The Hellenistic Era

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The Hellenistic Era
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Significance of the Hellenistic Era

• Spread of Greek culture throughout the eastern
  Mediterranean Near East
• Shift from a culture dominated by ethnic Greeks
  to a culture dominated by Greek-speakers of
  various ethnicities
• Blending of Greek culture with Near Eastern
  influences
• Shift from the political dominance of the
  city-state to that of larger monarchies
• Cultural centers shifted away from mainland
  Greece to cosmopolitan cities
• New religious, philosophical and cultures
  concepts emerge
• New naturalistic artistic styles emerge

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Greece in the Classical Period
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Persian Empire

• Empire from Turkey to Egypt India
• Homeland - Iran Afghanistan
• United diverse cultures with tolerance
• Administration of Empire
• Respect local customs and religion
• Assimilated learning from others
• Governed provinces by satraps
• Utilized coinage
• Invaded Greece twice
• defeated both times
• Continued to interfere
• in Greek politics
  
  

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Rise of Macedonia

• Macedonian People spoke Greek
• Regional dialect
• Considered semi-barbarians by Greeks
• Two regions
• Lower Macedonia Fertile alluvial plain
• Flat with few natural harbors
• Remarkably strong horses
• Part of modern Greece
• Upper Macedonia Mountains
• Predominantly pastoral
• Former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia.
• Continental climate with cold winters
• Vegetation different from the rest of the Aegean
  region
• Pella - Capital

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Philip of Macedonia

• King, 360-336 BC
• Responsible for the modernization of his kingdom
  created true monarchy
• Father of Alexander the Great
• Hostage in Thebes while young
• 357 - 336 BC - launched successful campaigns
  against Greek poleis to south
• Brilliant military strategist
• Decisive battle in 338 BC at Chaeronea defeats
  Athens allies
• Alexander leads decisive cavalry charge at 18
• League of Corinth unites Greeks under his
  leadership
• Announced war against Persia
• Assassinated at brothers wedding by jilted young
  male lover
• Many rumors

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Alexander

• Born 356 BC, ruled 336-323 BC
• Mother Olympias strong willed
• Princess from Epirus
• Goddess of Dionysus
• Ruthlessly promoted son as heir to throne
• Tutored by Aristotle
• Thought of himself as Achilles reincarnated
• Revered the Iliad
• Rivalry with brother father
• Life-long male lover Hephaestion
• Thought of as Patroclus
• Became king at age 20
• Suppresses Greek rebellions
• Overcomes Macedonian rivals
• Known for physical courage, arrogance, extreme
  intelligence, and unbridled ambition
• Greatly respected leadership abilities
• Brilliant military strategist
• Disputed legacy

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Alexanders Conquest

• In 334 BC, Alexander crossed over into Asia Minor
  to begin his conquest of Persia
• Ambitious plans with little prospect of victory
• Army numbered 30,000 infantry only 5,000
  cavalry.
• No navy Little money
• Support of Macedonian army
• Macedonian phalanx cavalry
• Simple strategy
• Move quickly, begin with a few sure victories, so
  he could gain money and supplies
• Focus on the coastal cities so that he could gain
  control of the ports and cut off Persian navy
• Take battle right to the center of the opposing
  forces

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Alexanders Conquest

• Quickly overran Asian Minor stops at Troy
• Seized all the coastal cities
• Engaged the main Persian army at Issus in Syria
  in 333
• Led cavalry charge against a superior opponent
• Astounding victory - Persian king Darius fled
  east

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Alexanders Conquest

• Conquered Phoenician Palestinian coastal towns
• Siege of strategic Tyre
• Entered Jerusalem as liberator
• Conquered Egypt with little resistance
• Egyptians called him king son of Ammon Re
  at Siwah Oasis
• Darius sent offer to halt hostilities
• Cede empire west of Euphrates
• Alexander refused
• Crossed the Euphrates in 331 BC
• Defeated Darius at Gaugamela near Nineveh in
  Assyria
• 330 BC entered Babylon
• He had conquered Mesopotamia now controlled its
  greatest wealthiest city
• Assumed title of King of Persia

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Alexanders Conquest
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Alexanders Conquest

