hellenistic civilization 336-31 bce. which powerful monarchy ultimately united the greeks around 338...
TRANSCRIPT
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