Full Answer
What should I know about the Hellenistic period?
The Hellenistic period or Hellenistic civilization is the period of ancient Greek and Mediterranean history between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire as signified by the Battle of Actium in 31 BC and the subsequent conquest of Ptolemaic Egypt in 30 BC.
What were the major philosophies of the Hellenistic period?
What were the major philosophies of the Hellenistic period? The two schools of thought that dominated Hellenistic philosophy were Stoicism, as introduced by Zeno of Citium, and the writings of Epikouros. Stoicism, which was also greatly enriched and modified by Zeno’s successors, notably Chrysippos (ca. 280–207 B.C.), divided philosophy ...
What was Hellenistic culture and how did it begin?
The Hellenistic culture started during the period where Phillip II and Alexander the Great ruled Macedonia, a nation located north of Ancient Greece. Phillip II, Alexander’s father had a dream to rule the entire world. He takes over the civilization of Ancient Greece.
What Empire ended the Hellenistic age?
The end of the Hellenistic period is variously attributed to the Roman conquest of the Greek peninsula in 146 BC and Octavian’s defeat of Ptolemaic Egypt in 31-30 BC. When Alexander’s empire broke up, the multiple realms that arose in its place, including the Seleucid and the Ptolemaic, supported the continued expression of Greek culture and its mixture with local culture.
What is the Hellenistic period?
Definition. The Hellenistic Period is a part of the Ancient Period for the European and Near Asian space. The use of this period is justified by the extent of the Hellenic culture in most of these areas, due to the Greek political presence especially in Asia after Alexander 's conquests, but also to a new wave of Greek colonization.
Who lived during the Hellenistic period?
Aristotle the father of modern sciences, Menander the great comedies' author, Epicure the moralist, Eratosthenes, but also Euclid, Archimedes, and Polybius lived and worked during the Hellenistic Period.
Why were mercenaries more commonly used in Hellenistic armies?
At the same time, mercenaries were more frequently used in Hellenistic armies, in order to face the military and technical evolution which greatly increased the cost for equip a civic army. The best example is the fame and the use of the Galatians by the Hellenistic kingdoms. Perseus, Macedonian Silver Tetradrachm.
Why was the Hellenic period justified?
The use of this period is justified by the extent of the Hellenic culture in most of these areas, due to the Greek political presence especially in Asia after Alexander 's conquests, but also to a new wave of Greek colonization.
Where did the Roman Empire expand?
At the end of the Hellenistic Period the young Roman empire had almost reached its maximum expansion, from Lusitania (modern Portugal) to Syria and from South- Britain to Egypt.
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What was the Hellenistic age?
Hellenistic age, in the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, the period between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 bce and the conquest of Egypt by Rome in 30 bce. For some purposes the period is extended for a further three and a half centuries, to the move by Constantine the Great of his capital to Constantinople (Byzantium) in 330 ce. From the breakup of Alexander’s empire there arose numerous realms, including the Macedonian, the Seleucid, and the Ptolemaic, that served as the framework for the spread of Greek (Hellenic) culture, the mixture of Greek with other populations, and the fusion of Greek and Eastern elements.
Who was the Greek general who aspired to establish an independent kingdom?
His firmness and tact were popular with the Greek cities. Of the generals in Babylon, it was Ptolemy ( c. 367/366–283) who calculated from the first that the empire would not hold together. He secured for himself the governorship of Egypt, where he aspired to set up an independent kingdom.
Who was Antigonus Monophthalmos?
For almost 10 years he had been governing Phrygia and had shown himself a brave soldier and competent administrator. His firmness and tact were popular with the Greek cities.
When did Constantinople move to Byzantium?
For some purposes the period is extended for a further three and a half centuries, to the move by Constantine the Great of his capital to Constantinople (Byzantium) in 330 ce.
Who pushed the Celts down into Greece?
At this point, migrating Celts under the command of Bolgius and Brennus caused an added complication, not least by the defeat and death of Ceraunus. Brennus pushed down into Greece but was repulsed by the Aetolians.
