Western Civilization IHIS-101

Unit 4 – Late Classical and Hellenistic Greece

Sparta in Charge After 404 BCE, Sparta was the superior power

in Greece Took on a policy of “what was good for Sparta was

good for everyone else” Very heavy handed to the other Greek poleis They were overextended so endured helot revolts

Sparta began planning a war against Persia Hope was to unify Greece again as a way of

maintaining its position Plan was to recover Ionia which was lost during the

Peloponnesian War Persians offered economic aid to those who

fought Sparta Athens, Thebes, Corinth, and Argos all accepted

Corinthian War (395-387 BCE) Corinthian War (395-387 BCE)

Between the Athenian coalition and Sparta The coalition quickly won key battles because of their

naval superiority Athens was able to regain old Delian League territory Persia did not like this and withdrew its support in

392 BCE Persians gave economic aid to Sparta instead Spartan was then able to easily defeated the coalition Athens sued for peace in 387 BCE

Peace of Antalcidas (387 BCE) Negotiated between Persia, Athens, and Sparta Athens had to give up control of the Aegean Persia got to keep Ionia as well as Cyprus

Coin of Artaxerxes II of Persia

Trouble for Sparta After the, Sparta kept up its harsh policies

“Dangerous” poleis were dismantled into smaller units Thebes became a “hot spot” for Sparta

It started as an ally to Sparta but joined the Athenian coalition

After the war, they allied with Sparta again Seizing Thebes (382 BCE)

Spartan general, Phoebidas, was travelling by Thebes He placed troops in Thebes citing civil unrest Seized the acropolis and forced out any anti-Spartan

factions Exiled Thebans turned to Athens for help Inside of Thebes, resistance formed under

Epaminondas, politician and military leader

Epaminondas (c. 404-362 BCE)

Theban Dominance In 379 BCE, the Thebans led a coup against the

Spartans Drove out the Spartan troops Executed the pro-Spartan politicians Sparta tried to retake the city three times over the next

seven years but failed The Sacred Band of Thebes

This was a fighting force organized of 150 homosexual couples

The logic behind it was that lovers would fight side by side more fiercely

The inspiration came from Plato who argued that lovers would not surrender: “He would be ready to die a thousand deaths rather than endure this [embarrassment]. Or who would desert his beloved or fail him in the hour of danger?”

Theban Dominance Battle of Leuctra (371 BCE)

Key battle between Thebes and Sparta Thebans cleanly defeated Spartans

Theban troops then traveled to Messenia There they set the helots free These were people who had been enslaved for

over 200 years Thebes became the dominant power until 362

BCE This was when Epaminondas was killed in the

Battle of Mantinea

Extent of Theban Power (c. 362 BCE)

Economic Crisis All the wars led to economic crises in all the

poleis Many lost their wealth and their homes Crops and orchards had been destroyed

Damage to the olive trees and grapevines Standard of living dropped dramatically

Wages were stagnant but prices increased as much as 50%

Taxes were increased to rebuild the city funds Unemployment was very high

Many soldiers were forced to become mercenaries while others became bandits

Plato (429-349

BCE)

Philosophy and the Polis In late Classical Period, philosophers changed their

focus They turned to the discussion of the ideal form of

government Two major philosophers: Plato and Aristotle

Knew there was something wrong with 4th century BCE polis Both attempted to come up with ways to fix it

Plato (429-349 BCE) Was originally a student of Socrates Wanted to prove Socrates’ innocence after his trial and

death Set up the Academy in 387 BCE Plato wrote the dialogues: the Phaedo, the Symposium, and

the Republic

Plato (429-349 BCE) Doctrine of Ideas

Things were relative but that should not be the foundation of philosophy

Believed in a higher, spiritual realm where there are eternal forms, or Ideas, that are unchanging

The Ideas are true reality but only our mind can grasp the Ideas, not our senses

Therefore you cannot trust the material world Ideas include objects but also more complex Ideas

such as beauty and justice The material world is a shadow of the real world What we see are copies of the Ideas, a shadow of

them Highest Idea was Good which could be achieved by

leading a virtuous life

Plato (429-349 BCE) In politics: social harmony is more important

than liberty or equality Leadership was based on a meritocracy

Believed that society was divided into three tiers: The Producers – These are the ones who are

responsible for keeping society running The Guardians – These are the ones who are

responsible for protecting society The Philosopher Kings – The one(s) responsible for

ruling the state based on Ideas of virtue and goodness

Aristotle (384-322

BCE)

