c. 300 B.C.King Ptolemy Iinvites Euclid to Alexandria

291 B.C.Menander, theplaywright, dies

212 B.C.Archimedes killedby Romans

SyracuseAthens

Alexandria

350 B.C. 275 B.C. 200 B.C.350 B.C. 275 B.C. 200 B.C.

HistorySocial ScienceStandardsWH6.4 Studentsanalyze the geographic,political, economic,religious, and socialstructures of the earlycivilizations of AncientGreece.

SpreadGreek Culture

406 CHAPTER 8 • Greek Civilization

The of

Looking Back, Looking AheadIn Section 3, you read that

Alexander’s conquests helped tospread Greek culture. The kings whocame after Alexander also tried toattract the best and brightest Greeksto Asia and Egypt. They hoped to re-create the glory of Greece’s GoldenAge in their own kingdoms.

Focusing on the • Hellenistic cities became centers of

learning and culture. (page 407)

• Philosophers and scientists in theHellenistic Era introduced new ideasand made major discoveries.(page 408)

• Greek power declined as a newpower in the Mediterranean arose:Rome. (page 411)

Meeting PeopleEuclid (YOO•kluhd)Archimedes (AHR•kuh•MEE•deez)Hypatia (hy•PAY•shuh)

Locating PlacesRhodes (ROHDZ)Syracuse (SIHR•uh•KYOOS)

Content VocabularyEpicureanism

(EH•pih•kyu•REE•uh•NIH•zuhm)Stoicism (STOH•uh•SIH•zuhm)astronomer (uh•STRAH•nuh•muhr)plane geometry (jee•AH•muh•tree)solid geometry (jee•AH•muh•tree)

Academic Vocabularygoal (GOHL)lecture (LEHK•chuhr)major (MAY• juhr)

Reading StrategySummarizing Information Create adiagram to show the major Greekcontributions to Western civilization.

Contributions

406-411 CH08-868874 1/6/05 5:42 AM Page 406

WH6.4.7 Trace the rise of Alexander the Great and the spread of Greek culture eastward and into Egypt.

WH6.4.8 Describe the enduring contributions of important Greek figures in the arts and sciences (e.g., Hypatia, Socrates, Plato,Aristotle, Euclid, Thucydides).

Greek Culture SpreadsHellenistic cities became centers of

learning and culture.

Reading Connection Imagine you are a leading citi-

zen in a new city. How would you make it the best city

possible? Read to find out how leaders in the Hellenistic

Era improved their cities.

During the Hellenistic Era, philosophers,scientists, poets, and writers flocked to thenew Greek cities in southwest Asia andEgypt, especially Alexandria. Many came totake advantage of Alexandria’s library. Itsmore than 500,000 scrolls were useful to stu-dents of literature and language. Alexandriaalso had a museum where researchers wentto do their work.

Architecture and Sculpture The Hellenistickingdoms were lands of opportunity forGreek architects. New cities were beingfounded, and old ones were being rebuilt.The Hellenistic kings wanted to make thesecities like the cultural centers of Greece. Theypaid handsome fees to line the streets withbaths, theaters, and temples.

Hellenistic kings and other wealthy citi-zens hired Greek sculptors to fill their townsand cities with thousands of statues. Thesestatues showed the same level of workman-ship as the statues from Greece’s Golden Age.

Literature and Theater Hellenistic lead-ers also admired talented writers. Kingsand leading citizens spent generous sumsof money supporting writers’ work. As aresult, the Hellenistic Age produced a largebody of literature. Sadly, very little of thiswriting has survived.

One of the works we know about is anepic poem by Appolonius (A•puh•LOH•nee•uhs) of Rhodes (ROHDZ). Called Argonautica,it tells the legend of Jason and his band ofheroes. They sail the seas in search of a ram

with golden fleece. Another poet, Theocritus(thee • AH • kruh • tuhs), wrote short poemsabout the beauty of nature.

Athens remained the center of Greek the-ater. Playwrights in Athens created a newkind of comedy. The stories had happy end-ings and still make people laugh. However,unlike the comedies of Greece’s Golden Age,they did not poke fun at political leaders.Instead the plays told stories about love andrelationships. One of the best known of thenew playwrights was Menander (muh •NAN •duhr), who lived from 343 B.C. to 291 B.C.