Who was Alexander the Great's mother?
Olympias, Alexander the Great’s terrible mother, had eliminated Philip III. Cassander had her put to death, while keeping Rhoxane and Alexander IV under his protection—or guard. Antigonus was now the dominant figure of the old brigade. Cassander, Ptolemy, and Lysimachus formed a coalition against him.
What was the Hellenistic period?
The Hellenistic period was a time when Greek culture spread throughout and influenced Southwest Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean regions. In this lesson, you'll learn about the history of Hellenistic society and culture and learn what the term 'Hellenistic' actually means. Create an account.
What religion was the Hellenistic period based on?
The religion of the Hellenistic period and its peoples was predominately polytheistic, meaning it was based on the belief in many gods and goddesses. The gods and goddesses of the Greeks, the Egyptians, and the Persians were all worshipped together.
What were the Hellenistic art schools?
Many different philosophical schools such as the Stoics, Epicureans and Skeptics emerged during this time. When it came to art, Hellenistic artists were extremely detail-oriented, and their artwork often focused on realism; however, sculpture tended to focus on gods and goddesses, as well as real and mythological heroes.
How did Alexander the Great start the process of cultural fusion?
So, how did Alexander the Great start this process of cultural fusion? First, his army was an international force comprised of people from highly diversified backgrounds. While on military campaigns, Alexander encouraged his men to take wives from foreign lands and he himself married several women from the east. When he conquered the Persian Empire, he took up many of their customs. For instance, he wore the traditional clothing of a Persian king and used Persians as administrators. Rather than suppressing the cultures in the areas he conquered, Alexander adopted their customs for his own use and taught conquered peoples his own traditions, as well. This sharing of Greek and native customs became a part of life for both the Greeks and non-Greeks alike in the areas Alexander conquered. In this way, he began an era of cultural synthesis that would continue long after his death.
What were the changes in science during the Hellenistic period?
The Hellenistic city of Alexandria became the center for philosophical thought and scholastic research , where everything from astronomy to engineering and philosophy to mathematics was studied.
What was the Greek government modeled after?
For instance, the government was still modeled after the Greek polis, or city-state. This meant that the councils and assemblies were still based on Greek ideals of citizenship and political participation. As such, the Greeks dominated politics in these cities.
What is a coin with the bust of Heracles?
A coin with the bust of Heracles from the Hellenistic Period. During this time, Greeks still practiced their traditional polytheistic religion, which was based on the belief of many gods and goddesses. However, new traditions emerged as the gods and goddesses of other regions influenced their beliefs and their society.
What is the Hellenistic period?
Historians call this era the “Hellenistic period.” (The word “Hellenistic” comes from the word Hellazein, which means “to speak Greek or identify with the Greeks.”) It lasted from the death of Alexander in 323 B.C. until 31 B.C., when Roman troops conquered the last of the territories that the Macedonian king had once ruled.
What was the end of the Hellenistic Age?
Hellenistic Art. The End of the Hellenistic Age. In 336 B.C., Alexander the Great became the leader of the Greek kingdom of Macedonia. By the time he died 13 years later, Alexander had built an empire that stretched from Greece all the way to India. That brief but thorough empire-building campaign changed the world: It spread Greek ideas ...
What language did the Hellenistic people speak?
Almost everyone in the former Alexandrian empire spoke and read the same language: koine, or “the common tongue,” a kind of colloquial Greek.
What are some of the most famous works of Hellenistic art?
Famous works of Hellenistic Art include “Winged Victory of Samothrace,” “Laocoön and His Sons,” “Venus de Milo,” “Dying Gaul,” “Boy With Thorn” and “Boxer at Rest,” among others.
What is the alienation of Hellenistic art?
In Hellenistic art and literature, this alienation expressed itself in a rejection of the collective demos and an emphasis on the individual. For example, sculptures and paintings represented actual people rather than idealized “types.”