Aristotle (384-322 BCE) Aristotle (384-322 BCE)

Aristotle had been a student of Plato Did not ignore the material world He in a compromise between Platonism and pure

materialism He wrote about teleology

The universe is in a constant state of motion Everything is moving towards its ultimate perfected

form (telos) Had a different view towards politics than Plato

Plato saw government as a means to an end (the Idea of Good)

Aristotle saw it as the end itself, the “good life”

Aristotle (384-322 BCE) Politics allowed humanity to fully use its rational

thought Women were not allowed to participate in government He also believed “barbarians” were not fully human

and should be kept as slaves Best government: combination monarchy,

aristocracy, and democracy Use a checks and balances system Allow men to realize their full rational potential

Both Plato and Aristotle tried to fix the problems of the polis They were not practical for the time Athens and Thebes were too big for the ideal polis The best option was to turn poleis into small,

agricultural states

Greek World c. 359 BCE

Rise of Macedonia To the north Macedonia was rising in power

Ignored by the Greeks Macedonians were “barbarians”

Perdiccas I (700-678 BCE) Historians believe he organized the Macedonian state Founded Argead dynasty Direct descendants of Hercules according to legend

Early Macedonia A conglomerate of rural tribes with no city-states

Archelaus (c. 413-399) Organized into a kingdom Faced numerous threats from outside Constantly on the brink of collapse

Rise of Macedonia Alexander II (370-368 BCE)

Struggled to keep the throne Forced into an alliance with Thebes Was forced to send a number of hostages to

secure alliance Philip was one of Alexander’s brothers

Sent to Thebes between 368 and 365 BCE Thebes was dominant during this time Observed the latest Greek military developments,

including the Sacred Band Developed a love of Greek culture When Philip returned, discovered Alexander had

been assassinated

Rise of Macedonia Perdiccas III (368-359 BCE)

Philip’s next oldest brother Philip rebuilt the army based on the Greek model In 359 BCE, Perdiccas was killed in battle against

the Illyrians Amyntas IV (359 BCE)

Perdiccas’ infant son Philip became his regent Soon after, Philip took the throne for himself

Macedonia was on the brink of collapse Threats from both Illyria and Thebes Internal struggles Pretenders to the throne

Philip II (359-336 BCE)

Philip II (359-336 BCE) Main focus was reorganizing the military Two parts to the military:

The Companions – Nobility made up this elite cavalry The Phalanx – Made up of trained peasants and

shepherds Different from the Greek phalanx

Used a sarissa, a spear approximately 18 feet long When held vertically by the rear guard, it helped to

hide the maneuvers taking place behind the phalanx from the enemy

When held horizontal by the front rows of the phalanx, it was an 18 foot long piercing weapon

By the spring of 358 BCE, Philip had amassed a 10,000 man army and 600 man cavalry

Macedonian Phalanx

Philip II (359-336 BCE) Securing power

Philip quickly defeated all pretenders to the throne Defeated the Illyrians Secured a number of alliances through marriage Had seven wives over the course of his life

Once Macedonia was secure, Philip was able to focus on his next objective: Persia Persia was the biggest threat to Macedonia He needed a clear land path to Persia through

Thrace This was going to lead to conflict with Greece,

especially Athens

Philip II (359-336 BCE) Philip wanted the city of Amphipolis

Would secure his eastern border but gain a route to Thrace

Very wealthy city as the deposit for the gold and silver mines of the region

However, Athens was in control of the city at the time Social War (357-355 BCE)

Between Second Athenian Empire and some of its allies

Chios, Rhodes, and Cos attempted to break away from the Empire

This meant that Athens was distracted In 357 BCE, Philip took the city

Athens was infuriated but could do nothing

Philip II (359-336 BCE) Philip offered to trade Amphipolis for the port

city of Pydna Athens agreed but Philip decided to keep both of

the cities In 356 BCE, Philip conquered Crenides

This meant he would be a threat to the Thracians Area was rich in precious ore He renamed the city Philippi

