ALEXANDER & THE HELLENISTIC KINGDOMS

4-5

World History

THE THREAT OF MACEDONIA

“barbarians” to the north of Greece

338 BC, Philip II conquered Greece

Philip II wanted to unite with Greece to defeat the Persian Empire

ALEXANDER THE GREAT

20 years old when became king of Macedonia

Ruled 335-323 BC

Prepared by his father to become king

“People In History” pg 139

Map pg 140

“Alexandria”

India-return trip-poured out water

THE LEGACY OF ALEXANDER

Great military leader

Imitated Achilles of Homer’s Iliad

Gained large quantities of gold and silver-economic influence

Successors were monarchs-political influence

Greek language, architecture, literature, and art spread throughout Southwest Asia and the Near East-cultural influence

THE HELLENISTIC KINGDOMS

Hellenistic- “to imitate Greeks”

4 Kingdoms came from Alexander’s empire (map pg 141)• Macedonia• Syria• Pergamum• Egypt

Alexander planned to use Persians as officials, but his successors used Macedonians & Greeks

Cities spread Greek culture

HELLENISTIC CULTURE

Libraries:• Largest in the world at Alexandria, Egypt• 2nd largest in Pergamum

Architecture and Sculpture• New building in cities• Sculptors were patronized by kings & rich citizens

Literature• Appolonius of Rhodes wrote Argonautica• Theocritus wrote short poems showing a love of nature

HELLENISTIC CULTURE

Science• Aristarchus-sun at center of universe and earth rotates

around the sun• Eratosthenes-Earth is round and calculated

circumference at 24,675, only 185 miles off the actual figure

• Archimedes-geometry of spheres and cylinders & pi• Inventor

• Archimedes screw• Discovered specific gravity- “Eureka” (I have found it!)• Levers

HELLENISTIC CULTURE

Philosophy• Athens remained the center of Greek philosophy• Epicureanism-Epicurus

• Happiness is the goal of life• Social in friendship, but did not participate in politics

• Stoicism-Zeno• Happiness found when gain inner peace by living in

harmony with the will of God-whatever life offered• Public service is noble• The real stoic is a good citizen