassicalGreekart,butweremorevaried.Hellenisticstylereflectedthebroaderperspectiveofpeoplewhowereconnectedtoeachotheracrosslargegeographicareas.ItalsoreflectedthepersonalityofAlexandertheGreat,whohadgivenhismentheideathattheywereheroicandlargerthanlife.Theyhadconqueredalmostalloftheknownworldandwereunderstandablyimpressedwiththeiraccomplishments.ThetendencyinHellenisticartwastoexaggeratestylesfromClassicalGreece.ManyoftheHellenistictempleswerehuge.Theatersandstadiumsweresimilarlygigantic.Evenprivatehomesbecamemuchmoreluxuriousandpalatial,orlikepalaces.

Sculptureshowedbold,vigorousdisplaysofemotionandaction.ThealtarofZeusatPergamum,forinstance,hadasculpturedwallshowingabattleofgodsandgiants.Themuscularfiguresaresuperhumanandenergeticandareshowninallthetormentoftheirstruggle.ManyoftherulersandwealthycitizenswhohadbeenAlexandersgeneralscommissionedheroicportraitsofthemselves.

Filledwithgiantsculptures,temples,theaters,andstadiums,thesecitiesweresymbolsofcivilizationintheHellenisticworld.CitieswereplaceswhereGreekculturethrived.Theywerecentersofart,literature,drama,andideas.ThelandsthatAlexanderandhismenhadconqueredweretransformedbytheinfluenceoftheHellenisticculturetheyimportedfromGreece.

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Geography and History Activity Cont.

Hellenistic Cities

SELEUCID KINGDOM

MACEDONIANKINGDOM

EGYPTIANKINGDOM

PERGAMUM KINGDOM

Caspian Sea

Persian Gulf

Black Sea

AegeanSea

Red Sea

Mediterranean Sea

Ionian Sea

Euphrates R.

Tigris R.

Nile

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Orontes R.

Danube R.

Caicus R.

Seleucia

Pella

Pergamum

Ephesus

Antioch

Babylon

Athens ASIA MINOR

PERSIASYRIA

ARABIA

MESOPOTAMIA

GREECE

Lambert Conformal Conic projection 0 400 km

400 miles0

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DOPW (Discovering our Past - World)

Chapter 8Map Title: The Hellenistic CitiesFile Name: C8_L4_wsgh_01A.aiMap Size: 39p6 x 20p0

Date/Proof: Feb 3, 2011 - First Proof

GreekarchitectureandsculpturewereanimportantpartofnewcitiesbuiltintheHellenisticEra.

Directions: Answerthefollowingquestions.

Understanding the Concept1. Identifying WhatwastheprimarybodyofwaterusedfortravelandtradeintheHellenisticEra?

2. Explaining WhatweretwogeographicfeaturesofAlexandriathathelpeditbecomeanimportantcity?

Important Geographic Features of Alexandria

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Greek Civilization

Geography and History Activity Cont.

Applying the Concept3. Analyzing HowdidAlexanderspersonalityinfluencethearchitectureandartoftheHellenisticEra?

4. Contrasting WhatmadetheHellenisticstyleofartandarchitecturedifferentfromtheClassicalGreekstyle?

5. Making Generalizations TheHellenisticcitieswereallphysicallyconnectedeitherbylandorseaorboth.Whatnon-physicalqualitiesconnectedthemalltoeachother?

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