Western Civilization I HIS-101 Unit 4 – Late Classical and Hellenistic Greece
Dec 25, 2015
Western Civilization IHIS-101
Unit 4 – Late Classical and Hellenistic Greece
Sparta in Charge After 404 BCE, Sparta was the superior power
in Greece Took on a policy of “what was good for Sparta was
good for everyone else” Very heavy handed to the other Greek poleis They were overextended so endured helot revolts
Sparta began planning a war against Persia Hope was to unify Greece again as a way of
maintaining its position Plan was to recover Ionia which was lost during the
Peloponnesian War Persians offered economic aid to those who
fought Sparta Athens, Thebes, Corinth, and Argos all accepted
Corinthian War (395-387 BCE) Corinthian War (395-387 BCE)
Between the Athenian coalition and Sparta The coalition quickly won key battles because of their
naval superiority Athens was able to regain old Delian League territory Persia did not like this and withdrew its support in
392 BCE Persians gave economic aid to Sparta instead Spartan was then able to easily defeated the coalition Athens sued for peace in 387 BCE
Peace of Antalcidas (387 BCE) Negotiated between Persia, Athens, and Sparta Athens had to give up control of the Aegean Persia got to keep Ionia as well as Cyprus
Coin of Artaxerxes II of Persia
Trouble for Sparta After the, Sparta kept up its harsh policies
“Dangerous” poleis were dismantled into smaller units Thebes became a “hot spot” for Sparta
It started as an ally to Sparta but joined the Athenian coalition
After the war, they allied with Sparta again Seizing Thebes (382 BCE)
Spartan general, Phoebidas, was travelling by Thebes He placed troops in Thebes citing civil unrest Seized the acropolis and forced out any anti-Spartan
factions Exiled Thebans turned to Athens for help Inside of Thebes, resistance formed under
Epaminondas, politician and military leader
Epaminondas (c. 404-362 BCE)
Theban Dominance In 379 BCE, the Thebans led a coup against the
Spartans Drove out the Spartan troops Executed the pro-Spartan politicians Sparta tried to retake the city three times over the next
seven years but failed The Sacred Band of Thebes
This was a fighting force organized of 150 homosexual couples
The logic behind it was that lovers would fight side by side more fiercely
The inspiration came from Plato who argued that lovers would not surrender: “He would be ready to die a thousand deaths rather than endure this [embarrassment]. Or who would desert his beloved or fail him in the hour of danger?”
Theban Dominance Battle of Leuctra (371 BCE)
Key battle between Thebes and Sparta Thebans cleanly defeated Spartans
Theban troops then traveled to Messenia There they set the helots free These were people who had been enslaved for
over 200 years Thebes became the dominant power until 362
BCE This was when Epaminondas was killed in the
Battle of Mantinea
Extent of Theban Power (c. 362 BCE)
Economic Crisis All the wars led to economic crises in all the
poleis Many lost their wealth and their homes Crops and orchards had been destroyed
Damage to the olive trees and grapevines Standard of living dropped dramatically
Wages were stagnant but prices increased as much as 50%
Taxes were increased to rebuild the city funds Unemployment was very high
Many soldiers were forced to become mercenaries while others became bandits
Plato (429-349
BCE)
Philosophy and the Polis In late Classical Period, philosophers changed their
focus They turned to the discussion of the ideal form of
government Two major philosophers: Plato and Aristotle
Knew there was something wrong with 4th century BCE polis Both attempted to come up with ways to fix it
Plato (429-349 BCE) Was originally a student of Socrates Wanted to prove Socrates’ innocence after his trial and
death Set up the Academy in 387 BCE Plato wrote the dialogues: the Phaedo, the Symposium, and
the Republic
Plato (429-349 BCE) Doctrine of Ideas
Things were relative but that should not be the foundation of philosophy
Believed in a higher, spiritual realm where there are eternal forms, or Ideas, that are unchanging
The Ideas are true reality but only our mind can grasp the Ideas, not our senses
Therefore you cannot trust the material world Ideas include objects but also more complex Ideas
such as beauty and justice The material world is a shadow of the real world What we see are copies of the Ideas, a shadow of
them Highest Idea was Good which could be achieved by
leading a virtuous life
Plato (429-349 BCE) In politics: social harmony is more important
than liberty or equality Leadership was based on a meritocracy
