his 101 chapter 4 the greek world expands 400-150 b.c.e. fall 2012
TRANSCRIPT
THE GREEK WORLD EXPANDS400-150 B.C.E .
Chapter 4
The Rise of Macedonia
Philip II of Macedonia (382-336 B.C.E)
Philip II (R. 359-336 B.C.E.)
Third and youngest son of King Amytas III Sent to Thebes as a hostage at 14.
Protégé of Epaminondas. Both older brothers died in battle.
Became king at age 34 . Named his son, born in 359, Alexandros (leader of
men). Through combination of war and diplomacy, Philip II
united Balkan kingdoms.
Philip II’s Army
Hoplite forceTheban organization “The Companions” and elite
cavalry squad Exclusive to nobility Provided Philip with hostages to keep nobility loyal Alexander and “The Companions” educated by Aristotle
who arrived at court in 343 B.C.E.Isocrates, leader of Athens saw Philip as ally
against Persia Athenians refused diplomatic efforts
Battle of Chaeronea in 338: Athens defeated, Theban “Sacred Band” destroyed.
Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.E.) [R. 336-323 B.C.E.]
Philip II was assassinated in 336 B.C.E.Alexander became King
Greeks called him “sacker of cities” Romans called him Alexander the Great
Plutarch & Alexander
Plutarch (46 B.C.E. -120 C.E.) Greek historian and Platonist philosopher who lived
during Roman Empire. Plutarch primarily interested in exploring the influence
of character on the lives of great leaders. Plutarch wrote Parallel Lives to compare the lives of
great leaders of Greeks and Macedonians with Roman leaders. Men of action and great deeds Referred to his sources (list of authorities)
Manuscripts of Parallel Lives date from 10th and 11th centuries C.E.
First modern edition published in Florence in 1517.
Alexander’s Conquests
Defeated Persia in 333 Destroyed capitol city of Persepolis Gave amnesty to cities that surrendered, slaughtered
civilians, soldiers and livestock of cities that did notInvaded and conquered Egypt in 322
Received as liberator from Persians Given double crown for Upper and Lower Egypt and
named Pharaoh Decided that Egypt would be capital of his empire and
founded the city of Alexandria Plans for library Never saw the city or the library
Alexander’s Empire
Final Campaigns
Invaded Afghanistan and barely managed to hold it
Moved down through Pakistan to the Indus valley of India
Defeated Indian warlord Porus at Battle of Hydaspes in 326 B.C.C.E.) Alexander’s army refused to continue
Died in 323 (likely malarial fever)
Alexander’s Idea of Governance
Following defeat of Persian Empire.Attempted to create cohesion by requiring
officers to marry Persian women Adopting Persian dress and customs
Planned to make Egypt center of his government
Did not interfere with local customs and culture
Hellenistic Kingdoms
Alexander’s legacy” “To the Strongest” Died without naming an heir
Turmoil till 275 B.C.E. Ptolemaic Egypt Seleucid Asia Antigonid Macedon and Greece
Western world ruled by Greco-Macedonians Returned to Greek customs and culture Hellenistic = “Greek-like” Cosmopolitan Empire
Hellenistic Kingdoms c. 303 B.C.E
Ptolemy’s Egypt
Ptolemy ( 367 B.C.E. – 283 B.C.E.) a General in Alexander’s army Perhaps his half-brother
Asked only for province of EgyptOversaw development of Alexandria as an
academic center Scientific and medical advances in anatomy,
astronomy, mechanical engineering and physicsFamily ruled for 300 yearsMale heirs called “Ptolemy” most sisters called
“Cleopatra”Followed Egyptian religious practices but spoke
only GreekMost successful of the Hellenistic Kingdoms
Ptolemy I
Seleucid Asia
Ruled by Seleucus (358-281 B.C.E.) immediately following Alexander’s death Wife was a Persian Ceded much of the Indus Valley to the warrior-king Chandragupta By mid third century B.C.E. Seleucids had lost most of Bactra
(Afghanistan) to local war lordsFollowing Seleucus’ death in 281 B.C.E. his son,
Antiochus succeeded him. Antiochus was half-Persian and ruled from the capitol, Antioch
Antiochus III lost the kingdom to the RomansAntiochus IV Epiphanes who desecrated the Jewish
temple in Jerusalem was great-great grandson of Seleucus
Coin showingSeleucus I
Seleucid Empire c. 200 B.C.E.
Antigonid Macedon & Greece
Macedonian homeland was highly unstable following Alexander’s death
276 B.C.E. General Antigonus (382 B.C.E. -301 B.C.E.) took control of Macedonia. Dominated trade in eastern Mediterranean Dominated Greece Most effective army in the Hellenistic world
Antigonus I
Rise of Stoicism under Antigonus
Zeno of Citium (335-263 B.C.E.) Stoics based on stoa a colonnade Cosmos is an ordered whole in which all
contradictions are resolved for ultimate good. Evil is relative: misfortunes are merely incidents that
will lead to the final perfection of the universe Everything that happens is pre-determined People are free only in the sense that they can accept
fate or rebel against it One can attain happiness (tranquility of mind)by
accepting that whatever happens must be for the best
Zeno of Citium
Implications of Stoic Philosophy
Political?Moral?Is this a philosophy that supports the
maintenance of the status quo?Positive implications?
