Western Civilization

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Western Civilization

• Chapter 4

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• At the end of the last chapter we saw that the
  Peloponnesian War had changed the social and
  political lives of the Greek people
• Some distrusted the elite
• Some distrusted democracy
• Some distrusted oligarchies
• Athens and Sparta were exhausted
• Mercenaries replaced hoplite phalanxes hoplite
  importance decreased

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• Wars were more professional brutal
• One city-state would fight another city-state
• By 330 B.C.E. Greek city-states had proven they
  could not create a stable Greek nation
• They barely held their polis together
• Enter Macedonia

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Macedonia
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Macedonia

• Northeast of Greece
• Had king chosen by the army from within the royal
  family
• Spoke a Greek dialect
• Shared Greek culture traditions
• King Philip II moved in on Greece during their
  time of chaos after Peloponnesian War
• Took over each polis because they couldnt unite
  to resist Philip

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Philip II of Macedonia
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• Philip formed Hellenic League, later called the
  League of Corinth
• It was comprised of all the Greek city-states
• He formed a common army navy
• He placed restrictions on members freedoms
• Philip then used Greek soldiers to take over
  Persia
• Philip II, however, was assassinated before he
  could begin his campaign

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Alexander the Great

• Philips son Alexander carried out his campaign

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• Alexander III of Macedonia became known as
  Alexander the Great
• He ruled from 336-323 B.C.
• He was
• a warrior
• a battlefield commander of the cavalry at the age
  of 18
• charismatic, handsome, and intelligent

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• Alexander had been a student of Aristotle
• He was Macedonian by birth but Greek in spirit
• He was successful in the war against Persia
• He then took over Syria-Palestine, Egypt, and
  Mesopotamia
• When Alexander moved in on India, his troops
  refused to go on they had never seen elephants
  used in battle

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• They went back through Persia to Babylon
  (Mesopotamia) where Alexander fell ill and died
  at the age of 32 in 323 B.C. they think he may
  have died from malaria
• His career was short and full of battles
• He never ruled the territory he took over
• Alexander did help to spread Greek culture
  through conquest
• He is seen as the greatest conqueror

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Alexanders Kingdom
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• After his death, fighting broke out as to who
  would lead the empire
• The result was the empire being divided into
  parts
• Ptolemy ruled over Egypt
• Antigonus ruled in Macedonia and the Aegean world
• Seleucus ruled from Asia Minor to India

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3 Kingdoms
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• Greek culture spread to all these kingdoms
• The blending of Greek culture with the local
  cultures was called Hellenistic culture ( a name
  coined by Isocrates, an Athenian teacher
• Greek language was the common language along with
  Aramaic

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• Agriculture, trade, industry, and military
  service gave opportunity to most
• Upper ranks of government were in the hands of
  the Greeks and Macedonians
• Native elites held lower ranking jobs
• Priests demanded and got major roles in Ptolemys
  Egypt and in the Seleucid Kingdom
• Seleucids started colonies for retired military

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• Greek-style buildings were built
• The Gymnasia was also important for schooling the
  young elites they were taught literature,
  philosophy, oratory, and athletics
• Hellenistic cities with good harbors, banks,
  roads on a trade route prospered
• Coins replaced barter
• Slavery was present war and piracy were the main
  sources of slaves

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Antigonids

• Held power in Macedonia
• He was a Stoic stoicism emphasized duty
• Wished to dominate all Greek city-states
• Was unable to
• Greeks resisted
• Athens won periods of freedom but was taken over
  by the Antigonids more than once
• Sparta was crushed by Antigonids in 222 B.C.

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Antigonus
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• Some city-states had proportional representation
• Some had constitutions

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Ptolemy in Egypt

• This kingdom was the most stable, the wealthiest,
  the most sophisticated
• Had a homogeneous population
• Had rich soil for farming
• Had an autocratic government
• Took part in foreign affairs
• In 200 B.C. Ptolemys power began to decline
• In 31 B.C. Rome annexed Ptolemaic Egypt

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Seleucid

• Had little stability and shifting borders
• Had mixed population
• Antioch was its greatest, wealthiest, and most
  luxurious city
• Had a tenuous hold on Asia Minor
• Seleucid Kingdom was seized by Persia (Parthia)
  in the east and Rome in west becoming a Roman
  Province
• Seleucids fell by 64 B.C.

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Greco-Indian Interaction

• Parthia was Persian and spread empire west to
  Mesopotamia
• Bactria was to the east and remained Greek from
  mid-3rd century B.C. (todays northern
  Afghanistan) and prospered
• Today one can see the remains of a Greek
  gymnasia, a theatre, and a library
• They spread into the Indus River Valley
• Coins have been found with Greek and Indian
  languages on them

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• Asoka was an Indian King who governed most of
  India and was fascinated by Hellenistic culture
• He was a religious reformer
• He converted to Buddhism
• Hellenistic Kingdoms in India and Pakistan
  survived until the time of Christ. Some survived
  until the 5th century A.D.. Greek influence can
  be seen in Indian art

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Overview of Hellenistic Culture