Believed that society was divided into three tiers: The Producers – These are the ones who are
responsible for keeping society running The Guardians – These are the ones who are
responsible for protecting society The Philosopher Kings – The one(s) responsible for
ruling the state based on Ideas of virtue and goodness
Aristotle (384-322
BCE)
Aristotle (384-322 BCE) Aristotle (384-322 BCE)
Aristotle had been a student of Plato Did not ignore the material world He in a compromise between Platonism and pure
materialism He wrote about teleology
The universe is in a constant state of motion Everything is moving towards its ultimate perfected
form (telos) Had a different view towards politics than Plato
Plato saw government as a means to an end (the Idea of Good)
Aristotle saw it as the end itself, the “good life”
Aristotle (384-322 BCE) Politics allowed humanity to fully use its rational
thought Women were not allowed to participate in government He also believed “barbarians” were not fully human
and should be kept as slaves Best government: combination monarchy,
aristocracy, and democracy Use a checks and balances system Allow men to realize their full rational potential
Both Plato and Aristotle tried to fix the problems of the polis They were not practical for the time Athens and Thebes were too big for the ideal polis The best option was to turn poleis into small,
agricultural states
Greek World c. 359 BCE
Rise of Macedonia To the north Macedonia was rising in power
Ignored by the Greeks Macedonians were “barbarians”
Perdiccas I (700-678 BCE) Historians believe he organized the Macedonian state Founded Argead dynasty Direct descendants of Hercules according to legend
Early Macedonia A conglomerate of rural tribes with no city-states
Archelaus (c. 413-399) Organized into a kingdom Faced numerous threats from outside Constantly on the brink of collapse
Rise of Macedonia Alexander II (370-368 BCE)
Struggled to keep the throne Forced into an alliance with Thebes Was forced to send a number of hostages to
secure alliance Philip was one of Alexander’s brothers
Sent to Thebes between 368 and 365 BCE Thebes was dominant during this time Observed the latest Greek military developments,
including the Sacred Band Developed a love of Greek culture When Philip returned, discovered Alexander had
been assassinated
Rise of Macedonia Perdiccas III (368-359 BCE)
Philip’s next oldest brother Philip rebuilt the army based on the Greek model In 359 BCE, Perdiccas was killed in battle against
the Illyrians Amyntas IV (359 BCE)
Perdiccas’ infant son Philip became his regent Soon after, Philip took the throne for himself
Macedonia was on the brink of collapse Threats from both Illyria and Thebes Internal struggles Pretenders to the throne
Philip II (359-336 BCE)
Philip II (359-336 BCE) Main focus was reorganizing the military Two parts to the military:
The Companions – Nobility made up this elite cavalry The Phalanx – Made up of trained peasants and
shepherds Different from the Greek phalanx
Used a sarissa, a spear approximately 18 feet long When held vertically by the rear guard, it helped to
hide the maneuvers taking place behind the phalanx from the enemy
When held horizontal by the front rows of the phalanx, it was an 18 foot long piercing weapon
By the spring of 358 BCE, Philip had amassed a 10,000 man army and 600 man cavalry
Macedonian Phalanx
Philip II (359-336 BCE) Securing power
Philip quickly defeated all pretenders to the throne Defeated the Illyrians Secured a number of alliances through marriage Had seven wives over the course of his life
Once Macedonia was secure, Philip was able to focus on his next objective: Persia Persia was the biggest threat to Macedonia He needed a clear land path to Persia through
Thrace This was going to lead to conflict with Greece,
especially Athens
Philip II (359-336 BCE) Philip wanted the city of Amphipolis
Would secure his eastern border but gain a route to Thrace
Very wealthy city as the deposit for the gold and silver mines of the region
However, Athens was in control of the city at the time Social War (357-355 BCE)
Between Second Athenian Empire and some of its allies
Chios, Rhodes, and Cos attempted to break away from the Empire
This meant that Athens was distracted In 357 BCE, Philip took the city
Athens was infuriated but could do nothing
Philip II (359-336 BCE) Philip offered to trade Amphipolis for the port
city of Pydna Athens agreed but Philip decided to keep both of
the cities In 356 BCE, Philip conquered Crenides
This meant he would be a threat to the Thracians Area was rich in precious ore He renamed the city Philippi
In 355 BCE, he lay siege to the port city of Methone Athens was in no shape to intervene The city fell in 354 BCE
