Elle, Osei, and Michael S.
The Hellenistic Period
(338-146) BCE

Origin

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Began with Philip II of Macedon conquering Greece

• Creates League of Corinth which places him as hegemon
  • Greeks govern themselves in all respects except Military and Foreign Policy
• Philip is assassinated by a traitor in the court before he can conquer Persia
• Philip's son Alexander takes over
  • Alexander handles the early Theban revolt, demolishing the city of Thebes and disuades others from revolting
  • Alexander immediately attacks Persia in 334
    • Alexander conquers Egypt, Persia, and all the land to India using the tactics of constant movement, dominant phalanxes and apathy among Persian conscripts
  • On way back from India he dies in Babylon, naming "The strongest" as his successor
    • leaves a power vacuum and civil war

New Kingdoms

-Kingdoms formed as each rulers share for ending the impossible to win war
-All kingdoms named after founder (Antigonus, Seleusus, and Ptolemy)

4 Hellenistic Kingdoms

Antigonid

(Greece and Macedonia)

• Homeland Kingdom
• Continued as Greek Hegemon

Seleucid

(Asia Minor, Persia, and some Middle East)

• Lost easternmost Persian territories
• Largest Empire, but gradually lost territory
• Constant power struggle with the Ptolemaic kingdom for Palestine

Ptolemaic

(Egypt)

• Longest lasting kingdom
• Dynasty of Pharaohs
• Sibling marriage
  • all had the names of Ptolemy, Arsinoe, or Cleopatra

Attalid

(Pergamum)

• Split of from Seleucid
• Willed to Rome by last king of Pergamum

Government

• All Monarchies
  • replaced Democracies
• Ruling class of Greeks and Macedonians in all kingdoms
  • The "educated and civilized" Greeks and Macedonians were better fit to rule
• Maintained power through force

Military

• larger standing armies
• lots of mercenaries
• war elephants
• improved siege tactics
  • new catapults and ballistae

Culture

• Extreme blending of cultures
  • Greek and the local culture
    • Rosetta stone and mixed marriage (begun by Alexander)
  • Koine Greek was the predominant language
    • simplified Greek
  • Cities are dependent on kings for protection
  • Cosmopolitanism-idea that people are citizens of the universe
    • Very popular philosophy
    • led to more travel
    • people lost pride in one city
• Art
  • Venus de Milo
  • Laocoon and Sons
  • Old Market Woman
  • Winged Nike of Samothrace
    • All are Realistic and Dynamic
      • Look real and look like they are in motion
    • Also shows emotion and Individualism
    • Drapery is very popular

Venus de Milo

Winged Nike of Samothrace

Laocoon and his Sons

Old Market Woman

Science and Learning

• Separation of science from philosophy

  Pharos or Lighthouse of Alexandria

  • Alexandria- Science
  • Athens- Philosophy
• New city of Alexandria, Egypt will become center of scientific learning
  • library of Alexandria built by Ptolemies: 400,000 scrolls
  • Pharos (Lighthouse of Alexandria)
  • Ctesibius of Alexandria builds Piston driven water-pump
  • Hero: steam-engine
• Aristarchus
  • heliocentric view of universe (sun is center of universe)
  • Earth rotates on it own axis
    • Ideas were rejected by most scholars
• Eratosthenes
  • Measures circumference of Earth
• Archimedes
  • Geometry
    • formula for spheres and cylinders
    • Value of pi
  • Inventions
    • Archimedean screw: water-pump to move water uphill
    • Compound Pulley
    • New siege engines & Defensive measures(used against the Romans)