In 355 BCE, he lay siege to the port city of Methone Athens was in no shape to intervene The city fell in 354 BCE

Philip II (359-336 BCE) Third Sacred War (356-346 BCE)

War between the Theban led Delphic Amphictyonic League and Phocis

The League imposed a heavy fine on Phocis for “cultivating sacred land”

Thebes wanted to invaded Phocis Phocians refused to pay, attacked Delphi, and raided

the treasury of the Temple of Apollo All of this was considered sacrilege Thebes now had legal and religious reasons to attack

Phocis All of Greece took one of the two sides in the war Athens joined Thebes but could not be very effective

Philip II (359-336 BCE) Philip was able to use the conflict to secure

his own interests Larissa and Thebes turned to him for help He was able to take Thessaly in northern Greece

in 352 BCE By the end of 346 BCE, the major powers of

Greece were greatly weakened Philip emerged at the dominant leader

Greeks reaction to Philip was mixed One side saw him a ruthless barbarian who was

poised to invade Greece Others saw him as a possible savior

Philip II (359-336 BCE) In 345, Philip went to war with Illyria

Was able to secure that border In 342, he turned to Thrace

Removed the king there In 340 BCE, he lay siege to Byzantium and

Perinthos Both of these controlled the straits to the Black Sea Philip needed control to get to Persia

This angered Athens so they made an alliance with the two cities They organized an alliance including Thebes and

Boetia They declared war on Philip in 339 BCE

Demosthenes (384-322 BCE)

Philip II (359-336 BCE) Fourth Sacred War (339-338 BCE)

Between Philip and the Greek alliance Largest battle took place at Chaeronea

Battle of Chaeronea (August 22, 338 BCE) Philip had half his army: 30,000 infantry and 2,000

cavalry Alliance had a combined force of 35,000 Philip won 5,000 Athenians were killed compared to the

3,800 Macedonians Only 46 of the Theban Sacred Band survived

Philip II (359-336 BCE) With the Greeks defeated, Philip focused on peace

He wanted friendly neighbors to the south This way, he could focus his attention on Persia

Corinthian League Philip was the leader of the league and each state

remained autonomous States were not allowed to take up arms against any

other member of the league They were not allowed to break any agreements with

Philip The main purpose of the league was military Greeks were to provide military forces for the invasion

of Persia

Philip II (359-336 BCE) In 336 BCE, Philip then began planning the

invasion Sent advance troops out to Asia in the spring Planned on joining them that fall

In October 336 BCE, Philip was assassinated Took place at the celebration of his daughter’s

wedding The assassin, Pausanias, was a bodyguard of Philip’s

and supposedly a disgruntled lover Pausanias was caught soon after tripping over a vine

while escaping and was subsequently killed This left 20-year old son, Alexander III, with the

crown

Macedonia and its Territories (c. 336 BCE)

Alexander III (336-323 BCE)

Alexander the Great (336-323 BCE) The Legend

He was a legend not only amongst his own people but scholars as well

This makes it is very difficult to distinguish between fact and legend

During Alexander’s life, he was seen as almost god-like and many exaggerated stories were attributed to him

He viewed himself as a direct descendant of Hercules The facts

Successfully spread Greek culture and influence throughout the Near East all the way to Pakistan and Afghanistan

Expanded Greek power to never before seen heights

Alexander the Great (336-323 BCE) Early training

Under the tutelage of Aristotle (343-340 BCE) Philip trained him for kingship In 340 BCE, when Philip went away to battle,

Alexander was left in charge as regent Alexander was also brought along on military

campaigns At the Battle of Chaeronea, Alexander was given

control of the cavalry This prepared him for aspects of both ruling a

kingdom and being a military commander When he ascended to the throne, Alexander

needed to quickly assert his authority

Alexander the Great (336-323 BCE) Securing Macedonian borders

Subordinated the Thracians along the Danube River This cleared the path to Persia Killed all potential rivals to the throne He defeated the Illyrians who attempted to invade