Philip II (359-336 BCE) Third Sacred War (356-346 BCE)
War between the Theban led Delphic Amphictyonic League and Phocis
The League imposed a heavy fine on Phocis for “cultivating sacred land”
Thebes wanted to invaded Phocis Phocians refused to pay, attacked Delphi, and raided
the treasury of the Temple of Apollo All of this was considered sacrilege Thebes now had legal and religious reasons to attack
Phocis All of Greece took one of the two sides in the war Athens joined Thebes but could not be very effective
Philip II (359-336 BCE) Philip was able to use the conflict to secure
his own interests Larissa and Thebes turned to him for help He was able to take Thessaly in northern Greece
in 352 BCE By the end of 346 BCE, the major powers of
Greece were greatly weakened Philip emerged at the dominant leader
Greeks reaction to Philip was mixed One side saw him a ruthless barbarian who was
poised to invade Greece Others saw him as a possible savior
Philip II (359-336 BCE) In 345, Philip went to war with Illyria
Was able to secure that border In 342, he turned to Thrace
Removed the king there In 340 BCE, he lay siege to Byzantium and
Perinthos Both of these controlled the straits to the Black Sea Philip needed control to get to Persia
This angered Athens so they made an alliance with the two cities They organized an alliance including Thebes and
Boetia They declared war on Philip in 339 BCE
Demosthenes (384-322 BCE)
Philip II (359-336 BCE) Fourth Sacred War (339-338 BCE)
Between Philip and the Greek alliance Largest battle took place at Chaeronea
Battle of Chaeronea (August 22, 338 BCE) Philip had half his army: 30,000 infantry and 2,000
cavalry Alliance had a combined force of 35,000 Philip won 5,000 Athenians were killed compared to the
3,800 Macedonians Only 46 of the Theban Sacred Band survived
Philip II (359-336 BCE) With the Greeks defeated, Philip focused on peace
He wanted friendly neighbors to the south This way, he could focus his attention on Persia
Corinthian League Philip was the leader of the league and each state
remained autonomous States were not allowed to take up arms against any
other member of the league They were not allowed to break any agreements with
Philip The main purpose of the league was military Greeks were to provide military forces for the invasion
of Persia
Philip II (359-336 BCE) In 336 BCE, Philip then began planning the
invasion Sent advance troops out to Asia in the spring Planned on joining them that fall
In October 336 BCE, Philip was assassinated Took place at the celebration of his daughter’s
wedding The assassin, Pausanias, was a bodyguard of Philip’s
and supposedly a disgruntled lover Pausanias was caught soon after tripping over a vine
while escaping and was subsequently killed This left 20-year old son, Alexander III, with the
crown
Macedonia and its Territories (c. 336 BCE)
Alexander III (336-323 BCE)
Alexander the Great (336-323 BCE) The Legend
He was a legend not only amongst his own people but scholars as well
This makes it is very difficult to distinguish between fact and legend
During Alexander’s life, he was seen as almost god-like and many exaggerated stories were attributed to him
He viewed himself as a direct descendant of Hercules The facts
Successfully spread Greek culture and influence throughout the Near East all the way to Pakistan and Afghanistan
Expanded Greek power to never before seen heights
Alexander the Great (336-323 BCE) Early training
Under the tutelage of Aristotle (343-340 BCE) Philip trained him for kingship In 340 BCE, when Philip went away to battle,
Alexander was left in charge as regent Alexander was also brought along on military
campaigns At the Battle of Chaeronea, Alexander was given
control of the cavalry This prepared him for aspects of both ruling a
kingdom and being a military commander When he ascended to the throne, Alexander
needed to quickly assert his authority
Alexander the Great (336-323 BCE) Securing Macedonian borders
Subordinated the Thracians along the Danube River This cleared the path to Persia Killed all potential rivals to the throne He defeated the Illyrians who attempted to invade
Macedonia Trouble in Greece
A number of poleis revolted after hearing of Philip’s death
They were quickly put down In 335 BCE, Demosthenes lied stating that Alexander
had died in battle This sparked more revolts in both Athens and Thebes
Alexander the Great (336-323 BCE) Alexander went to Thebes first
He made it to the city in less than two weeks He completely destroyed the city Its territories were given to other Boeotian cities All of its citizens were either executed (6,000) or