Explain How did theHellenistic kingdoms spread Greek culture?

The Poetry ofTheocritus

Theocritus is considered the creator of pastoral poetry. Pastoral poetry deals with rural life, especially the lives of shepherds. It often compares rural and city life. In this selection, he talks about shepherding as a way of life.“Shepherd, your song is sweeter than the water

that tumbles and splashes down from the rocks.

If the Muses get the ewe for their prize,

you’ll win the [baby] lamb.But if they choose

the lamb, you’ll carry away the ewe.”—Theocritus, “First Idyll”

How does Theocritus describe the song ofthe shepherd?

Sculpture of shepherd

CHAPTER 8 • Greek Civilization 407Araldo de Luca/CORBIS

406-411 CH08-868874 1/17/05 8:39 AM Page 407

WH6.4.7. Trace the rise of Alexander the Great and the spread of Greek culture eastward and into Egypt.

WH6.4.8. Describe the enduring contributions of important Greek figures in the arts and sciences (e.g., Hypatia, Socrates, Plato,Aristotle, Euclid, Thucydides).

Greek Medicine The ancient Greeksbelieved that their gods had the power tocure them of illnesses and injuries. Greektemples were places of healing as well as places of worship. In temples,priests treated patients with herbs,prayers and sacrifices to the gods.

In the 400s B.C., Hippocrates (hih •PAH • kruh • TEEZ), a doctor and pioneer ofmedical science, began to separatemedicine from religion. He stressed thatit was important to examine the bodyand look at a patient’s symptoms.

Hippocrates asked his students torecite an oath, or pledge, promisingnever to harm and always to care fortheir patients. Doctors today still take aversion of the Hippocratic Oath whenthey graduate from medical school.

Connecting to the Past1. How were illnesses and injuries treated

before Hippocrates?

2. How did Hippocrates change the waymedicine was practiced in ancient Greece?

New Philosophy and SciencePhilosophers and scientists in the

Hellenistic Era introduced new ideas and made majordiscoveries.

Reading Connection What makes you happy? Read

on to learn different Greek ideas about happiness.

During the Hellenistic Era, Athens con-tinued to attract the most famous philosophersin the Greek world. The two most impor-tant philosophers were Epicurus and Zeno.

Epicureans Epicurus founded a philoso-phy we now know as Epicureanism (EH•pih•kyu • REE • uh • NIH • zuhm). He taught his stu-dents that happiness was the goal of life.He believed that the way to be happy wasto seek out pleasure.

Today the word epicurean means the loveof physical pleasure, such as good food orcomfortable surroundings. However, toEpicurus, pleasure meant spending timewith friends and learning not to worryabout things. Epicureans avoided worry bystaying out of politics and public service.

Who Were the Stoics? A Phoeniciannamed Zeno developed Stoicism (STOH•uh•SIH• zuhm). It became a very popular philoso-phy in the Hellenistic world. When Zenocame to Athens, he could not afford to rent alecture hall. So he taught at a buildingknown as the “painted porch” near the citymarket. “Stoicism” comes from stoa, theGreek word for “porch.”

For Stoics, happiness came from follow-ing reason, not emotions, and doing yourduty. Today the word stoic is used todescribe someone who is not affected by joyor grief. Unlike Epicureans, Stoics thoughtpeople had a duty to serve their city. Theideas of the Stoic philosophers would laterinfluence Roman philosophers.

Greek doctor treating patients

406-411 CH08-868874 8/23/05 12:08 PM Page 408

Scientist Scientific “Firsts”

Archimedes Established the science of physicsExplained the lever and compound pulley

Hypatia Expanded knowledge of mathematics and astronomy

Hippocrates Known as the “Father of Medicine”First to write a medical code of good behavior

Hipparchus Created a system to explain how planets and stars move

Euclid Wrote a book that organized information about geometry

Eratosthenes Figured out that Earth is round

Aristarchus Established that Earth revolves around the sun

Pythagoras First to establish the principles of geometry

Greek Scientists and Their ContributionsGreek Scientists and Their Contributions

Greek Science and Math Scientists, espe-cially mathematicians and astronomers,made major contributions during theHellenistic Era. Astronomers (uh • STRAH •nuh • muhrs) study stars, planets, and otherheavenly bodies. Aristarchus (AR•uh•STAHR•kuhs), an astronomer from Samos, claimedthat the sun was at the center of the uni-verse and that Earth circled the sun. At thetime, other astronomers rejected his ideas.They thought that Earth was the center ofthe universe.

