Hellenistic period

Examples of Hellenistic period in the following topics:

• Scientific Advancements in the Classical Period

  • The Hellenistic Period witnessed significant scientific advancements, due to the mixing of Greek and Asian culture and royal patronage.
  • Hellenistic culture produced seats of learning in Alexandria, Egypt and Antioch, Syria, along with Greek-speaking populations across several monarchies.
  • Hellenistic science differed from Greek science in at least two ways.
  • First, it benefited from the cross-fertilization of Greek ideas with those that had developed in the larger Hellenistic world.
  • Hippocrates was a physician of the classical period, and is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine.

• Alexander's Empire

  • The successor states that emerged were, at least initially, dominant forces, and this 300 year period is often referred to as the Hellenistic period.
  • The core of Hellenistic culture was essentially Athenian.
  • Koine spread throughout the Hellenistic world, becoming the lingua franca of Hellenistic lands, and eventually the ancestor of modern Greek.
  • Furthermore, town planning, education, local government, and art during the Hellenistic periods were all based on classical Greek ideals, evolving into distinct new forms commonly grouped as Hellenistic.
  • After the assassination of Perdiccas in 321 BCE, Macedonian unity collapsed, and 40 years of war between "The Successors" (Diadochi) ensued, before the Hellenistic world settled into four stable power blocks: the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, the Seleucid Empire in the east, the Kingdom of Pergamon in Asia Minor, and Macedon.

• FK Grade 6 Reading Level

  • This time span is known as the Hellenistic Period.
  • The core of Hellenistic culture was Athenian.
  • This became the common language of Hellenistic lands and is the ancestor of modern Greek.
  • Classical Greek ideals stemming from this period evolved into distinct forms grouped together as Hellenistic.
  • After the assassination of Perdiccas in 321 BCE, Macedonian unity collapsed, and 40 years of war between "The Successors" (Diadochi) ensued before the Hellenistic world settled into four new empires: the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, the Seleucid Empire in the east, the Kingdom of Pergamon in Asia Minor, and Macedon.

• Classical Greek Architecture

  • These styles have had a profound impact on Western architecture of later periods.
  • Doric columns typically have no bases, with the exception of a few examples dating from the Hellenistic period.
  • During the Hellenistic period, Corinthian columns were sometimes built without fluting.

• Hellenization and the Spread of Greek Culture

  • The Hellenistic period is the period of ancient Greek and Mediterranean history between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE and the emergence of the Roman Empire as signified by the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE and the subsequent conquest of Ptolemaic Egypt in 30 BCE.At this time, Greek cultural influence and power was at its peak in Europe, Africa and Asia, and experienced prosperity and progress in the arts, exploration, literature, theatre, architecture, music, mathematics, philosophy, and science.It is often considered a period of transition, sometimes even of decadence or degeneration, as compared to the brilliance of the Greek Classical era.
  • Despite their initial reluctance, the Diadochi seem to have later deliberately naturalized themselves to their different regions, presumably in order to help maintain control of the population.Thus, for instance, we find the Ptolemies, as early as Ptolemy I Soter, the first Hellenistic king of Egypt, portrayed as pharaohs.Similarly, in the Indo-Greek kingdom, kings who converted to Buddhism.The Greeks in the regions therefore gradually become "localized" and adopted local customs as appropriate.In this way, hybrid "Hellenistic" cultures naturally emerged, at least amongst the upper echelons of society.

• The Legacy of Alexander the Great

  • The Seleucid Empire was a Hellenistic state ruled by the Seleucid dynasty, which existed from 312 BCE to 63 BCE.
  • The Seleucid Empire was a major center of Hellenistic culture where Greek customs prevailed and the Greek political elite dominated, though mostly in urban areas.
  • The Attalids themselves were some of the most loyal supporters of Rome in the Hellenistic world.
  • Macedon, or Macedonia, was the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece.
  • Following Cassander’s death in 297 BCE, Macedon slid into a long period of civil strife.

• The Phoenicians

  • They fell under both Persian and Hellenistic rule.
  • Although Egyptian seafaring expeditions had already been made to Byblos to bring back "cedars of Lebanon" as early as the 3rd millennium BCE, continuous contact only occurred in the Egyptian New Empire period.
  • The high point of Phoenician culture and sea power is usually placed c. 1200-800 BCE, though many of the most important Phoenician settlements had been established long before this period.
  • Though these vassal kingdoms prospered and furnished fleets for the Persian kings, Phoenician influence declined after this period.
  • He gained control of the other Phoenician cities peacefully, and the rise of Hellenistic Greece gradually ousted the remnants of Phoenicia's former dominance over the Eastern Mediterranean trade routes.

• The Decline of Ancient Egypt

  • Ancient Egypt went through a series of occupations and suffered a slow decline over a long period of time.
  • First occupied by the Assyrians, then the Persians, and later the Macedonians and Romans, Egyptians would never again reach the glorious heights of self-rule they achieved during previous periods.
  • Ancient Egypt went through a series of occupations and suffered a slow decline over a long period of time.
  • First occupied by the Assyrians, then the Persians, and later the Macedonians and Romans, Egyptians would never again reach the glorious heights of self-rule they achieved during previous periods.
  • Alexander the Great was welcomed into Egypt as a deliverer, and the new capital city of Alexandria was a showcase of Hellenistic rule, capped by the famous Library of Alexandria.

• Art and Literature in the Roman Republic

  • His letters provide detailed information about an important period in Roman history and offers a vivid picture of public and private life among the Roman governing class.
  • As the Roman Republic conquered Greek territory, expanding its imperial domain throughout the Hellenistic world, official and patrician sculpture grew out of the Hellenistic style many Romans encountered during their campaigns, making it difficult to distinguish truly Roman elements from elements of Greek style, especially since much of what survives of Greek sculpture is actually copies made of Greek originals by Romans.
  • The silver Warren Cup and glass Lycurgus cup are examples of the high quality works that were produced during this period.
  • The style originated from Hellenistic Greece; however, its use in Republican Rome and survival throughout much of the Republic is due to Roman values, customs, and political life.
  • Portrait sculpture during the period utilized youthful and classical proportions, evolving later into a mixture of realism and idealism.

• Naming of the Byzantine Empire

  • Several signal events from the 4th to 6th centuries mark the period of transition during which the Roman Empire's Greek East and Latin West divided.
  • And indeed, the art produced during the Byzantine Empire, although marked by periodic revivals of a classical aesthetic, was above all marked by the development of a new aesthetic.
  • Thus, although the Byzantine Empire had a multi-ethnic character during most of its history and preserved Romano-Hellenistic traditions, it became identified by its western and northern contemporaries with its increasingly predominant Greek element and its own unique cultural developments.