sold into slavery (30,000) Athens and the other cities submitted to
Alexander Part of the negotiations included giving ships and
men to help conquer Persia Borders were secure so now he could move on
to Persia
Greek mosaic of Darius III
Conquest of Persia Persia was no longer the great power it had been
For the past two decades, it had be riddled with internal strife
Under the control of Darius III, it was not as strong as it used to be
Alexander still some key issues to deal with: Persia was weaker but it was still a strong state with a
strong military His navy was inferior to the Persian one He did not have enough money to fund such an
extensive campaign This meant quick victories and living off the countryside
to get the resources they needed to continue
Conquest of Persia Invasion began in 334 BCE
Started in Asia Minor Alexander had over 30,000 infantry troops Half were Macedonian The rest came from the Greek allies or were
mercenaries He also had 5,000 cavalry
His first stop was in Troy At the time it was known as Illum Paid tribute to Homer whom he had idolized Supposedly, he kept a copy of the Illiad along with
a dagger under his pillow at night
Conquest of Persia Battle at Granicus River (May 334 BCE)
First battle against the Persians Crossed the river at nighttime Attacked the Persian troops at dawn during their
morning rituals This was a major victory for him
By the spring of 333 BCE, Alexander had “liberated” the Ionian Greeks He had freed them of Persian control, but stepped
in as their new ruler He also controlled the western half of Asia Minor
Conquest of Persia Battle of Issus (November 333 BCE)
Persian troops were led by Darius III He had only 40,000 troops while the Persians had
100,000 Alexander used the geography to his advantage: a
narrow field surrounded on three sides by mountains This negated the difference in numbers Darius fled the battle early on Alexander captured his family
Alexander’s field marshal, Parmenio, raided Darius’ treasury in Damascus Seized over 55 tons of gold and of silver He captured numerous servants and all of the women
who had lived at Darius' court Required over 7,000 pack animals to carry all of the
loot
Conquest of Persia Alexander used the gold and silver to mint new
coins in his image Darius attempted to negotiate a peace with
Alexander Alexander would be able to keep western Asia Minor
in return for Darius’ family Parmenion supposedly said “'I would accept it, if I
were Alexander.” “So would I,” replied Alexander, “if I were
Parmenion.” Alexander refused
In his reply to Darius, he wrote “send to me as king of Asia; do not write to me as an equal, but state your demands to the master of all your possessions”
Coin of Alexander the Great
Conquest of Persia Alexander next conquered the Levant
Including the port cities of Tyre and Gaza Cut off the Persian navy from the Mediterranean
Capture of Egypt (November 332 BCE) Took control of Egypt without a fight He took the title of pharaoh He also built his first city to be named after him
(Alexandria) Darius then offered a new treaty which would
give Alexander: All lands west of the Euphrates River A large ransom for the return of Darius’ family Darius’ daughter for a bride
Conquest of Persia Alexander refused
He believed that he could take the territory himself anyways
Also, if he accepted, he would have to constantly worry about securing his frontiers from the Persians
After a few month’s rest, Alexander then moved his troops into the Near East
Battle at Gaugamela (October 331 BCE) Alexander was outnumber approximately 90,000 to
40,000 Darius had chosen the battlefield: a wide, open plain,
good for the Persian chariots Alexander managed to break the Persian line and win
the battle Darius once again fled the battle Alexander chased him for three days
Ivory relief depicting the Battle of Gaugamela
Capture of Darius Alexander then went on to take the cities of
Babylon and Susa The Babylonians gave him the title “king of the
world” In January 330 BCE, he took the Persian capital
at Persepolis Alexander allowed his troops to loot the cities for
themselves The city was burned to the ground in retaliation for
the burning of Athens in 480 BCE At this point, he gave himself the title King of Asia
Darius fled to the satrapy of Bactria (modern Afghanistan)
Capture of Darius When Darius he arrived in Bactria, he was
promptly arrested by the satrap Bessus Bessus attempted to negotiate Darius’ fate with
Alexander Alexander was in a tough spot
If he took Darius from Bessus, he would have to grant independence to the satrapy