Macedonia Trouble in Greece

A number of poleis revolted after hearing of Philip’s death

They were quickly put down In 335 BCE, Demosthenes lied stating that Alexander

had died in battle This sparked more revolts in both Athens and Thebes

Alexander the Great (336-323 BCE) Alexander went to Thebes first

He made it to the city in less than two weeks He completely destroyed the city Its territories were given to other Boeotian cities All of its citizens were either executed (6,000) or

sold into slavery (30,000) Athens and the other cities submitted to

Alexander Part of the negotiations included giving ships and

men to help conquer Persia Borders were secure so now he could move on

to Persia

Greek mosaic of Darius III

Conquest of Persia Persia was no longer the great power it had been

For the past two decades, it had be riddled with internal strife

Under the control of Darius III, it was not as strong as it used to be

Alexander still some key issues to deal with: Persia was weaker but it was still a strong state with a

strong military His navy was inferior to the Persian one He did not have enough money to fund such an

extensive campaign This meant quick victories and living off the countryside

to get the resources they needed to continue

Conquest of Persia Invasion began in 334 BCE

Started in Asia Minor Alexander had over 30,000 infantry troops Half were Macedonian The rest came from the Greek allies or were

mercenaries He also had 5,000 cavalry

His first stop was in Troy At the time it was known as Illum Paid tribute to Homer whom he had idolized Supposedly, he kept a copy of the Illiad along with

a dagger under his pillow at night

Conquest of Persia Battle at Granicus River (May 334 BCE)

First battle against the Persians Crossed the river at nighttime Attacked the Persian troops at dawn during their

morning rituals This was a major victory for him

By the spring of 333 BCE, Alexander had “liberated” the Ionian Greeks He had freed them of Persian control, but stepped

in as their new ruler He also controlled the western half of Asia Minor

Conquest of Persia Battle of Issus (November 333 BCE)

Persian troops were led by Darius III He had only 40,000 troops while the Persians had

100,000 Alexander used the geography to his advantage: a

narrow field surrounded on three sides by mountains This negated the difference in numbers Darius fled the battle early on Alexander captured his family

Alexander’s field marshal, Parmenio, raided Darius’ treasury in Damascus Seized over 55 tons of gold and of silver He captured numerous servants and all of the women

who had lived at Darius' court Required over 7,000 pack animals to carry all of the

loot

Conquest of Persia Alexander used the gold and silver to mint new

coins in his image Darius attempted to negotiate a peace with

Alexander Alexander would be able to keep western Asia Minor

in return for Darius’ family Parmenion supposedly said “'I would accept it, if I

were Alexander.”   “So would I,” replied Alexander, “if I were

Parmenion.” Alexander refused

In his reply to Darius, he wrote “send to me as king of Asia; do not write to me as an equal, but state your demands to the master of all your possessions”

Coin of Alexander the Great

Conquest of Persia Alexander next conquered the Levant

Including the port cities of Tyre and Gaza Cut off the Persian navy from the Mediterranean

Capture of Egypt (November 332 BCE) Took control of Egypt without a fight He took the title of pharaoh He also built his first city to be named after him

(Alexandria) Darius then offered a new treaty which would

give Alexander: All lands west of the Euphrates River A large ransom for the return of Darius’ family Darius’ daughter for a bride

Conquest of Persia Alexander refused

He believed that he could take the territory himself anyways

Also, if he accepted, he would have to constantly worry about securing his frontiers from the Persians

After a few month’s rest, Alexander then moved his troops into the Near East

Battle at Gaugamela (October 331 BCE) Alexander was outnumber approximately 90,000 to

40,000 Darius had chosen the battlefield: a wide, open plain,

good for the Persian chariots Alexander managed to break the Persian line and win

the battle Darius once again fled the battle Alexander chased him for three days

Ivory relief depicting the Battle of Gaugamela

Capture of Darius Alexander then went on to take the cities of

Babylon and Susa The Babylonians gave him the title “king of the

world” In January 330 BCE, he took the Persian capital

at Persepolis Alexander allowed his troops to loot the cities for

themselves The city was burned to the ground in retaliation for

the burning of Athens in 480 BCE At this point, he gave himself the title King of Asia

Darius fled to the satrapy of Bactria (modern Afghanistan)

Capture of Darius When Darius he arrived in Bactria, he was

promptly arrested by the satrap Bessus Bessus attempted to negotiate Darius’ fate with