• Alexander chased Darius
• Assassinated by his own noblemen
• Continued the campaign into Afghanistan India
  in 327
• More major battles severely wounded
• Erratic behavior
• Heavy drinking
• Fear of conspiracies
• Kills officer - Clitus
• Considers himself "a god among men"
• Alexander adopts ways of the east
• Married local princess, Roxane
• Adopts a new court ritual Persian royal
  garments proskynesis
• Relies on Persians to govern provinces
• Alienates Macedonian nobles
• Army slowly becoming less Macedonian
• hired many Greek mercenaries
• increasingly relying upon eastern troops

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End of Conquest

• Wanted to advance east
• Soldiers refused
• Convinced by omens to return
• Return march through desert huge
  loses of soldiers
• Thousands die during march
• 324 - returned to Persepolis Susa
• Ordered 100 officers to marry Persian women
• Married to two princesses
• Male lover Hephaestion died
• Ordered subjects to sacrifice to Hephaestion as a
  demigod
• 323 - Dies in Babylon at age 32
• Cause unclear
• Empire to the strongest

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Alexanders Legacy

• Conquered the mighty Persian Empire
• Great military legend
• Model of heroic leader for Classical world
• Created largest empire the ancient world had
  known
• Couldnt be sustained
• Spread Greek culture throughout the Mediterranean
  and Near East
• Very practical administrator
• Macedonian more than Greek
• Founded more than 70 cities
• Administer empire
• Was his intention to create a universal empire or
  just conquer?
• Died before he could consolidate his victories
• Planned other campaigns

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Empire After Alexander

• Alexander named no successor weak brother
  infant son
• Military struggle resulted in carving the empire
  into 3 dynasties controlled by Macedonian
  generals 20 years of conflict
• Successor kingdoms collectively known as the
  Diadochi 
• Antigonids Macedonia Northern Greece
• Ptolemies - Egypt
• Seleucids Western Asia

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Hellenistic World

• Period of continuous warfare between successor
  states
• Four Diodoch wars
• Many Greco-Macedonian competitors for power
• Mercenary armies primary soldiers of period
• Monarchs rule vast and diverse kingdoms
• Territories of old Persian empire
• Each empire embarked on building projects,
  scholarship patronage of the arts
• New ruling class of descendants of
  Greco-Macedonian conquerors
• New cities take on importance
• Greek culture dominates Greek lingua franca
• Individualism replaces loyalty to polis
• Commerce and travel increases
• Blending and assimilation of cultures

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Macedonian Greek Rulers

• Ruling elite about 10 percent of population
• influence out of proportion to their numbers
• New professional class of rulers, administrators
  merchants
• Old loyalties to the Polis given way to
  dedication to the profession
• Pursuit of individual wealth power
• Greeks accept monarchy
• Included those who acquired Greek language and
  culture through formal or informal education
• Opened opportunities for ambitious

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Ptolemaic Egypt

• Ptolemies last dynasty of independent Egypt,
  332-30 BC
• After Alexanders death, friend Ptolemy became
  satrap of Egypt
• Establish new capital at Alexandria
• Center of culture commerce
• Bring Greek cultural influence
• Administered country in Greek
• Introduced cult of Serapis bull
• Respected local religious traditions
• Retain existing Egyptian religious and political
  system
• Present themselves as native pharaohs
• 14 kings - all called Ptolemy
• Prominence of female rulers
• Cleopatra last ruler

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Ptolemaic Queens

• 7 queens named Cleopatra 4
  Berenice
• Rose to power when their sons or brothers were
  too young
• Often married brother
• Berenice IV- sole ruler in 57 BC
• Cleopatra III presents herself as goddess Isis
  goddess Maat
• Defeats Ptolemy IV in battle, 102 BC
• Cleopatra VII, 69-30 BC
• Ascended the Egyptian throne at 17
• Fought brother/husband Ptolemy XIII
• Lover of Julius Caesar Marc Anthony
• Lost Battle of Actium to Augustus
• Commits suicide
• Last Ptolemaic ruler of Egypt

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Royal Library of Alexandria

• Once the largest library in the world archive
  of literary and scientific achievements of the
  time
• Founded at the beginning of the 3rd cen. BC,
  during reign of Ptolemy II
• Father built first part of library complex, the
  Temple of the Muses the Musaion (museum)
• Handwritten manuscripts
• Papyrus parchment scrolls
• Initially focused primarily on editing texts
  research center
• Center of international scholarship
• Library or parts of the collection were destroyed
  by fire on a number of occasions 4 events
  identified