Adaptation of Stoicism under Antigonus
Kingship is a form of noble servitude, to be endured rather than enjoyed
Refused to compete with Seleucids or the Ptolemies
Used “soft” power to keep them at war with each other and away from Macedonian sphere of influence
Greeks resented rule by Barbarians and created new form of political alliance to resist them
Aetolian League and Achaean League
Ancient form of Federalism Citizens of member poleis participated in councils of
state that dealt with foreign policy and military affairs Each poleis was admitted as an equal member All citizens of a member poleis was a citizen of the
league Applied common civil and criminal laws and judicial
procedures Common weights, measures, and coinage
Hellenistic Cosmopolis
By 300 B.C.E.Admired all things GreekCommon languageFueled by Greek emigration to major cities around
the former Alexandrian empire Greek homeland population decreased by 50%
Cities were connected by tradeInfrastructure spendingMigration of workers from rural areas to cities in
search of work, increased wealth, opportunitiesMilitaries of Hellenistic Kingdoms kept roads and sea
lanes relatively safe for trade
Ancient Alexandria
Center of learningCommercial port500,000 inhabitantsOrderly grid of wide streetsSplendid public buildings and parksMuseum was the storehouse and showcase of
Greek culture
Muntazah Complex
Pediment on Alexander’s Sarcophagus
Modern Alexandria
Economic Issues In Hellenistic Cities
Agriculture major occupation Small farmers suffered exploitative taxation
Industrial production based on individual labor of artisans Artisans also suffered from exploitative taxation High unemployment Boom and bust syndrome created constant extremes
and wide divisions between rich and poor
Epicurean Philosophy
Epicurus (341-270 B.C.E.) based his theories on Democritus who lived in the 5th century B.C.E. The universe is made up entirely of atoms Every individual object or organism in a product of a combination of
atomsBased on the randomness of atoms Epicurus concluded that
there is no ultimate purpose in workings of the universe Highest good cannot come from enduring hardship and suffering Misfortune is the chance by-product of random atomic actions gods do not intervene in human affairs Highest good is pleasure
The moderate satisfaction of bodily appetites Intellectual pleasure of contemplating excellence and remembering past
enjoyments Serenity in the face of death
Implications of Epicurean Philosophy
Political?Moral?Is this a philosophy that supports the
maintenance of the status quo?Positive implications?
Similarities & Differences:Stoicism and Epicureanism
Stoics Nothing is better than
“tranquility of mind” Focus on individual not
the community Pursuit of virtue is
highest importance Universal absolute of
justice is attainable Government exists for
benefit of citizens even when it is unjust
Duty to be active in politics
Epicureans Nothing is better than
tranquility of mind Focus on individual not
the community Virtue is not an end in
itself No universal absolutes
of justice Government is at best a
nuisance to be endured as long as it benefits individual
Stay away from politics
Skeptics
Carneades (214-129 B.C.E.) Born in Cyrene, North Africa Student of Aristotle
All knowledge is based on sense perception and is therefore limited and relative
No one can prove anything Because our senses can deceive us, they are unreliable
We can say something “appears” to be a certain thing but we cannot say we know it for certain
One can have no definite knowledge of the supernatural, the meaning of life or right or wrong
The only recourse is to suspend judgment
Carneades of Cyrene
Is Socrates the philosophical father of skepticism?What about scientific inquiry?How can change exist without skepticism?
Religion in the Hellenistic World
Intersection between religion and politics Early civilizations
gods (one or more) protected a community and furthered its interests; failure to worship or obey the gods led to personal or communal misfortune; man’s duty to the gods
Greeks: “man is a creature of the poleis” Man may have duties to the gods but these duties are in the service of the poleis Many gods and all are deserving of worship
Hellenistic world Elites gravitated toward philosophy Rational relationship to the world and to religion “Rootless multiculturalism” fostered worship of many different gods and
religious diffusion (Greeks worshiped Egyptian and Persian gods; Persians and Egyptians worshiped Greek gods
Septuagint: translation of Hebrew scriptures into Greek for Jews who did not live in Palestine
Majority of people still worshiped gods rather than engaged in philosophical speculation
Scientific Revolution
Hellenistic period called “most brilliant age in the history of science before the 17th century” Stimulus of fusion of Greek, Egyptian and
Mesopotamian/Persian science Common language, affordable travel improved
communication between scientific communities Competition among patrons of science
Achievements
Measuring and mapping (astronomy, geography, geometry) Earth and planets revolve around the sun Euclid geometry Eratosthenes of Alexandria
Circumference of the earth One might reach Asia by sailing West
Medicine and Mechanics Archimedes of Syracuse
Specific gravity Physical properties of pulley, lever, and screw
Herophilus of Chalcedon Detailed description of the brain as the engine of intellect Arteries contain only blood not blood and air Heart functions to carry blood to all parts of the body
Sculpture
Counter-positioningCreating actionRealismInfluence on sculpture of Renaissance
Winged Victory of Samothrace or NikeOf Samothrace,Louvre Museum,Paris
Laocoon andHis Sons , VaticanMuseum, Vatican City
Dying Gaul,CapitolineMuseums,Rome
Importance of Hellenistic World in Development of Western Civilization
Cosmopolitan cities: greater public facilities and more opportunity to a wider range of people
Wide cultural diffusion Greek language and culture may have been dominant but
Egyptian, Mesopotamian and Persian cultures provided important contributions to Hellenistic cities and society
Framework for Roman imperial government Bridge between older civilizations and RomeRomans emulated Hellenistic city planning not
Athenian planningModernity: cosmopolitan population did not consider
themselves bound by the old prejudices and superstitions of the past