Alexander Alexander was in a tough spot

If he took Darius from Bessus, he would have to grant independence to the satrapy

If he had Darius killed, he would never win the loyalty of the Persians

If he did not kill Darius, he would remain a threat Alexander opted to not negotiate with Bessus

Instead, he sent his troops further west towards Bactria

Capture of Darius In July 330 BCE, Bessus had Darius murdered

He then crowned himself as Artaxerxes V of Persia Led a resistance movement against Alexander

Bessus was captured by Alexander in 329 BCE Alexander had his ears and nose cut off There was Persian precedence for this Then he was given to Darius’ brother, Oxyathres

Bessus was crucified in the summer 329 BCE Oxyathres put in orders to the guards to keep the

vultures away Tied to Zoroastrianism: the dead must be

devoured by the birds to move on into the afterlife Darius was given a state burial by Alexander

The Punishment of Bessus by Andre Castaigne (c.1898)

Move into India Capturing the rest of Persia (329-327 BCE)

Alexander was focused on capturing what was left of Persia

Faced intense guerrilla warfare in Bactria and Sogdiana

By 327 BCE, he had complete control of Persia Alexander next pushed into India Battle of Hydaspes – (May 326 BCE)

Faced King Porus of India First time Alexander saw elephants in battle Alexander defeated and captured Porus’ Then made him satrap of his own kingdom Alexander also lost his horse during this battle and

named a city, Bucephala, after it

Battle of Hydaspes by Andre Castaigne (c.1911)

Return Home Alexander reached the Beas River in July 326 BCE By this point, Alexander’s troops refused to go

any farther They were exhausted from years of fighting There was no real plan after they defeated Persia

Alexander did agree to return home grudgingly He claimed he saw some bad omens, including an

eclipse of the moon Met heavy resistance traveling down the Indus

River Faced numerous battles with the local populations In one battle, Alexander was pierced through the lung

with an arrow

Return Home His troops traveled through the Gedrosian Desert

It was the one time of the year it was passable Took 60 days and suffered heavy losses

By May 323 BCE, Alexander returned to Babylon Started making plans for Caspian Sea and northern

Africa On June 10, 323 BCE, Alexander died

He was weak from numerous wounds and had a fever Modern speculation includes malaria, typhoid fever, or

meningitis Treatment included hellebore, a poisonous herb He consumed large amounts of alcohol over his

lifetime He was only 32 years old

Empire of Alexander the Great

Alexander’s Legacy Alexander ushered in the Hellenistic Era

Hellenistic means “to imitate Greeks” Marked a new era of Greek expansion of land and of

culture Alexander’s ideal was to blend the two cultures

Adopted many aspects of Persian culture Hired Persians as administrators Encouraged his men to marry Persian women Trained the Persians in Greek military tactics

He did set up new cities throughout his empire Many named after himself (Alexandria) Set up like a Greek polis and became the center of

Greek culture Supported the blending of the two cultures

Alexander’s Legacy His conquests also had a huge impact on

Greece itself Brought large amounts of gold and silver into

both Macedonia and Greece Helped stimulate the economy and create new

jobs Policies set precedents for future rulers

A strong monarchy backed by a strong military Showed an international army can be successful Transformed a solely Macedonian army into a truly

international one This army also showed loyalty only to him

Philip Arridaeus (c.356-317

BCE)

The Diadochi Huge power struggle after Alexander’s death

Between all of the possible successors (diadochi) Who should inherit the Empire? Alexander’s unborn child

Roxana was pregnant at the time of Alexander’s death

If the baby was a boy, he would be the legitimate heir This was led by Perdiccas, and the cavalry

Philip Arridaeus He was Alexander’s half-brother He was epileptic and supposedly “feeble-minded” This side was led by Meleager and the infantry

Wars of the Diadochi A compromise was made:

Philip Arridaeus would become king (Philip III) If Roxana gave birth to a son, he would co-rule with Philip Perdiccas would be the Regent Meleager would be his Lieutenant

Perdiccas did not want to share power Meleager murdered as well as other leaders of the

infantry He then went on to take full control of the empire

His supporters gained key positions throughout the empire

This included receiving their own satrapies He also had to put down revolts in Greece

