Chapter 4: The Hellenistic World

Loren Solsberry

Macedonia and the Conquests of Alexander

New kingdom emerged as Greek city-states fought included Macedonians
Philip and the Conquest of Greece
Philip established professional army by paying soldiers
Greeks had mixed reactions to Philips growing strength
Athens spurred into action by Demosthenes repeated calls for action
and Philips rapid expansion
The league didnt have an army and council
Philip was assassinated before invasion of Asia leaving his son
Alexander in charge
Alexander the Great
Only 20 when he became king of Macedonia
Alexanders Conquests
Took chance in attacking Persian empire
First contact with Persians was at Granicus River 334 B.C.
nearly cost his life, but ended in major victory
Persian king, Darius III, mobilized forces to stop Alexanders
Darius indicated willingness to make peaceful settlement and
offered to cede all land west of Euphrates
o Alexander refused and renewed offense
Alexander was o march again by 330 B.C.
Alexanders Ideals
Alexander is one of most puzzling great figures in history
Some historians have argued that Alexander believed in an
ideal of universal humanity
Alexanders Legacy
Alexander created the Hellenistic era
Alexander left a cultural legacy
The World of the Hellenistic Kingdoms
United empire that Alexander created disintegrated after his death
Hellenistic Monarchies
Four Hellenistic kingdoms emerged as Alexanders successors
1. Macedonia under Antigonid dynasty
2. Syria and east under Seleucids
3. Attalid kingdom of Pergamum
4. Egypt under Ptolemies
Antigonid Kingdom of Macedonia
Struggles for power led to extermination of Alexander the
Greats dynasty in Macedonia
The Seleucid Kingdom

General Seleucus established largest of the Hellenistic

kingdoms and controlled much of old Persian Empire from
Turkey to India, though hard to maintain
Seleucid rulers maintained relations with Mauryan Empire
Kingdom of Peragmum
Peragmum came into being by freeing itself from Seleucids
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt
Egypt came under control of Macedonian general Ptolemy
The Threat from the Celts
Celts (Gauls) occupied large areas of Europe north of Alps during
early Iron Age
Celtic peoples began to migrate south and east, possibly due to
overpopulation, at end of 5th century
Other groups of Celts later attacked Asia Minor where they lost
Political and Military Institutions
Hellenistic monarchies created a semblance of stability for several
centuries, though kings refused to accept new status quo and
periodically engaged in wars to alter it
Hellenistic kingdoms shared common political system that
represented break with Greek past
Hellenistic monarchs relied primarily on Greeks and Macedonians to
form new ruling class though Alexander planned to fuse Greeks and
easterners
Warfare continued to be integral part of Hellenistic world due to
monarchs creating and maintaining kingdoms by military force
Hellenistic Cities
Cities played especially important role in kingdoms
Rulers encouraged massive spread of Greek colonists to near east
because of intrinsic value to new monarchies
Culture was primarily Greek
Many of new urban centers dominated by Greeks and native remained
cut off
Greeks belief in their own cultural superiority provided easy
rationalization for political dominance of eastern cities
In political system, religious practices, and architecture, Greeks tried
to re-create the poleis of homeland
Cities of era were chief agents for spread of Hellenistic culture in Near
East
Economic Trends
Agriculture was still primary importance to both native and cities
Few new products or manufacturing methods were introduced, but
centers of manufacturing shifted significantly
Commerce expanded considerably in Hellenistic era

Incredible variety of products was traded: gold, silver, iron, salt,

timber, purple dye, ebony, gems, ivory, spices, frankincense, slaves,
fine wines, olive oil, and foodstuffs
Hellenistic Society
Emergence of new opportunities for upper-class women in Hellenistic world
New Opportunities for Upper-Class Women
Creation of Hellenistic monarchies gave new scope to role played by
Hellenistic queens
Most notable gains for upper-class women came in economic area
Spartan women were exception, especially on Greek mainland
Opinions of philosophers did not prevent upper-class women from
making gains in areas other than economic sphere
Some wealthy aristocratic women became politically active in running
of cities
Improvements in position of females restricted to upper-class women
The Role of Slavery
Hellenistic world witnessed migration of large groups of people
Slaves obtained from four chief sources
1. Children of slaves
2. Children sold by parents or abandoned to perish
3. Persons kidnapped by pirates
4. Prisoners of war (most common)
Slaves put to work in numerous ways
Effects of slavery could also be important
The Transformation of Education
Education underwent significant transformation
o Greek gymnasium, primarily athletic institution in past, became
secondary school
School in Teos was unusual where education only offered to upperclass males
Kings also served as patrons of gymnasia, recognizing importance in
training youths who may later serve as administrators
Culture in the Hellenistic World
Greeks provided a sense of unity as result of diffusion of Greek culture
Ptolemies in Egypt made Alexandria especially important cultural center
New Directions in Literature
Hellenistic Age produced enormous quantity of literature of most
which didnt survive
Athens remained theatrical center of Greek world
Hellenistic period saw great outpouring of historical and biological
history
Hellenistic Art
Hellenistic monarchs were eager to spend money on beautify and
adorn cities in states
Sculptor patronized by kings and rich citizens

Alexanders incursion into western part of India also resulted in Greek

influences there, especially during Hellenistic era
A Golden Age of Science and Medicine
Hellenistic era witnessed more conscious separation of science from
philosophy
One traditional Greek science areas was astronomy that two
Alexandrian scholars continued
1. Samos (c. 310-230 B.C.)
2. Eratosthenes (c. 275-194 B.C.)
Third Alexandrian scholar was Euclid who lived around 300 B.C.
Archimedes
Most famous of scientists was Archimedes (287-212 B.C.) that
came from Mediterranean region
Medicine
Scientific foundation of medicine also made considerable
strides
Would be misleading to think of medicine in Hellenistic world
only in terms of scientific advances
Philosophy: New Schools of Thought
Athens remained the prime center of philosophy
Epicureanism
Epicurus (341-270 B.C.) established a school in Athens near
end of 4th century B.C. (founder of Epicureanism)
Stoicism
Epicureanism overshadowed by Stoicism, which became most
popular philosophy of Hellenistic world and persisted in
Roman Empire
Virtuous living was living in accordance with laws of nature or
submitting to divine will
Stoics did not believe in need to separate oneself from world
and politics, unlike Epicureans
Epicureanism and especially Stoicism appealed to large
numbers of people
Religion in the Hellenistic World
Greeks took religion with them as they spread through Near East
Left Greeks receptive to numerous religious cults of eastern world
Search for personal meaning remained unfulfilled for most
o Mystery religions were another source of solace
Mystery Religions
Mystery cults were not new to Greek world
All of mystery religions were based on same fundamental premises
Egyptian cult of Isis was one of most popular of mystery religions
The Jews in the Hellenistic World
Greeks and easterners tended to assume they were same beings with
different names, giving rise to syncretism

Jewish province of Judaea was ruled by Ptolemies until it fell under

control of Seleucids by 200 B.C.
Large numbers of Jews no longer lived in Judaea since Diaspora