Another astronomer, Eratosthenes (EHR •uh • TAHS • thuh • NEEZ), was in charge of the library at Alexandria. Eratosthenes concluded that Earth is round. He thenused his knowledge of geometry andastronomy to measure Earth’s circumfer-ence—the distance around Earth.

Eratosthenes put two sticks in theground far apart from each other. When thesun was directly over one stick, the shadowwas shorter than the shadow at the otherstick. By measuring the shadows, he was

The ancient Greeks made advances in science.1. What were Archimedes’ achievements?2. Identify Who wrote a code of behavior that

doctors still follow today?

CHAPTER 8 • Greek Civilization 409

Hippocrates

Pythagoras

Hypatia

North Wind Picture Archives

406-411 CH08-868874 1/6/05 5:44 AM Page 409

410 CHAPTER 8 • Greek Civilization

able to calculate the curve of Earth’s surfaceand Earth’s diameter.

Using his measurements, Eratosthenesestimated that the distance around Earthequaled 24,675 miles (39,702 km). Amazingly,his estimate was within 185 miles (298 km) ofthe actual distance. Using similar methods, hemeasured the distance to the sun and to themoon. His measurements were quite accuratefor the time.

Euclid (YOO •kluhd) is probably the mostfamous Greek mathematician. His best-known book Elements describes plane geometry. Plane geometry (jee • AH • muh •tree) is the branch of mathematics that showshow points, lines, angles, and surfaces relateto one another.

Around 300 B.C., King Ptolemy I (TAH •luh•mee) of Egypt asked Euclid if he knew aneasier way to learn geometry than by readingElements. Euclid answered that “there is noroyal way” to learn geometry. In otherwords, if the king wanted to understandEuclid’s teachings, he would have to studythe same as everyone else. Euclid’s theorieshave influenced mathematicians up to thepresent day.

The most famous scientist of theHellenistic Era was Archimedes (AHR • kuh •MEE•deez) of Syracuse (SIHR•uh• KYOOS). Heworked on solid geometry ( jee • AH • muh •tree)—the study of ball-like shapes calledspheres and tubelike shapes called cylinders.He also figured out the value of pi. This num-ber is used to measure the area of circles and is usually represented by thesymbol π.

Archimedes was also an inventor. Onestory about Archimedes tells how he cameto invent weapons for a war. It all happenedbecause Archimedes had been bragging.“Give me a lever and a place to stand on,”Archimedes said to the king of Syracuse,“and I will move the earth.”

The king of Syracuse was impressed.He asked Archimedes to use his levers todefend the city. So Archimedes designedcatapults—machines that hurled arrows,spears, and rocks.

When the Romans attacked Syracuse in212 B.C., Archimedes’ catapults drove themback. It took the Romans three years tocapture Syracuse. During the massacrethat followed, Archimedes was killed.

Hellenistic thought and culture hadlong-lasting effects. The mathematicianHypatia (hy•PAY• shuh) is a good example.She lived in Alexandria in Egypt aroundA.D. 400, over 700 years after Alexander theGreat first spread Hellenism. Hypatia con-tinued the Greek tradition of studying phi-losophy and mathematics. In fact, she is oneof the first women mathematicians whoserecords survive. In addition, she also wroteabout astronomy. Her commentaries onother writers provided important informa-tion for later generations of historians andscientists.

Explain Who was the mostfamous scientist of the Hellenistic Era? What didhe contribute?

Euclid

Archimedes

Scala/Art Resource, NY

406-411 CH08-868874 1/6/05 5:45 AM Page 410

WH6.4. Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the early civilizations of AncientGreece.