Wars of the Diadochi Many did not like Perdiccas seizing power for himself

They united together against him and then against each other

Wars of the Diadochi (322-301 BCE) Four separate wars Struggles for power in various regions throughout the

empire Even though In 321 BCE, Perdiccas was murdered in 321

BCE, the remaining diadochi still fought for control Both Philip III and the young Alexander IV were killed

Why did Alexander’s empire fall? No one person strong enough to hold the empire together Some wanted to keep the empire together There were others who wanted to regain their

independence

Characteristics of Hellenistic Kingdoms The Hellenistic kingdoms were monarchies

Relatively new political system to the Greeks Most Greeks associated kingship with “barbarians” Held power through the use of military force

The ruling class was primarily of Greeks and Macedonians Only 2.5% of those who held power were non-Greeks Most of those were in the military Those in power prevented natives from being promoted

The armies consisted mainly of the phalanx and cavalry Some kings had armies as large as 60,000 Began using elephants as the “tanks of ancient

warfare” Development of new siege machinery (e.g., ballista)

Characteristics of Hellenistic Kingdoms There was the development of expansive trade routes

Due to Alexander’s conquests They went from Greece to the Persian Gulf and India Traded gold, silver, iron, gems, dyes, salt, elephants, and

slaves This brought a large amount of money through heavy

taxation There was the development of a money economy

Began with Alexander plundering the treasury at Damascus Most of the gold and silver was melted down into new Greek

coins Led to the development of banks—owned by both individuals

and the states—which gave out loans and took in deposits

Characteristics of Hellenistic Kingdoms Kingdoms also had those who were very poor

Agriculture was still the primary occupation Many citizens lived and worked on their own properties Some even had slaves to assist them They did not reap the benefits of the new trading system The poorest farmers suffered under the heavy taxation

There was a growth in the building of new cities More than 200 new cities were built Became massive centers for Greek politics and culture Migration was encouraged by the rulers Greeks artisans and merchants were brought in

Characteristics of Hellenistic Kingdoms Many Greeks did migrate throughout the kingdoms

Between 325-225 BCE, the population of mainland Greece declined by half

Many left to seek new jobs and fortunes in the new cities The Hellenistic polis was quite different than the

original Did try to recreate the polis, but this did not work as well Were not the autonomous city-states found on in Greece Depended heavily upon the Hellenistic monarchies Could not conduct their own foreign policy Were forced to pay tribute to the monarchs Were larger and much more cosmopolitan

Characteristics of Hellenistic Kingdoms There was a sense of “Greekness” that spread

throughout the kingdoms The citizens no longer had an intimate connection

with the politics of the polis Rather they saw themselves as “citizens of the

world” Even language was similar with the spread of the

koiné, which meant “common tongue” By 275 BCE, three main Hellenistic kingdoms

emerged Each had a blending of Greek and non-Greek culture Each were also very distinct and unique Each faced constant warfare Each struggle between the new Greco-Macedonian

ruling class and the native populations

Antigonid Macedonia Macedonia suffered from instability in the

years following Alexander’s death Did not enjoy the same type of wealth as the other

Hellenistic kingdoms had Remained politically unstable until 277 BCE

Antigonus II (277-239 BCE) Considered the start of the Hellenistic dynasty in

Macedonia Saw himself as a stoic leader Secured his borders in Macedonia while the other

diadochi fought for power Secured control for the Antigonid dynasty

Hellenistic Greece There were two powerful leagues in Greece:

Aetolian League in central Greece Achaean League in Peloponnesus

Wanted Greek freedom and war against the Macedonian “barbarians”

Not just defensive leagues Sense of unity Each had a unified centralized government Each of the member poleis participated in

government affairs All members had equal standing inside the league All held joint citizenship

First voluntary cooperation Was not forced upon them due to war or an outside

ruler

Ptolemy I (305-283

BCE)

Ptolemaic Egypt Ptolemy was appointed as satrap of Egypt in 323

BCE He had been one of Alexander’s generals He received the position as one of Perdiccas’

supporters Perdiccas was going to soon regret that decision

Ptolemy was in possession of Alexander’s corpse Through Macedonian tradition a king asserted his

right to the throne by burying the body of his predecessor

Ptolemy preempted Perdiccas from doing so by stealing the corpse and moving it to Memphis