If he had Darius killed, he would never win the loyalty of the Persians
If he did not kill Darius, he would remain a threat Alexander opted to not negotiate with Bessus
Instead, he sent his troops further west towards Bactria
Capture of Darius In July 330 BCE, Bessus had Darius murdered
He then crowned himself as Artaxerxes V of Persia Led a resistance movement against Alexander
Bessus was captured by Alexander in 329 BCE Alexander had his ears and nose cut off There was Persian precedence for this Then he was given to Darius’ brother, Oxyathres
Bessus was crucified in the summer 329 BCE Oxyathres put in orders to the guards to keep the
vultures away Tied to Zoroastrianism: the dead must be
devoured by the birds to move on into the afterlife Darius was given a state burial by Alexander
The Punishment of Bessus by Andre Castaigne (c.1898)
Move into India Capturing the rest of Persia (329-327 BCE)
Alexander was focused on capturing what was left of Persia
Faced intense guerrilla warfare in Bactria and Sogdiana
By 327 BCE, he had complete control of Persia Alexander next pushed into India Battle of Hydaspes – (May 326 BCE)
Faced King Porus of India First time Alexander saw elephants in battle Alexander defeated and captured Porus’ Then made him satrap of his own kingdom Alexander also lost his horse during this battle and
named a city, Bucephala, after it
Battle of Hydaspes by Andre Castaigne (c.1911)
Return Home Alexander reached the Beas River in July 326 BCE By this point, Alexander’s troops refused to go
any farther They were exhausted from years of fighting There was no real plan after they defeated Persia
Alexander did agree to return home grudgingly He claimed he saw some bad omens, including an
eclipse of the moon Met heavy resistance traveling down the Indus
River Faced numerous battles with the local populations In one battle, Alexander was pierced through the lung
with an arrow
Return Home His troops traveled through the Gedrosian Desert
It was the one time of the year it was passable Took 60 days and suffered heavy losses
By May 323 BCE, Alexander returned to Babylon Started making plans for Caspian Sea and northern
Africa On June 10, 323 BCE, Alexander died
He was weak from numerous wounds and had a fever Modern speculation includes malaria, typhoid fever, or
meningitis Treatment included hellebore, a poisonous herb He consumed large amounts of alcohol over his
lifetime He was only 32 years old
Empire of Alexander the Great
Alexander’s Legacy Alexander ushered in the Hellenistic Era
Hellenistic means “to imitate Greeks” Marked a new era of Greek expansion of land and of
culture Alexander’s ideal was to blend the two cultures
Adopted many aspects of Persian culture Hired Persians as administrators Encouraged his men to marry Persian women Trained the Persians in Greek military tactics
He did set up new cities throughout his empire Many named after himself (Alexandria) Set up like a Greek polis and became the center of
Greek culture Supported the blending of the two cultures
Alexander’s Legacy His conquests also had a huge impact on
Greece itself Brought large amounts of gold and silver into
both Macedonia and Greece Helped stimulate the economy and create new
jobs Policies set precedents for future rulers
A strong monarchy backed by a strong military Showed an international army can be successful Transformed a solely Macedonian army into a truly
international one This army also showed loyalty only to him
Philip Arridaeus (c.356-317
BCE)
The Diadochi Huge power struggle after Alexander’s death
Between all of the possible successors (diadochi) Who should inherit the Empire? Alexander’s unborn child
Roxana was pregnant at the time of Alexander’s death
If the baby was a boy, he would be the legitimate heir This was led by Perdiccas, and the cavalry
Philip Arridaeus He was Alexander’s half-brother He was epileptic and supposedly “feeble-minded” This side was led by Meleager and the infantry
Wars of the Diadochi A compromise was made:
Philip Arridaeus would become king (Philip III) If Roxana gave birth to a son, he would co-rule with Philip Perdiccas would be the Regent Meleager would be his Lieutenant
Perdiccas did not want to share power Meleager murdered as well as other leaders of the
infantry He then went on to take full control of the empire
His supporters gained key positions throughout the empire
This included receiving their own satrapies He also had to put down revolts in Greece
Wars of the Diadochi Many did not like Perdiccas seizing power for himself
They united together against him and then against each other
Wars of the Diadochi (322-301 BCE) Four separate wars Struggles for power in various regions throughout the