Reading SummaryReview the • Hellenistic cities, such as

Alexandria, attracted some of theGreek world’s best architects,sculptors, and writers.

• During the Hellenistic Era, newphilosophies developed, such asStoicism and Epicureanism, andscientists made importantadvances in the fields of astron-omy and mathematics.

• The Hellenistic kingdoms foughtconstantly and were eventuallyconquered by Rome.

1. Why did the city of Alexandriaattract scholars?

2. Describe the form of philoso-phy developed by Zeno.

Critical Thinking3. Summarize Draw a table like

the one below. Write severalfacts about each scientist inthe correct column.

4. How were thecomedies of the Hellenistic Erainfluenced by Greece’s GoldenAge?

5. Analyze How would knowl-edge of geometry be helpful tothe Greeks?

6. Identify What did theEpicureans believe about happiness?

7. Writing Poetry Reread thePrimary Source on page 407.How do the author’s wordscreate a picture of the shep-herd? Use these writing toolsto write a poem about Greece.

CA 6RL3.4; 6WA2.1

CA 6RC2.0

CA HI2.

CA 6RC2.2

Eratosthenes

Aristarchus

Euclid

Archimedes

CA 6RC2.4

What Did You Learn?

CHAPTER 8 • Greek Civilization 411

Greece Falls to RomeGreek power declined as a new power in

the Mediterranean arose: Rome.

Reading Connection Think about what makes your

country strong. What would happen if you took those

things away? Read on to find out what happened to

Greece when it grew weak.

The four Greek kingdoms that devel-oped from Alexander’s empire sharedHellenistic culture. Despite their commonculture, they were unable to work togetherand often fought wars with one another.

Macedonia dominated Greece for a timebut could not keep the various city-statespermanently under control. Sparta andmany other city-states gained their freedom.These states were Hellenistic in culture butdid not have a strong military, so they couldnot keep their independence long.

In the late 200s B.C., a city-state in Italycalled Rome conquered the Italian penin-sula. The Romans then began expandinginto Greece in order to secure their shippinglanes from pirates. This gave the Romans theexcuse to interact directly with the Greeks.

As Roman power grew, both the Greeksand Macedonians began supportingRome’s enemies in times of war. TheRomans proved victorious, however. Theydefeated the Greeks and their allies,invaded Macedonia, and divided it intofour kingdoms.

By 146 B.C., Rome had conquered all ofGreece. Although Greece was no longer free,Greek ideas and culture continued to influ-ence societies in Europe and Asia for hun-dreds of years.

Explain Why did Romeconquer the Greek city-states?

Study Central Need help understanding theHellenistic Era? Visit ca.hss.glencoe.com and clickon Study Central.

406-411 CH08-868874 1/19/05 4:30 PM Page 411

The Republic of Plato

Plato was one of the great philosophers ofancient Athens. In his Republic Plato arguesthat the ideal government is one ruled byphilosopher-kings. Here he discusses whatkind of person should be a ruler.

You will see then, Glaucon, that therewill be no real injustice in compelling ourphilosophers to watch over and care for theother citizens. We can fairly tell them . . .we have brought you into existence foryour country’s sake . . . you have been bet-ter and more thoroughly educated thanthose others and hence you are more capa-ble of playing your part both as men ofthought and as men of action . . . in truth,government can be at its best and free from

dissension only where the destined rulersare least desirous of holding office.

. . . All goes wrong when, starved forlack of anything good in their own lives,men turn to public affairs hoping to snatchfrom thence the happiness they hunger for.They set about fighting for power, and thisconflict ruins them and their country. Thelife of true philosophy is the only one thatlooks down upon offices of state. . . . Sowhom else can you compel to undertakethe guardianship of the commonwealth, ifnot those who, besides understanding bestthe principles of government, enjoy anobler life than the politician’s and look forrewards of a different kind?

—Plato, Republic

Words of WisdomLike many ancient societies, the ancient Greeks admired and

wrote about their heroes and military leaders. However, their great thinkers also wrote about many other subjects, from government and religion to science and culture. Many of their works were intended to convey an idea or message, or to convince people of their point of view.

