Syncretism

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SyncretismKnow This!!

• Definition Merging of different beliefs,
  religions or schools of thought
• How do you think this happens?
• What are some contemporary examples?

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Why was Alexander so Great?
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Why was Alexander so Great?
His conquests connected the Mediterranean,
Persian and Indic worlds forming Afro-Eurasias
first ecumene.
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While his empire was short lived and was divided
politically after his death, the trade and
intellectual connections it fostered accelerated
the empire building and cross cultural
interactions that characterized the late
classical era. Alexandria became Afro-Eurasias
most cosmopolitan city and would be until the
late 400s C.E.
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The Hellenistic period

• Hellenistic civilization represents a fusion of
  the Ancient Greek world with that of the Near
  East, Middle East and Southwest Asia, and a
  departure from earlier Greek attitudes towards
  "barbarian" cultures. In art, naturalism replaced
• Idealism. Human emotion became more
  important.
• How did Greek artistic ideas influence art
  religion in the areas Alexander conquered?
• .

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Persian Statuary
Ancient Persian c. 800 BCE
King Darius c. 500 BCE
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Parthia circa 200 BCE
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The influence of Greek art on Buddhism
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Early Buddhists did not use images of the
Buddha. Instead they developed an iconography to
teach Buddhist beliefs.
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Some of the earliest Buddhas are the so called
starving Buddhas
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Gandharan Buddhas 2nd Century
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Afghanistans Bamiyan Buddhas
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Birth of Siddhartha
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Atlas supporting the world on a Buddhist temple
A great example of religious syncretism
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Kushan Empire circa 300 CE Funan Kingdom c.
500 CE
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A Kalash Girl in Pakistan

• Descendents of Alexander?