• The 3 centuries following Alexanders death were
  important culturally
• First, there was an enrichment of cultural
  accomplishments by the Greeks
• Second, many Greek traditions were altered when
  they came in contact with other civilizations
• Greeks felt compelled to take their culture with
  them (hard to leave it behind) to other areas of
  Alexanders empire

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• As a result, Greek literary, artistic,
  philosophical, and scientific concepts were
  implanted in the dominant culture
• Most of the conquered people accepted the Greek
  ways as a way of civilized life
• Cities remained the focal point of cultural life
• In Ptolemys Egypt large sums of money were spent
  on architecture, libraries, and a research center
  called a museum

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Alexandria, Egypt
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Alexandria
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Literature and Art

• Much writing went on
• Demand for literature because literacy increased
• Alexandria in Egypt tried to satisfy its peoples
  thirst for knowledge
• It was the capital city
• Half a million lived there by the 1st century
  B.C. mixed population Egyptians, Greeks,
  Indians, Italians, and Celts

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• There were educational opportunities for boys and
  girls
• Knowing Greek culture put one ahead
• Ptolemy I asked Demetrius of Athens to put
  together a house of culture
• It was called a museum with a library
• It held the largest collection of Greek writings
  in the world

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• Library
• Contained 700,000 papyrus rolls equal to 50,000
  modern books
• Created educational programs in literature and
  philosophy for 18 and 19 year old men in place of
  military service
• Many read and many wrote as well they werent
  especially original
• They imitated others, mainly some did write
  about powerful women like Cleopatra

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• Art
• architecture was important cities were built
  containing gymnasiums, temples, theatres, and
  places for business
• Vase painting showing love-making as tender and
  as part of married life
• Sculpture reflected fascination with human form
  showed idealized human form
• Realistic relief carvings decorated temples

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• Science
• Geography Eratosthenes (275-200 B.C.) figured
  out the circumference of the earth, studied the
  tides, and created maps

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• Astronomy Hipparchus (185-120 B.C.) said sun,
  moon, and stars revolve around earth
• Aristarchus (310-230 B.C.)
  said earth revolved sun
• Public believed Hipparchus for many centuries.

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• Mathematics Euclid (323-285) developed
  geometry
• Archimedes (
  287-212 B.C.) calculated pi
• Hipparchus (310-230) developed trigonometry

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• Medicine
• Advances were made in anatomy and physiology
• Discovery of nerves
• Discovery of the function of arteries
• Advancements in surgery and the use of medicine

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Philosophy

• People were concerned with the problems of human
  conduct, ethical principles, the human soul, and
  individual destiny
• Many felt the need for self-knowledge to gain
  peace of mind
• New philosophies and new religions arose to help
  allay these new concerns
• People were searching for the best way to live

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• Skeptics doubted everything and thought people
  should not be concerned with truth or values
  since neither existed. They advocated
  simplicity. Diogenes was the first skeptic
• Cynics advocated a return to nature and the
  giving up of wealth and the conventions of the
  day
• Stoicism stressed doing your duty, and then order
  will follow. Bear misfortunes with patience.
  Zeno was the founder.

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Hellenistic Religion

• Native religious systems were well-defined cults
  called mystery religions
• Mystery religions offered ethical guidance,
  comfort, release from worries, reassurance about
  death, and a sense of belonging
• Overpowered Greek religions and attracted many
  Greeks
• Centered around the worship of a savior whose
  death and resurrection provided eternal salvation

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• Had elaborate, emotional rituals
• Ultimate salvation depended on moral conduct
• Appealed to all levels of people
• Seedbed for 2 new religions to follow
  Christianity and Islam

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Hellenistic Judaism

• Before Alexanders conquests, Jews and Greeks
  occasionally came in contact with one another
• That changed in 332 B.C. when Alexander took
  Judea from the Persians
• Greeks governed Jews for a time and lost control
  as a result of a Jewish revolt and independence
  movement

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• As a result of exposure to Hellenistic culture,
  Jews placed an even greater emphasis on
  salvation, martyrdom, and individual study and
  prayer
• Reaction to Hellenistic culture varied
• Admiration
• Resistance
• A desire to convert Greeks to Judaism

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• Writings changed
• Developed a literature of resistance to
  foreigners
• Wrote of a future cataclysm and of a Messiah who
  would kick out the foreigners and establish a new
  kingdom of Israel

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• There was a breakdown in Judaism
• Sadducees (righteous ones) had belief in the
  importance of ritual in the temple of Jerusalem
  wealthy elite
• Pharisees (those who separated themselves)
• Insisted on the validity of oral traditions,
  written law, and rituals
• Wished to democratize Judaism
• Emphasized study and prayer in small groups

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• Essenes
• Associated with Qumran in Judean desert
• Dead Sea Scrolls found there
• Others wished to blend their monotheism with
  Hellenistic culture, so they could bring their
  Jewish teachings to others
• Jews living outside of Judea became known as the
  Diaspora, the scattered

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• In these places, Jews were soldiers, generals,
  bureaucrats, tax collectors, and business owners
  and workers.
• They spoke Greek
• The Hebrew Bible was even translated into Greek
• These were the effects of one man -- Alexander