Read the passages on pages 412 and 413, and answer the questions that follow.

Glaucon: a man the narrator is addressing

compelling: persuadingdissension (dih•SEHN•shuhn): conflict

destined: decided beforehandrefute (rih•FYOOT): prove wrongimputation (IHM•pyuh•TAY•shuhn):

accusation

Reader’s Dictionary

412 CHAPTER 8 • Greek Civilization

WH6.4.4 Explain the significanceof Greek mythology to the everydaylife of people in the region and howGreek literature continues topermeate our literature andlanguage today, drawing from Greekmythology and epics, such asHomer’s Iliad and Odyssey, and fromAesop’s Fables. WH6.4.8 Describethe enduring contributions ofimportant Greek figures in the artsand sciences (e.g., Hypatia, Socrates,Plato, Aristotle, Euclid, Thucydides).

Plato

412-415 CH08-868874 1/6/05 6:00 AM Page 412

Aesop’s Fables

Fables are short tales with the purpose of teach-ing a lesson. The most famous author of Greekfables is Aesop. His fables were passed down byword of mouth for hundreds of years before finallybeing collected into written volumes.

The Father and His SonsA FATHER had a family of sons who were

perpetually quarreling among themselves.When he failed to heal their disputes by hisexhortations, he determined to give them apractical illustration of the evils of disunion;and for this purpose he one day told them tobring him a bundle of sticks. When they haddone so, he placed the [bundle of sticks] intothe hands of each of them in succession, andordered them to break it in pieces. They triedwith all their strength, and were not able to doit. He next . . . took the sticks separately, oneby one, and again put them into his sons'hands, upon which they broke them easily. Hethen addressed them in these words: “Mysons, if you are of one mind, and unite toassist each other, you will be as this [bundle ofsticks], uninjured by all the attempts of yourenemies; but if you are divided among your-selves, you will be broken as easily as thesesticks.”

The Wolf and the LambWOLF, meeting with a Lamb astray from

the fold, resolved not to lay violent hands onhim, but to find some plea to justify to theLamb the Wolf’s right to eat him. He thusaddressed him: “Sirrah, last year you grosslyinsulted me.”“Indeed,” bleatedthe Lamb in amournful tone ofvoice, “I was notthen born.” Thensaid the Wolf, “Youfeed in my pasture.”“No, good sir,”replied the Lamb, “Ihave not yet tastedgrass.” . . . Uponwhich the Wolfseized him and atehim up, saying“Well! I won’t remain supperless, even thoughyou refute every one of my imputations.” Thetyrant will always find a pretext for histyranny.

—Aesop’s Fables, George Fyler Townsend, trans.

CHAPTER 8 • Greek Civilization 413

The Republic of Plato

1. Why do you think the best ruler is someonewho does not want power?

2. Why does Plato believe that philosopherswould make the best rulers?

3. What kind of men make the worst rulers?

Aesop ’s Fables

4. Explain the moral of the first fable.

5. Explain the moral of the second fable.

6. Give a modern example of the moral of thefirst fable.

Read to Write7. Explain how Aesop’s fables are related to

creating a strong government. Do you thinkPlato would have agreed with the morals inAesop’s fables? Why? CA HR5.

Aesop

412-415 CH08-868874 1/6/05 6:01 AM Page 413

Critical Thinking18. Understanding Cause and Effect How

did the Peloponnesian War weaken theGreek states?

19. Analyze Why would knowing the circum-ference of Earth have been helpful to theGreeks?

20. Compare How was religion in ancientGreece similar to religion in ancient Egypt?

21. Analyze Why do you think the develop-ment of written history is important?

Geography SkillsStudy the map below and answer the follow-ing questions.22. Location Analyze the location of the

Hellenistic kingdoms. What present-daycountries control territory that was con-trolled by the Seleucid empire?

23. Human/Environment InteractionWhich kingdom do you think was the mostdifficult to govern based on its geography?

CA CS3.

CA CS3.

CA 6RL3.0

CA 6RC2.2

CA 6RC2.0

CA HI2.

