The hellenistic world

Timeline

The Rise of Macedonia and the Conquests of Alexander
Hellenic Age-b.c. 800-323.
Hellenistic Age- b.c. 323-30
new pattern of civilization emerged, based on a mixture of Greek Eastern elements
Macedonia
a young and energetic Macedonian king
consolidated the southern Balkans under his rule.
Philip II (359 – 336 B.C.)
He turned Macedonia into the chief power of the Greek world.

His brother died, leaving as his heir a small boy.
Regent for the boy took the throne
His son was born to him
Alexander
Plan to conquer Greece
Demothenes repeatedly warned Philip's rapid expansion.

Athenian Reaction to Philip
Battle of Chaeronea (338 B.C.)
Macedonian army crushed the Greeks
Macedonian made an alliance with the Greek states called Corinthian League
All members took an oath of loyalty
Philip allowed the Greek polis autonomy and asked them to cooperate with him in a war against Persia.
However, he could undertake this invasion because
he was

Alexander the Great
The Conquests of Alexander
When Alexander became king of Macedonia he was only twenty smothering a rebellion in Greece
attacking Asia Monor-Battle of Granicus River (334B.C.)
Battle of Issus (333 B.C.)
Syria, Palestine and Egypt (332 B.C.)
At Egypt, took the title of Pharaoh
Founded the first city named Alexandria

Mesopotamia-Darius III-Battle of Gaugamela (331 B.C.)
Susa-Persepolis (330 B.C.)
Took the title of King Persia
Pakistan (327 B.C.)
India -Hydaspes River (326 B.C.)
Death of Alexander (323 B.C.)

Map 4.1: The Conquests of Alexander the Great

Although he conveyed the Greek language and ideas
he ruled on a principle of monarch-despotism.
The dominant form of government in the Hellenistic world was the despotism of rulers
who represented themselves at least semi-divine
His Hellenistic monarchies were inherited by the Romans.

Historians’ evaluation
Ranging from bloodthirsty monster interested only in endless conquest
to romantic dreamer aiming to create a multiethnic world open to all cultures.
he was a great military leader
left a cultural legacy

Alexander’s Legacy
Greek language, art, architecture, and literature spread throughout the Near East.
Alexandria which was built by Alexander worked as a center of culture.
Alexander’s explorations benefited numerous scientific fields from geography to botany, because he took along scientifically minded writers to collect and catalog the new knowledge they acquired
He created a new age. Hellenistic era.
The word Hellenistic is derived from a Greek word meaning «to imitate Greecs»

Mixture of Greek and Eastern elements
The language of the new cultured classes was predomenantly Greek,and even the peoples whose heritage was
non-Greek considered it desirable to have some Hellenistic culture.
When Alexander died in 323 B.C. he left no legitimate heir to succeed him.
When his friends requested him on his deathbed to designate a successor, he replied «to the strongest»
However, after Alexander's death his generals engaged in a long and bitter struggle.

The World of the Hellenistic Kingdoms
By 275 B.C.-Disintegration of the Empire
Four Successor Kingdoms
Macedonia – Antigonids
Persia, Mesopotamia and Syria – Seleucids
Egypt, Phoenicia and Palestine – Ptolemies
Pergamum – Attalids

Map: 4.2: The World of the Hellenistic Kingdoms

Threat from the Celts
At the end of the fifth century B.C. Celtic people began to migrate south and east.
They were known as Gauls
occupies large areas of Europe north of the Alps during the early Iron Age(c 800-500 B.C.).
They attacked the city of Rome in 390 B.C. and attacked Macedonia early in the third century B.C.
Other groups of Celts later attacked Asia Minor where Attalus I defeated them in 230 B.C.
Celts were feared everywhere in the Hellenistic world.

a Celtic warrior, who is committing suicide after killing his wife to prevent their capture by the enemy after defeat in battle by Attalus I, king of Pergamum.
Dying Celts

History
Polybius (c. 203-c. 120 B.C.)
a Greek who lived for some years in Rome.
He is regarded as second only to Thucydides among Greek historians
His major work consisted of forty books narrating the history of the “inhabited Mediterranean world” from 221 to 146 B.C.
His history focuses on the growth of Rome from a city-state to a vast empire, seeking rational motives for historical events

Hellenistic Art
Hellenistic art did not preserve all of the characteristic qualities of the art of the Greeks.
In place of the humanism, balance, and restraint, qualities of exaggerated realism, sensationalism and voluptuousness now became dominant.
The simple and dignified Doric and Ionic temples gave way to luxurious palaces, costly mansions and elaborate public buildings and monuments.

Sculpture
Sculpture likewise exhibited extravagant and sentimental tendencies.
Violent emotionalism and exaggerated realism were features common to the majority.
the Winged Victory of Samothrace, late 2nd century B.C.- also called the Nike ( Victory )
Calmness and compassion for human suffering
Laocoön-In sharp contrast to the serenity of the Winged Victory

Laocoön
Exaggerated realism and sensationalism depicted the death of Lacoön
Laocoön warned the Trojans not to touch the wooden horse sent by the Greeks and was punished by Athena who sent two serpents to kill him and his sons.

A Golden Age of Science
Astronomy, mathematics, geography, medicine, and physics
Astronomy- Hellenistic astronomer, Aristarchus (BC 310-230), Hellenistic Copernicus
heliocentric view of the universe-
the earth and the other planets revolve around the sun
Master of geometry
Euclid (c. 300 B.C.)
Archimedes of Syracuse (287-212 B.C.)- .)
law of floating bodies or specific gravity

King Hiero II asked Archimedes to determine whether his golden crown was of solid gold, or whether silver had been added.
Archimedes had to solve the problem
Without damaging the crown
While taking a bath, he noticed that the level of the water in the tub rose as he got in, and realized that
this effect could be used to determine the volume of the crown

Archimedes then took to the streets naked, so excited by his discovery that he had forgotten to dress, crying
Eureka (Greek: "εὕρηκα!," meaning
the principles of the lever.

Philosophy: New Schools of Thought
preserved the rational tradition of Greek philosophy
four principal schools of philosophy:
Epicureanism, Stoicism, Skepticism, Cynicism
Epicureanism and Stoicism had several features in common.
Both were individualistic, concerned with
The good of the individual
Epicurus (341 – 270 B.C.)
the universe ran on its own.
Doctrine of pleasure

to achieve happiness.
did not include all forms of indulgence in the category of genuine pleasure.
The so-called pleasures of the flesh should be avoided
a moderate satisfaction of bodily appetites is permissible
The highest of all pleasures, however, consists in serenity of soul, in the complete absence of both mental and physical pain
held no high regard for either political or social life.

Stoicism
Zeno (335 – 263 B.C.)
Individual happiness
happiness could be found only in virtue
living in harmony with the divine will, a principle of order
virtuous living-living in accordance with the laws of nature
urged participation in public affairs as a duty for the citizen of rational mind.

Conclusion
Hellenistic culture was not a degenerate phase of Greek civilization.
Instead, it was a new social and cultural organism born of a fusion of Greek and Near Eastern elements.

Discussion questions
How was Alexander evaluated and what was Alexander’s legacy?
How was Alexander’s empire divided after his death?
Explain about Epicureanism
Explain about Stoicism