Ptolemy also aligned himself with the side against Perdiccas

Ptolemaic Egypt First War of the Diadochi (322-320 BCE)

As part of this, Perdiccas tried to take Egypt back His troops had a hard time crossing the crocodile

infested Nile This, plus the harsh conditions under his rule, led to

a mutiny his troops He was murdered by his officers in 321 BCE

Ptolemy I (305-283 BCE) On November 7, 305 BCE, he openly became

pharaoh of the newly independent Egyptian kingdom

The Ptolemaic dynasty ruled Egypt until the death of Cleopatra VII in 30 BCE All of his male descendents took the name Ptolemy

Ptolemaic Egypt The first 80 years of the Ptolemaic dynasty were

very prosperous The Ptolemaic Era is characteristic of the

Hellenistic era The blend of Greek and non-Greek culture (Egyptian)

Alexandria became the capital of Egypt Became an important cultural and intellectual city Included the Alexandria museum and library It replaced Athens as the center of scholarship

Kings embraced Egyptian life and culture They built many temples for the Egyptian gods They also took on the persona of pharaoh in their

dress and mannerisms

Ptolemaic Egypt At the same time, the kings also retained much of

the Greek life Alexandria was fashioned in the Greek style The kings also held Greek festivals

The Egyptian Greeks had special privileges Subject to Greek laws Considered Greek citizens Received a Greek education

The Egyptians were not allowed into the Greek society

From 222 to 30 BCE, the Ptolemaic dynasty went into decline because of corruption and inept rulers

Seleucus (358-281

BCE)

Seleucid Asia Seleucus (c.358-281 BCE)

He was a low ranking officer under Alexander One of the officers who killed Perdiccas in Egypt

In 321 BCE, he was appointed satrap of Babylon This was a reward for betraying Perdiccas Unfortunately, he would not hold on to this In 316, he was forced to flee to Egypt during the

Second War of the Diadochi From 316-312 BCE, he allied with Ptolemy From 311-302 BCE, he worked to reclaim the

eastern part of the empire for himself

Seleucid Asia Seleucus I Nicator (305-385 BCE)

In 305 BCE, he named himself king By 281 BCE, he had control of all of Alexander’s former

empire in Asia He found it very difficult to control the eastern territories He settled a peace agreement with the Indians He returned their territories east of the Indus River for

peace and some war elephants He planned to invade Macedonia and Greece He was assassinated by the King of Macedonia Ptolemy

Keraunos in 281 BCE Seleucid’s successors had troubles holding the

empire In 262 BCE, they lost control of the western half of Asia

Minor In 255 BCE, they lost Bactria

Seleucid Asia Still, it continued to be a strong and very wealthy

kingdom Fusion of Greek and non-Greek cultures (Persian)

Antiochus I, Seleucus’ son, was half-Persian In the west, the population was heavily Greek In the east, it was more Persian

Government and new cities were Greek in nature This attracted Greeks to the kingdom Became thriving trade centers which brought wealth

to the Seleucid dynasty The Seleucid Empire lasted until 63 BCE

Epicurus (341-270 BCE)

Hellenistic Philosophy Hellenistic philosophy began after the death

of Aristotle Athens remained the center of philosophy Focus was now on more individualistic goals Three main schools dominated:

Epicureans Stoics Skeptics

Both Epicureanism and Stoicism sought ataraxia, or peace of mind However the methods were very different

Epicureanism Epicurus (341-270 BCE)

He founded his school, The Garden, in Athens He allowed women and slaves to attend

Work was based on Democritus (c.460–c.370 BCE) A pre-Socratic philosopher Theory of “atomism” - the universe is made up of

small indestructible, invisible atoms Epicurus believed that every person is a

fortuitous blending of atoms with no ultimate purpose The gods played no role in this whatsoever If there is no ultimate purpose to life, the highest

good would be the pursuit of pleasure

Epicureanism Pleasure included:

Pleasure in the physical sense, but in moderation Pleasure of the mind, serenity of the soul,

specifically freedom from anxiety and pain All that is good comes from pleasure, all that

is bad comes from pain He saw this as the basis of all moral distinction

How to be happy? Center our lives around friendship Avoid politics (it tends to lead to pain) Overall, live wisely and enjoy life Included not pursuing power or wealth (it will bring

pain)