empire Even though In 321 BCE, Perdiccas was murdered in 321
BCE, the remaining diadochi still fought for control Both Philip III and the young Alexander IV were killed
Why did Alexander’s empire fall? No one person strong enough to hold the empire together Some wanted to keep the empire together There were others who wanted to regain their
independence
Characteristics of Hellenistic Kingdoms The Hellenistic kingdoms were monarchies
Relatively new political system to the Greeks Most Greeks associated kingship with “barbarians” Held power through the use of military force
The ruling class was primarily of Greeks and Macedonians Only 2.5% of those who held power were non-Greeks Most of those were in the military Those in power prevented natives from being promoted
The armies consisted mainly of the phalanx and cavalry Some kings had armies as large as 60,000 Began using elephants as the “tanks of ancient
warfare” Development of new siege machinery (e.g., ballista)
Characteristics of Hellenistic Kingdoms There was the development of expansive trade routes
Due to Alexander’s conquests They went from Greece to the Persian Gulf and India Traded gold, silver, iron, gems, dyes, salt, elephants, and
slaves This brought a large amount of money through heavy
taxation There was the development of a money economy
Began with Alexander plundering the treasury at Damascus Most of the gold and silver was melted down into new Greek
coins Led to the development of banks—owned by both individuals
and the states—which gave out loans and took in deposits
Characteristics of Hellenistic Kingdoms Kingdoms also had those who were very poor
Agriculture was still the primary occupation Many citizens lived and worked on their own properties Some even had slaves to assist them They did not reap the benefits of the new trading system The poorest farmers suffered under the heavy taxation
There was a growth in the building of new cities More than 200 new cities were built Became massive centers for Greek politics and culture Migration was encouraged by the rulers Greeks artisans and merchants were brought in
Characteristics of Hellenistic Kingdoms Many Greeks did migrate throughout the kingdoms
Between 325-225 BCE, the population of mainland Greece declined by half
Many left to seek new jobs and fortunes in the new cities The Hellenistic polis was quite different than the
original Did try to recreate the polis, but this did not work as well Were not the autonomous city-states found on in Greece Depended heavily upon the Hellenistic monarchies Could not conduct their own foreign policy Were forced to pay tribute to the monarchs Were larger and much more cosmopolitan
Characteristics of Hellenistic Kingdoms There was a sense of “Greekness” that spread
throughout the kingdoms The citizens no longer had an intimate connection
with the politics of the polis Rather they saw themselves as “citizens of the
world” Even language was similar with the spread of the
koiné, which meant “common tongue” By 275 BCE, three main Hellenistic kingdoms
emerged Each had a blending of Greek and non-Greek culture Each were also very distinct and unique Each faced constant warfare Each struggle between the new Greco-Macedonian
ruling class and the native populations
Antigonid Macedonia Macedonia suffered from instability in the
years following Alexander’s death Did not enjoy the same type of wealth as the other
Hellenistic kingdoms had Remained politically unstable until 277 BCE
Antigonus II (277-239 BCE) Considered the start of the Hellenistic dynasty in
Macedonia Saw himself as a stoic leader Secured his borders in Macedonia while the other
diadochi fought for power Secured control for the Antigonid dynasty
Hellenistic Greece There were two powerful leagues in Greece:
Aetolian League in central Greece Achaean League in Peloponnesus
Wanted Greek freedom and war against the Macedonian “barbarians”
Not just defensive leagues Sense of unity Each had a unified centralized government Each of the member poleis participated in
government affairs All members had equal standing inside the league All held joint citizenship
First voluntary cooperation Was not forced upon them due to war or an outside
ruler
Ptolemy I (305-283
BCE)
Ptolemaic Egypt Ptolemy was appointed as satrap of Egypt in 323
BCE He had been one of Alexander’s generals He received the position as one of Perdiccas’
supporters Perdiccas was going to soon regret that decision
Ptolemy was in possession of Alexander’s corpse Through Macedonian tradition a king asserted his
right to the throne by burying the body of his predecessor
