Hellenistic Civilization

336-31 BCE

Which powerful monarchy ultimately united the Greeks around 338 BCE?

A. Rome

B. Persia

C. Egypt

D. Macedon

Mediterranean Basin c. 350 BCE

Conquests of Alexander the Great

Achilles

Alexander and Darius at Issus

Conquests of Alexander the Great

The Hellenistic Kingdoms 323-30 BCE

Alexandria founded 331 BCE

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Reconstruction (in Istanbul) of Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

Women in Hellenistic

Society

Euclid

323-283 BCE

Aristarchus of Samos

• 310-230 BCE

• Heliocentric model of universe

• Incorrectly measured distance to the sun using mathematics and geometry

Eratosthenes

GeographerAstronomer

Eratosthenes Map

Tropic of Cancer – 500 miles from Alexandria

The angle of the

shadow at Alexandria at Summer

solstice was 1/50th of a circle

Archimedes of Syracuse

287-212BCE

Archimedes Heat Ray

Epicurus341-270

BCE

Materialistbut not really

a hedonist

Zeno of Citium

334-262

Founder of Stoicism

Marcus AureliusStoic Philosopher

& Roman Emperor

121-180 CE

Septuagint

c. 200 BCE

The Establishment of Empire

• Alexander’s commanders partition the empire into several kingdoms, including– Ptolomeic– Seleucid – Parthian

• In order to consolidate their authority, they establish elaborate rituals, assume distinctive attire, and gain control over artistic patronage– little or no criticism of the rulers allowed

The Legacy of Alexander

• Intensifies urbanization of the eastern Mediterranean– new cities established, such as Alexandria– the architecture & features of the polis established

• gymnasia - mental and physical development• theaters - entertainment & dissemination of ideas• councils & assemblies - political discourse and concurrence

– literature begins to idealize life in the countryside

• The polis functions within the context of royal authority• Greek becomes the common language of the ruling

classes and intellectual elite throughout the eastern Mediterranean until the rise of Islam in the seventh century

The Legacy of Alexander• Alexandria

– one of the great cities of the ancient world; becomes the capital of Ptolemaic Egypt

– initially a center of scientific inquiry, particularly in astronomy, mathematics, and physics

– home of the greatest library in the ancient world– eventually at the end of the first century CE, it becomes one of

the primary cities to attract the diaspora Jews– also becomes one of the great theological centers of early

Christianity from 200-600 BCE– location where the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek: the

Septuagint

The Legacy of Alexander

• The spread of Greek deities and a widespread occurrence of syncretism

• Greek culture intermingles with local practices• Slavery becomes widespread and assumes a form harsher

than that of the classical polis• Greek speaking women assume a more prominent role in

the administration of the Hellenistic kingdoms• Women also become more conspicuous as the authors of

poetry and other forms of literature

The Legacy of Alexander

• Spread of Greek philosophy– Stoicism: public duty, destiny, position in the divine order;

between 200 BCE and 200 CE Stoicism becomes very popular among the political and administrative elite of Rome; it promoted equal citizenship for women; questioned the notion of free will; Stoics admired those who could control their passions

– Epicureanism: emphasis on individual quest for happiness; not hedonism; challenged Greek emphasis on citizenship; gods have little or no influence on human affairs

– Cynicism - meaning ‘like a dog’ the term was coined by their opponents; they rejected conventional aspirations, including wealth and comforts of civilized life

Legacy of Alexander

• Increased scientific inquiry and technological development– astronomy: heliocentric model of the solar system

proposed by Aristarchus; was later discarded for geocentric model

– anatomy and the dissection of cadavers

– Greeks learn the ancient medical practices of the Near East, including taking pulse to ascertain health

– water pump, water clock, light houses

– military technology: catapults, siege towers

Summary

• The conquest of the Persian Empire by Alexander the Great provided a political and cultural structure that would survive the Roman imperial conquests of the first century BCE– Greek speaking elite– Greek institutions and traditions, including assemblies, athletic

contests, and dramatic presentations, under the control of local kings

– highly developed network of cities– use of coinage and establishment of long distance trade

• The conquests spread Greek culture throughout the eastern Mediterranean and Western Asia

How could Aristophanes have been responsible for Socrates’ death?

A. Because his reputation was injured by the Clouds

B. Because Aristophanes testified aginst him

C. Because Aristophanes brother was his judge

D. Because, just because