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Hellenistic Cities

• All aspects of Greek culture
• Theater, gymnasium, agora, temple
• Growth of these cities provokes massive
  migrations from the Greek mainland
• Cosmopolitan centers of government, trade and
  culture
• Cities were no longer independent
• Cities owed allegiance to kingdoms rather than
  city-states
• Monarchs often advocated democracy in their
  cities
• Governed by magistrates, councils popular
  assemblies
• King demanded tribute and taxes
• Many cities introduced civic religious cults
  honoring their kings

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Hellenistic Economy

• Despite the constant conflict, the Hellenistic
  world was incredibly prosperous
• Alexander and his successors liberated an immense
  amount of wealth from Persian empire
• Mainly ruling class and wealthy benefited
• Industry remained essentially hand-craft
  industry, and agriculture remained the primary
  occupation
• Vast estates predominated in agriculture
• International marketplace expands
• Goods moved freely between kingdoms
• Some luxury goods, but mostly agricultural
  products
• Labor was manual slavery still prominent
• Cities created wider gulf between rich and poor

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Hellenistic Economy

• Currency standardized
• Coinage 2 separate standards of weight
• Based on silver drachma
• Command Economies
• Kingdoms take control of economic activity
• Control trade and industry
• Funnel riches into royal treasury
• Successful industries converted into royal
  monopolies
• sesame oil, salt, perfumes, incense
• beer industry in Egypt royal breweries
• Kings levy taxes on imports and exports
• Required complex administrative structures, with
  large Greek-speaking bureaucracies
• Used money to enrich themselves and fund constant
  wars

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Women in Hellenistic Society

• Cosmopolitan cities helped break down tight
  family life and female seclusion of traditional
  polis
• Greater personal freedom
• Free to move about in public
• More independence of action
• Right to control and own property
• Evidence of joint decision making in marriage
• More opportunities to participate in public
  sphere
• Political restrictions remain
• Never enfranchised
• Women depicted more in art
• Greater emphasis on female sexuality
• New Professions
• Musicians, writers, poets, artists all recognized
• City magistrates
• Elite and wealthy become educated
• Involved in commerce or intellectual activities

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Hellenistic Art

• Realism instead of ideal
• Naturalism, movement, emotion, expressiveness
  dramatic posing
• Demonstrated individuality of faces bodies,
  even imperfections
• Human condition, state of mind daily life
  popular subjects
• Social diversity in art
• Statues of female nudes popular
• Royal wealthy patronage
• Reflect ideals of Greek aesthetics
• Political agenda of promoting Greek culture
• Hired architects to design cities conducive to
  Greek life

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Hellenistic Art
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Jews Hellenism

• Jewish religious practices restricted Unlike
• under Persians
• Many Jews accepted Greek culture to prosper
• Maccabeen Revolt
• Seleucid king Antiochus IV tried to make
  the Jews worship the Greek gods 168 BC
• Revolted gained their independence
• Celebrate Hanukkah in commemoration of victory
  of Maccabees
• Maccabees founded Hasmonean royal
  dynasty established Jewish state 165 63 BC
• Story of the Maccabees in Old Testament
• Herod I or Herod the Great (c. 74 BC c. 1 BC)
• Roman client-king of Judaea
• From a wealthy, influential Idumaean family
• Ruthless political opportunitist
• Herod's Temple - massive renovation
• Dismantled Second Temple to make grander structure

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Hellenistic Philosophy

• Philosophy mainly for the wealthy and educated
• Sought to give ataraxia or peace of mind
• Epicureanism
• Epicurus c. 341-270 BC
• Chance rules all Everything random
• Aim of life was pleasure
• The highest pleasure was absence of pain
• Pleasure of the mind was preferable to that of
  the body
• The soul dies with the body, so we must not fear
  death or afterlife
• The gods exist but do not concern themselves with
  humanity or natural phenomena (all of which can
  be explained scientifically)
• Should avoid public life and emotional
  commitments in order to escape the pains likely
  to be caused by them
• Withdraw from worldly affairs

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Hellenistic Philosophy

• Stoicism
• Zeno of Citium founded 300 BC
• Most influential philosophy among educated
• All humans are subject to universal laws.
• Simple divine plan governs the universe
• One must follow this plan to find happiness
• By living in harmony with nature, one gains
  peace of mind and the reward of virtue
• Universe functions according to a preordained
  cyclic pattern of occurrences. Nothing that
  happens is new, and it all happens for a reason.
• By cultivating self discipline, people learn to
  accept their fate and become immune to earthly
  anxieties
• Achieve inner freedom and tranquility
• Duty to participate in public affairs