Ptolemy preempted Perdiccas from doing so by stealing the corpse and moving it to Memphis
Ptolemy also aligned himself with the side against Perdiccas
Ptolemaic Egypt First War of the Diadochi (322-320 BCE)
As part of this, Perdiccas tried to take Egypt back His troops had a hard time crossing the crocodile
infested Nile This, plus the harsh conditions under his rule, led to
a mutiny his troops He was murdered by his officers in 321 BCE
Ptolemy I (305-283 BCE) On November 7, 305 BCE, he openly became
pharaoh of the newly independent Egyptian kingdom
The Ptolemaic dynasty ruled Egypt until the death of Cleopatra VII in 30 BCE All of his male descendents took the name Ptolemy
Ptolemaic Egypt The first 80 years of the Ptolemaic dynasty were
very prosperous The Ptolemaic Era is characteristic of the
Hellenistic era The blend of Greek and non-Greek culture (Egyptian)
Alexandria became the capital of Egypt Became an important cultural and intellectual city Included the Alexandria museum and library It replaced Athens as the center of scholarship
Kings embraced Egyptian life and culture They built many temples for the Egyptian gods They also took on the persona of pharaoh in their
dress and mannerisms
Ptolemaic Egypt At the same time, the kings also retained much of
the Greek life Alexandria was fashioned in the Greek style The kings also held Greek festivals
The Egyptian Greeks had special privileges Subject to Greek laws Considered Greek citizens Received a Greek education
The Egyptians were not allowed into the Greek society
From 222 to 30 BCE, the Ptolemaic dynasty went into decline because of corruption and inept rulers
Seleucus (358-281
BCE)
Seleucid Asia Seleucus (c.358-281 BCE)
He was a low ranking officer under Alexander One of the officers who killed Perdiccas in Egypt
In 321 BCE, he was appointed satrap of Babylon This was a reward for betraying Perdiccas Unfortunately, he would not hold on to this In 316, he was forced to flee to Egypt during the
Second War of the Diadochi From 316-312 BCE, he allied with Ptolemy From 311-302 BCE, he worked to reclaim the
eastern part of the empire for himself
Seleucid Asia Seleucus I Nicator (305-385 BCE)
In 305 BCE, he named himself king By 281 BCE, he had control of all of Alexander’s former
empire in Asia He found it very difficult to control the eastern territories He settled a peace agreement with the Indians He returned their territories east of the Indus River for
peace and some war elephants He planned to invade Macedonia and Greece He was assassinated by the King of Macedonia Ptolemy
Keraunos in 281 BCE Seleucid’s successors had troubles holding the
empire In 262 BCE, they lost control of the western half of Asia
Minor In 255 BCE, they lost Bactria
Seleucid Asia Still, it continued to be a strong and very wealthy
kingdom Fusion of Greek and non-Greek cultures (Persian)
Antiochus I, Seleucus’ son, was half-Persian In the west, the population was heavily Greek In the east, it was more Persian
Government and new cities were Greek in nature This attracted Greeks to the kingdom Became thriving trade centers which brought wealth
to the Seleucid dynasty The Seleucid Empire lasted until 63 BCE
Epicurus (341-270 BCE)
Hellenistic Philosophy Hellenistic philosophy began after the death
of Aristotle Athens remained the center of philosophy Focus was now on more individualistic goals Three main schools dominated:
Epicureans Stoics Skeptics
Both Epicureanism and Stoicism sought ataraxia, or peace of mind However the methods were very different
Epicureanism Epicurus (341-270 BCE)
He founded his school, The Garden, in Athens He allowed women and slaves to attend
Work was based on Democritus (c.460–c.370 BCE) A pre-Socratic philosopher Theory of “atomism” - the universe is made up of
small indestructible, invisible atoms Epicurus believed that every person is a
fortuitous blending of atoms with no ultimate purpose The gods played no role in this whatsoever If there is no ultimate purpose to life, the highest
good would be the pursuit of pleasure
Epicureanism Pleasure included:
Pleasure in the physical sense, but in moderation Pleasure of the mind, serenity of the soul,
specifically freedom from anxiety and pain All that is good comes from pleasure, all that
is bad comes from pain He saw this as the basis of all moral distinction
How to be happy? Center our lives around friendship Avoid politics (it tends to lead to pain) Overall, live wisely and enjoy life Included not pursuing power or wealth (it will bring
pain)
Zeno of Citium (335-263 BCE)
Stoicism Zeno (335-263 BCE)
He lectured from the Painted Portico (Stoa Poikile) in Athens