What was the Greek city state at the end of the classical period?
At the end of the classical period, around 360 B.C., the Greek city-states were weak and disorganized from two centuries of warfare. (First the Athenians fought with the Persians; then the Spartans fought with the Athenians during the Peloponnesian War; then the Spartans and the Athenians fought with one another and with the Thebans and the Persians.) All this fighting made it easy for another, previously unexceptional city-state to rise to power: Macedonia, under the assertive rule of King Philip II.
How old was Alexander the Great when he became the leader of Macedonia?
Did you know? Alexander the Great was just 20 years old when he became the leader of Macedonia.
What was the Hellenistic period?
The three centuries of Greek history between the death of the Macedonian king Alexander the Great in 323 B.C.E. and the rise of Augustus in Rome in 31 B.C.E. are collectively known as the Hellenistic period (1). When he died, Alexander the Great left his extensive conquered territory without a clear line of succession and his strongest generals divided it up into several vast kingdoms. The new independent governments, along with the spread of Greek culture as far away as India, paved the way for dramatic changes to the ways that Greeks viewed themselves and the world around them.
How did architecture affect the Hellenistic period?
The arts flourished in the Hellenistic period as artists explored new ways of representing emotional effects, individual experiences, and ornate details. Architecture became a means of expressing an interest in the dramatic (4) through enormous buildings, as well as surprising vistas, as at the sanctuary of Athena on the island of Lindos, and innovative design, as at the Sanctuary of Apollo at Didyma. Religious buildings were often designed to give visitors a physical and emotional experience that matched their religious experience; they were meant to evoke feelings of awe, revelation, and delight (5).
What was the last era of Greek civilization?
Despite the flowering of cultural exchange and artistic innovation, the Hellenistic period is the last era of independent Greek civilization, reaching to the end of its dominance as a new power emerged in the west. Rome had already conquered the Greek cities and towns in southern Italy and Sicily, including Paestum and Syracuse, and was eager to add mainland Greece and the rest of the Hellenistic kingdoms to its expanding empire. In 146 B.C.E., the Romans sacked Corinth and in 86 B.C.E., Athens fell to a siege by Roman troops. Although Greece was a captured territory, however, Romans respected and indeed emulated many aspects of Greek culture. Art was moved in great quanitites from Greece to Rome and was widely copied by Roman artists in sculpture, painting, and architecture (8). In fact, when discussing the capture of Greece, the Roman poet Horace ( Epistles 2.1.156-157) wrote (8):
What was the name of the family that ruled the Hellenistic world?
In some parts of the Hellenistic world, such as Egypt, which was ruled in the Hellenistic period by a family called the Ptolemies, a long tradition of ruler worship had already existed, but in other areas, which had no such tradition, ruler worship did not catch on as quickly or strongly (3).
What were the changes in Greek religion?
Social and cultural changes also brought about changes in Greek religious practices. Individualistic feelings contributed to a new fascination with mystery cults, which often promised reward in the form of a better afterlife (2). New deities were introduced to Greece from areas such as Egypt and Syria, a result of cosmopolitanism and cultural exchange. Ruler-cults became common as Hellenistic kings and queens began to be worshipped alongside gods. In some parts of the Hellenistic world, such as Egypt, which was ruled in the Hellenistic period by a family called the Ptolemies, a long tradition of ruler worship had already existed, but in other areas, which had no such tradition, ruler worship did not catch on as quickly or strongly (3).
How did Alexander the Great influence Greek culture?
Greek art and life had always been influenced by other cultures, but the expansion in territory during Alexander the Great's conquests brought greater possibilities for mutual cultural exchanges. These exchanges led to a new cosmopolitanism in the Greek world and influenced the desire to understand, appreciate, and represent the diversity of individual peoples. Greater mobility made possible by territorial expansion also encouraged people to seek a sense of purpose and belonging. Philosophy and other intellectual pursuits, which developed in great strides during the Hellenistic period, provided a means of exploring one's emotions and seeing the world and it was during this time that philosophers such as Epicurus (341-270 B.C.E.) and Diogenes of Sinope (c. 404-323 B.C.E.) found their followings and influenced the succeeding generations.
