Hellenistic Greece

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Hellenistic Greece
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Alexanders Empire on the year of his death
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What does mean to be Hellenistic?

• Hellenistic - The blending of Greek cultures
  with those of Persia, Egypt, and Central Asia
  following the conquests of Alexander the Great.
• Question to Consider What is an empire? Give the
  definition and explain how Alexander the Greats
  conquests apply.

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Blending Cultures

• Best way to encourage cultural exchange is
  through marriage.
• Alexander married Roxana of Bactria and Stateira
  of Persia.
• He also did this to legitimize his claims to the
  Persian Empire.
• Roxana bore Alexander a posthumous son (child
  born after the death of a parent). She named
  the child Alexander IV unfortunately, he never
  reaches adulthood because he was murdered in a
  political plot.

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Blending Cultures Cont

• Another great way to gain cultural exchange is
  through trade and education.
• When Egypt built the city of Alexandria the most
  important achievement was the Library of
  Alexandria, which contained information on
• Philosophy
• Literature
• History
• Science
• Medicine

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Life in the Hellenistic World

• What was the most significant change in
  Hellenistic society?
• Recall the main political unit of Greece was
  the city-state.
• After Alexander conquers much of the known world
  the political unit switches to kingdoms.

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Hellenistic Achievements

• Philosophy
• Cynicism- rejected the ideas of pleasure, wealth,
  and social responsibility. Instead, they should
  live according to nature. Withdrew from society.
• Many gave away possessions and became vagrants or
  wanderers. They were like homeless people in
  todays society.
• Epicureans- sought out pleasure, developed close
  friendships with those that shared similar
  beliefs
• Pleasure- Good
• Pain- Bad or Evil
• Stoicism- placed emphasis on reason,
  self-discipline, emotional control, and personal
  morality.

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Hellenistic Achievements cont

• Art and Literature
• Art pieces conveyed emotion and movement.
• Nike of Samothrace was carved in a flowing style.
• Literature focuses on everyday lives.

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Hellenistic Achievements cont

• Science and Technology
• Euclid Father of Geometry
• Formulated many of the ideas about geometry that
  we still use today.
• Eratosthenes
• Calculated the size of the Earth
• Archimedes
• Great Inventor compound pulley Mechanical
  screw for drawing water