ALEXANDER & THE HELLENISTIC KINGDOMS
4-5
World History
THE THREAT OF MACEDONIA
“barbarians” to the north of Greece
338 BC, Philip II conquered Greece
Philip II wanted to unite with Greece to defeat the Persian Empire
ALEXANDER THE GREAT
20 years old when became king of Macedonia
Ruled 335-323 BC
Prepared by his father to become king
“People In History” pg 139
Map pg 140
“Alexandria”
India-return trip-poured out water
THE LEGACY OF ALEXANDER
Great military leader
Imitated Achilles of Homer’s Iliad
Gained large quantities of gold and silver-economic influence
Successors were monarchs-political influence
Greek language, architecture, literature, and art spread throughout Southwest Asia and the Near East-cultural influence
THE HELLENISTIC KINGDOMS
Hellenistic- “to imitate Greeks”
4 Kingdoms came from Alexander’s empire (map pg 141)• Macedonia• Syria• Pergamum• Egypt
Alexander planned to use Persians as officials, but his successors used Macedonians & Greeks
Cities spread Greek culture
HELLENISTIC CULTURE
Libraries:• Largest in the world at Alexandria, Egypt• 2nd largest in Pergamum
Architecture and Sculpture• New building in cities• Sculptors were patronized by kings & rich citizens
Literature• Appolonius of Rhodes wrote Argonautica• Theocritus wrote short poems showing a love of nature
HELLENISTIC CULTURE
Science• Aristarchus-sun at center of universe and earth rotates
around the sun• Eratosthenes-Earth is round and calculated
circumference at 24,675, only 185 miles off the actual figure
• Archimedes-geometry of spheres and cylinders & pi• Inventor
• Archimedes screw• Discovered specific gravity- “Eureka” (I have found it!)• Levers
HELLENISTIC CULTURE
Philosophy• Athens remained the center of Greek philosophy• Epicureanism-Epicurus
• Happiness is the goal of life• Social in friendship, but did not participate in politics
• Stoicism-Zeno• Happiness found when gain inner peace by living in
harmony with the will of God-whatever life offered• Public service is noble• The real stoic is a good citizen
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