Review Content Vocabulary1. Write a brief paragraph that defines and

compares the following terms.

epic fable myth

Decide if each statement is True or False.

2. An oracle was a shrine Greeks visitedto receive prophecies.

3. Sophists were professional teachers.

4. The death of Socrates marks the begin-ning of the Hellenistic Era.

5. Astronomers study stars, planets, andother heavenly bodies.

6. Euclid developed plane geometry.

Review the Section 1 • The Culture of Ancient Greece

7. What did the Greeks believe about theirgods and goddesses?

8. How did the Greeks use poetry and fablesto teach values?

9. What are two types of Greek dramas?

10. What did Greek art and architectureexpress?

Section 2 • Greek Philosophy and History11. How have the ideas of Greek philoso-

phers influenced our world today?12. Why are Greek historians so important?

Section 3 • Alexander the Great13. Which leader united the Greek states?

14. What are the two main accomplishmentsof Alexander the Great?

Section 4 • The Spread of Greek Culture15. Why were Hellenistic cities important?

16. In what fields did Hellenistic scientistsmake advances?

17. What new power arose in theMediterranean and threatened Greece?

414 CHAPTER 8 • Greek Civilization

Standard WH6.4

500 km0Azimuthal Equal-Area projection

500 mi.0

40°N

40°E

20°E

Mediterranean Sea

Black Sea

Red Sea

Euphrates R.

TigrisR

.

Nile

R.

Crete Cyprus

ASIA MINOR

Pella

Pergamum

Alexandria

Seleucia

Hellenistic World

KEYEgyptian kingdomMacedonian kingdomPergamum kingdomSeleucid kingdom

412-415 CH08-868874 1/6/05 6:02 AM Page 414

Select the best answer for eachof the following questions.

The Iliad and the Odyssey are

A two ships that traveled to Troy.B poems by Aesop.C epics by Homer.D Greek comedies performed in

outdoor theaters.

What do Sophists, Socrates,Plato, and Aristotle have incommon?

A All were Greek philosophers.B They agreed that democracy

was the best system of govern-ment.

C They were pupils of Libanius.D They all wrote histories.

32

31

Read to Write24. Understanding Cultures As

Hellenistic cities became centers of learn-ing and trade, they were influenced byGreek culture. Write a three-paragraphessay describing how Greek cultureaffected people in the Hellenistic Era.

25. Using Your Review the develop-ments in early Greece that you listed onyour foldable. Using numbers, rank eachdevelopment from the most valuable to theleast valuable. Explain the reason for yourhighest and lowest ranking.

Using Academic Vocabulary26. Review the list of words below. Write a

paragraph that uses all of these words inthe past tense. Then rewrite that sameparagraph using the words in the presentand future tenses.

grant achieveconflict lecturereject major

Linking Past and Present27. Expository Writing The Nobel Prize is

awarded yearly to people who have madegreat achievements. Do research to find outmore about the award. Then choose oneGreek philosopher, writer, scientist, or leaderyou think deserves the Nobel Prize. Write ashort speech to explain why. Present yourspeech to the class.

Economics Connection28. Writing Research Reports The vast

empire established during the reign ofAlexander the Great allowed many differentcultures and people to more easily reach oneanother. Write a research report that explainshow this joining of cultures affected theeconomies of people in the empire. Use evi-dence from your local library and theInternet to support your position.

Reviewing Skills

29. Visualizing Using the visual-izing techniques that were introduced in thischapter, create a story describing Alexanderthe Great’s soldiers during their marchacross Iran’s southern desert. Reread page401 to help you visualize the scene. Writeyour story from a soldier’s point of view.Use visualization to help you describe thesetting of the story.

30. Building a Time Line Usinginformation from the chapter, create a timeline that shows the major authors, artists,and philosophers of ancient Greece. Includeeach person’s most important contributionsand works. CA CS2.

CA 6WA2.1

CA 6WA2.3

CA 6WA2.5

CA CS1.

CA CS3.

CHAPTER 8 • Greek Civilization 415

Self-Check Quiz To help you prepare forthe Chapter test, visit ca.hss.glencoe.com

412-415 CH08-868874 7/12/05 9:34 PM Page 415