Which country captured its uncivilized conquerer and brought the arts to rustic Latium?
Captive Greece captured its uncivilized conquerer and brought the arts to rustic Latium
What Was the Hellenistic Period?
What is the Hellenistic Era? The Hellenistic Period is an era in Greek and world history that spanned the period between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the defeat of Marc Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC.
The Hellenistic Era: Background
When was the Hellenistic Era? While the Hellenistic Era began with the death of Alexander in 323 BC, it ended at different times in different parts of the world. One of the reasons for this is the gradual expansion of the Roman Empire out of Italy and into the rest of the Mediterranean region.
The Hellenistic Period in Greece
Hellenism took on different forms in different parts of the world. In Greece, for instance, a series of civil wars between the various didochi once again resulted in the region being divided into different kingdoms.
Hellenization and the Characteristics of Hellenistic Culture
The key element that defines Hellenism is the spread of the Greek language and Greek culture throughout much of the Mediterranean world and the Middle East. One aspect of this was the establishment of new poleis (sing. polis) throughout this region.
Hellenistic period
The successors to Alexander’s empire split the new Greek world, which now ran to the borders of India in the east and the Sudan in the south, into separate kingdoms.
Roman and early Christian
Rome before the Etruscan advent was a small conglomeration of villages. It was under the new masters that, according to tradition, the first public works such as the walls of the Capitoline Hill and the Cloaca Maxima were constructed. Considerable evidence of the Etruscan period in Rome’s history has come to light in the region of the Capitol.
Origin of the term
The term “Hellenistic” emerged in the 19th century , specifically in the work of the German historian Johann Gustav Droysen ( History of Hellenism , 1836), taking the name by which the Ancient Greeks called their cultural region: Hellas, which translates into ancient Greek “Set of women”.
Background
The Macedonian Empire was in charge of Philip II until the first third of the fourth century, when Alexander III, also called Alexander the Great, took office in 336 BC. This new king ruled for just 13 years, from his two decades of age, and during that period he carried out the fastest and most powerful conquest in all of ancient history.
The diádocos
The diádocos accompanied Alexander the Great in his fight against the Persians.
The epigones
The epigones (or “successors”) of the diádocos, achieved a precarious balance between the three great Macedonian dynasties : Macedonia and mainland Greece were ruled by the Antigonids (descendants of Antigonus); Egypt, Cyprus and Cilicia by the Lagidas; Asia Minor, Syria, Mesopotamia, and western Persia became the Seleucid Empire.
Fall to the Romans
The Roman Empire would take more than three centuries to conquer the entire Middle East.
Religion and philosophy
During the Hellenistic period there was a departure from the formal sciences.
Science in Hellenism
The departure from the philosophy of science allowed them to be born in this period as a separate field, and they flourished thanks to patronage .
Hellenistic Greek Art History
When Alexander led the Greeks to triumph, he split the captured regions among his commanders, the Diadochi. The Near Eastern Seleucids, the Egyptian Ptolemies, and the Macedonian Antigonids were all born in these countries. Other lands formed leagues, such as the Achaean and Aetolian Leagues.
Hellenistic Statues and Sculptures
After 293 BC, sculpting fell considerably. After that, there was a period of stasis, with a relatively short reemergence after 153 BC, but nothing up to the quality benchmark of the periods before it. Sculpture grew increasingly lifelike and expressive throughout this period, with an emphasis on conveying extremes of expression.
Mosaics and Paintings of the Hellenistic Era
Paintings and mosaics were major mediums in Hellenistic Greek art. However, no instances of paintings on panels escaped the Roman conquest. Related media and what appear to be replicas of or loose extensions from artworks in a wider range of materials might give some notion of what they were like.