Zeno of Citium (335-263 BCE)

Stoicism Zeno (335-263 BCE)

He lectured from the Painted Portico (Stoa Poikile) in Athens

He believed that the cosmos was ordered Accepting one’s fate is the best path to happiness

Includes the knowledge that order is good With this comes the serenity of the mind

Sought to achieve apatheia or absence of passion Use rational judgment to clear their minds of “passions”

(emotional problems) Done through concentration, reflection, and the study of

logic By mastering these methods one could achieve inner

peace Encouraged participation in government (exercise one’s

mind)

Skepticism Carneades (c.214–c.129)

If our senses are inaccurate, then all of our knowledge must be false

There are absolute truths but humans do not have the capabilities to discover those truths

We can give impressions of what something is but we cannot know what they really are

This means we cannot know what is right or wrong, what the supernatural consists of, or what the meaning of life is

Happiness is found by suspending judgment This includes ending the pursuit of discovering what

truth is No more arguments about what is “right” or “wrong”

Carneades (c.214–c.129)

Hellenistic Religion Greeks brought their religion to the Hellenistic

kingdoms It was based on ritual Over time lost their popularity

In its place, there was a rise in religious cults More personal compared to the civic-based Greek religion Found mainly in the eastern part of the kingdoms

The mystery cults rose in popularity during this period They had secret initiations and rites Believed in a path to salvation and eternal life based on a

union with god or goddess who had died and been reborn Usually included highly emotional experiences and

elaborate rituals

Dionysus

Cults of Isis and Dionysus Cult of Isis was one of the more popular mystery

cults Isis was the one who brought Osiris back from the dead It was also believed she was the one who brought law

and letters to mankind Very powerful cult in Egypt and became very popular in

Greek circles Cult of Dionysus

Based on the Greek god Dionysus Every year at winter, the Titans would kill Dionysus by

tearing him to pieces He would then be reborn each spring Cult members would become heavily intoxicated,

partake in orgies, and supposedly tore at the flesh of animals to “relive” Dionysus’ death

Mithras slaying the bull

Cult of Mithras Cult of Mithras

Based in Zoroastrianism According to tradition, he was born of a virgin

mother at the winter solstice His birth signifies the rebirth of the sun at the

winter solstice He was born in a cave where he was attended to

by shepherds and given gifts He kills a bull and from the bull springs forth life

by bringing wine and food to mankind In the cult, part of the initiation includes killing a

bull Membership was limited to men only Very popular during the Roman era as well

Aristarchus of Samos (c.310-230 BCE)

Golden Age of Science During the Hellenistic period, science and

philosophy began to separate into two schools of thought

Aristarchus of Samos (c.310-230 BCE) He developed the heliocentric view of the universe However, most scientists at this time still believed

in the geocentric view Argued that the earth rotates on its own axis

Eratosthenes (c.275-194 BCE) He stated that the earth was round Calculated the earth’s circumference within 200

miles of the actual number using sundials

Golden Age of Science Euclid (c. 300 BCE)

Mathematician Elements laid out the fundamental elements of

geometry and became a standard text until modern times

Archimedes of Syracuse (287-212 BCE) Known for his geometric work on spheres and

cylinders Established the mathematical constant Pi Created the science of hydrostatics Discovered specific gravity

Golden Age of Medicine Also during this time period considerable

strides were made in the science of medicine Many physicians began using dissection and

vivisection to expand their knowledge Most of the medical advances made were done in

Alexandria where one of the greatest medical schools was founded

Hippocrates (c. 460- c.370 BCE) The “father of medicine” He believed that the body consisted of four

“humors” (blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phlegm)

Illness was due to an imbalance in the humors

Golden Age of Medicine Herophilus of Chalcedon (c.335-c.280 BCE)

One of the first to practice human dissection He had a detailed description of the brain and

believed it to be the seat of human intelligence Discovered that arteries functioned to move blood

from the heart to different parts of the body Erasistratus of Ceos (310-250 BCE)

Made many of his discoveries using vivisection He is known for his cardiovascular work Stated that the heart was not the center of the

nervous system but rather acted as a pump