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Mystery Religions

• Religion of the common people
• Syncretism - fusion of beliefs
• Religion with secret wisdom
• Beliefs, practices, and the religion's true
  nature are revealed only to those who have been
  initiated into its secrets
• Common cult components
• Sacred symbols rites with personal spiritual
  magical efficacy
• Purification rituals
• Baptisms and other initiation rites and
  sacraments
• Initiation be divided into several stages through
  which an adherent had to ascend to obtain
  knowledge
• Central theme of life-death-rebirth cycle
• Promise of afterlife to initiates

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Mystery Religions

• Eleusinian Mysteries
• Popular cult of Demeter and Persephone based at
  Eleusis in Greece
• Initiation rites united the worshipper with god,
  and included promises of divine power and rewards
  in life after death
• Isis - goddess in Egyptian mythology
• Extremely popular in Hellenistic Roman world
• Osiris-Dionysus
• Attempt to merge Egyptian and Greek philosophy
• Dying and resurrection mythology

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7 Wonders of the World

• Tourist attractions of the Hellenistic world
• Number of ancient lists
• Earliest list - Antipater of Sidon c. 125 BC
• 1. Pyramids of Khufu
• 26th century BC
• 2. Hanging Gardens of Babylon
• 6th century BC
• 3. Temple of Artemis
• 6th century BC
• 4. Statue of  Zeus
• 5th century BC
• 5. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
• 4th century BC
• 6. Colossus of Rhodes
• 3rd century BC
• 7. Lighthouse of Alexandria
• 3rd century BC

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The Temple of Artemis

• City of Ephesus - Western Turkey
• First shrine to Goddess Artemis built around 800
  B.C.
• Goddess of fertility
• First temple burnt in 356 BC - Herostratus
• New temple - 425 ft long 225 ft wide - 127
  columns
• Parthenon 230 ft long, 100 ft wide 58
  columns
• Major tourist attraction
• Souvenirs religious items including
  miniature statues of Artemis
• Destroyed by Goths in 262 A.D
• Few remains today
• Marble salvaged for local building needs

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Hanging Gardens Of Babylon - Iraq

• Garden built by King Nebuchadnezzar, who ruled
  the city for 43 years starting in 605 BC
• Strabo described them as groups of vaulted
  terraces raised one above another
• Built to cheer up Nebuchadnezzar's homesick wife,
  Amyitis from Medes
• Land she came from was green, rugged and
  mountainous, and she found the flat, sun-baked
  terrain of Mesopotamia depressing.

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The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

• Western Turkey
• Mausolus, with his queen Artemisia (also sister),
  ruled over Halicarnassus the surrounding
  territory for 24 years
• In 353 B.C. Mausolus died
• Artemisia, heartbroken, decided to build the
  worlds most splendid tomb
• Stood above the city ruins for some 17 centuries
  until destroyed by an earthquake in 1404 AD

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The Great Pharos Lighthouse

• Alexandria, Egypt founded by Alexander in 332 BC
• Under Ptolemys the city became rich and
  prosperous
• City needed both a symbol a mechanism to guide
  the many trade ships into the busy harbor
• Built on the island of Pharos
• Building of the Pharos started in 290 B.C
• Took 20 years to complete
• Became tallest building in existence, with the
  exception of the Great Pyramid
• Became big tourist attraction
• Damaged by earthquakes
• Finally collapsed in 1306 AD

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The Great Pyramids of Giza

• Pharaoh Khufu 2400 BC
• Only remaining wonder
• 756 feet long 450 high
• Tallest man-made structure for over 4400 years
  until 1889 - Eiffel Tower
• Composed of 2,300,000 blocks of stone
• Originally covered by a beautiful smooth
  limestone surfacing
• Khufus tomb and treasure has never been found

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The Colossus of Rhodes

• Island of Rhodes was an important economic center
• Southwestern tip of Asia Minor
• Held off a siege of city for over a year
• Celebrated the victory by building huge statue
• Melted metal from war machines left behind
• Construction took 12 years
• 110 high and stood upon a 50 foot pedestal near
  the harbor
• Destroyed by earthquake after 56 years

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Statue of Zeus

• Temple of Zeus at Olympia constructed 470 to
  460 B.C.
• Similar to Parthenon in design
• Needed a magnificent statue of Zeus
• 50 feet high
• Phidias sculptor
• Statue of Athena in the Parthenon