STUDENT NOTES FOR CH. 4 HIS101 A History of Western Society CHAPTER 4 The Hellenistic World, 33630 BCE The legends begin... Was he superhuman and destined for greatness from conception?? Family Feuds. Fathers marriage to Cleopatra Eurydice Plutarchs description of fight at the wedding Exile with mother Return home Fathers death What did he fear?... What was Alexander afraid of after his fathers death? What did he do about fear? What did his mother do? Following his father... Fathers accomplishments? Alexanders mission? Young leader- but prepared? Alexander and the Great Crusade Alexanders attack on the Persian Empire (334 BCE) 1. Revenge for the Persian invasion of Greece in 480 BCE 2. What was a purpose of Alexanders Great Crusade besides military invasion? 3. As a symbolic act of retribution Alexander destroyed the buildings of Xerxes in the Persian capital of Persepolis. 4. Conquered Egypt and the Persian Empire Alexander and the Great Crusade -What type of leader was Alexander? -King of Kings? -Still many that plotted against him Temper, temper Cleitus the Black Drinking Accusations Death Death of Alexander... A Babylonian astronomical diary (c. 323322 BC) recording the death of Alexander (British Museum, London )Babylonian astronomical diaryBritish Museum Depiction of Alexander's funeral procession Alexanders Legacy From Hellenic to Hellenistic 1. Created the Hellenistic World 2. Hellenic World -Greek culture characterized by cultural unity. 3. Hellenistic World -The Greeks encountered difference: new peoples, languages, gods, foods, and traditions. Alexanders Political Legacy 1. Alexanders Death (323 BCE) Left power vacuum for nearly forty years. 2. Three Dynasties Created Antigonids (Macedonia), Ptolemies (Egypt), Seleucids (Asia Minor to India). 3. Polis Replaced by Leagues Leagues of multiple city-states replaced the Polis as a first-rate political powers (Athens and Sparta became third-rate powers). 4. Constant Fighting Within and between Hellenistic kingdoms. Alexanders Cultural Legacy 1. New Cities and Colonies To maintain communication and supplies, Alexander established more than 70 new cities and military colonies that spread Hellenism throughout the East and Mediterranean. After his death, more than 250 new Hellenistic colonies were established. 2. Ay Khanoum Hellenistic city on border of Russia and Afghanistan; had Greek gymnasium, temples, and administration buildings. 3. Hellenism Common bond between Greek world and East. The Spread of Hellenism 1. Resurgence of Hereditary Monarchies Cult of the ruler (kings authority linked to authority of the gods). 2. Hellenistic Cities Hellenistic kings built a city but not a polis. The new cities could not engage in diplomacy, make treaties, or run own affairs without interference from king. They were not homogeneous and had many non-Greek natives and foreigners with fewer rights than Greeks. 3. Centers of Culture Hellenistic cities became centers of culture (theaters, temples, libraries), learning (poets, writers, artists), amusement, and commerce, the foundation for the spread of Greek language, customs, and values. The Lives of the Greeks in the East 1. Greeks Provided upper class (administrators, soldiers, craftsmen, architects, artists, engineers). 2. Women Benefited (through commerce) in spite of legal handicaps. 3. Hellenistic Monarchies Failed to win political loyalty of Greek subjects and soldiers were mercenaries. 4. Decline of Hellenistic World Began when flow of Greek migrants from Greek peninsula to the new colonies slowed. Greeks and Easterners 1. The East Term used by Greeks to refer to Egypt and the Near East. 2. Spread of Greek Culture Wider than it was deep (Greek culture did not take hold as deeply further east in Persia and Bactria nor in the countryside). 3. Egypt Ptolemies ruthlessly exploited native Egyptian population through high taxes, but by 2 nd century BCE, Greeks and native Egyptians began to intermarry. 4. Seleucids The most prominent Hellenizers (established military colonies and Greek cities to sustain a vigorous Greek population). 5. Greek Language Became the common speech of commerce, upper class, the military, and the administration. Yet the vast majority of peoples retained most of their traditional way of life. 6. Hellenisitic World Mingling of Greek and Eastern cultures. The Economic Scope of the Hellenistic World Agriculture and Industry 1. New Commercial Networks but Few Big Changes The creation of new commercial networks did not lead to a revolution in the way people lived and worked. 2. Agriculture No new techniques of production. Used manual labor instead of machinery, since human labor (criminals, slaves, prisoners of war) was so cheap. Ptolemies made great stride in improving agriculture. 3. Pottery Methods of production did not change. 4. Metals- apart from silver and gold, iron was the most important metal in the Hellenistic world. The Economic Scope of the Hellenistic World Commerce 1. New Opportunities for Trade Found in wealth of conquered Persian capitals and in Eastern bazaars. 2. Common Standards of Money Attic standards, which had the same value between Hellenistic kingdoms, made trade easier. 3. The Great Silk Road Relied on Caravan Routes to India and Arabia, known as The Great Silk Road, that were in the hands of Easterners and provided luxury goods (gold, ivory, spices, precious stones, tea, silk). The backbone of caravan trade was camels. 4. Trade in Surplus Grain (Abundant wheat supplies in Egypt, Crimea, and southern Russia), exported olive oil, and wine to pay for importing grain. 5. Maritime Trade Led to a boom in shipbuilding, accounting, and piracy. Facilitated extensive trade in slaves. Mystery Religions and cults -Only for initiated -Life after death -Spread all over -Cult of Isis Hellenistic Jews -Not persecuted -Embraced Hellenistic values -Did not want to be citizens Philosophy -Who pursued philosophical studies? -Why was it popular? -Hellenistic philosophy Epicureanism: - Epicurus - Pleasure -Ignore influences -Ignore politics Stoicism -Zeno -Unity of man and universe - Natural Law Hellenistic Science - Aristarchus- heliocentric theory - Ptolomy -Euclid -Archimiedes -Eratosthenes --Inventions Hellenistic Medicine -Herophilus -Erasistratus -Dogmatic School of Medicine -Philinus and Serapion Quakery -incantations/magic -examples of cures -popular but harmful -led to distrust of physicians