He believed that the cosmos was ordered Accepting one’s fate is the best path to happiness
Includes the knowledge that order is good With this comes the serenity of the mind
Sought to achieve apatheia or absence of passion Use rational judgment to clear their minds of “passions”
(emotional problems) Done through concentration, reflection, and the study of
logic By mastering these methods one could achieve inner
peace Encouraged participation in government (exercise one’s
mind)
Skepticism Carneades (c.214–c.129)
If our senses are inaccurate, then all of our knowledge must be false
There are absolute truths but humans do not have the capabilities to discover those truths
We can give impressions of what something is but we cannot know what they really are
This means we cannot know what is right or wrong, what the supernatural consists of, or what the meaning of life is
Happiness is found by suspending judgment This includes ending the pursuit of discovering what
truth is No more arguments about what is “right” or “wrong”
Carneades (c.214–c.129)
Hellenistic Religion Greeks brought their religion to the Hellenistic
kingdoms It was based on ritual Over time lost their popularity
In its place, there was a rise in religious cults More personal compared to the civic-based Greek religion Found mainly in the eastern part of the kingdoms
The mystery cults rose in popularity during this period They had secret initiations and rites Believed in a path to salvation and eternal life based on a
union with god or goddess who had died and been reborn Usually included highly emotional experiences and
elaborate rituals
Dionysus
Cults of Isis and Dionysus Cult of Isis was one of the more popular mystery
cults Isis was the one who brought Osiris back from the dead It was also believed she was the one who brought law
and letters to mankind Very powerful cult in Egypt and became very popular in
Greek circles Cult of Dionysus
Based on the Greek god Dionysus Every year at winter, the Titans would kill Dionysus by
tearing him to pieces He would then be reborn each spring Cult members would become heavily intoxicated,
partake in orgies, and supposedly tore at the flesh of animals to “relive” Dionysus’ death
Mithras slaying the bull
Cult of Mithras Cult of Mithras
Based in Zoroastrianism According to tradition, he was born of a virgin
mother at the winter solstice His birth signifies the rebirth of the sun at the
winter solstice He was born in a cave where he was attended to
by shepherds and given gifts He kills a bull and from the bull springs forth life
by bringing wine and food to mankind In the cult, part of the initiation includes killing a
bull Membership was limited to men only Very popular during the Roman era as well
Aristarchus of Samos (c.310-230 BCE)
Golden Age of Science During the Hellenistic period, science and
philosophy began to separate into two schools of thought
Aristarchus of Samos (c.310-230 BCE) He developed the heliocentric view of the universe However, most scientists at this time still believed
in the geocentric view Argued that the earth rotates on its own axis
Eratosthenes (c.275-194 BCE) He stated that the earth was round Calculated the earth’s circumference within 200
miles of the actual number using sundials
Golden Age of Science Euclid (c. 300 BCE)
Mathematician Elements laid out the fundamental elements of
geometry and became a standard text until modern times
Archimedes of Syracuse (287-212 BCE) Known for his geometric work on spheres and
cylinders Established the mathematical constant Pi Created the science of hydrostatics Discovered specific gravity
Golden Age of Medicine Also during this time period considerable
strides were made in the science of medicine Many physicians began using dissection and
vivisection to expand their knowledge Most of the medical advances made were done in
Alexandria where one of the greatest medical schools was founded
Hippocrates (c. 460- c.370 BCE) The “father of medicine” He believed that the body consisted of four
“humors” (blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phlegm)
Illness was due to an imbalance in the humors
Golden Age of Medicine Herophilus of Chalcedon (c.335-c.280 BCE)
One of the first to practice human dissection He had a detailed description of the brain and
believed it to be the seat of human intelligence Discovered that arteries functioned to move blood
from the heart to different parts of the body Erasistratus of Ceos (310-250 BCE)
Made many of his discoveries using vivisection He is known for his cardiovascular work Stated that the heart was not the center of the
nervous system but rather acted as a pump