Hellenistic Culture

Chapter 10.4

Hellenistic Arts

Alexandria, Greek capital of Egypt became a major center for learning.

Library contained more than 500,000 ancient scrolls.

Buildings and Statues • Hellenistic kings spent money to build new

buildings and repair old ones.• They wanted the cities to look like Athens.• Sculptors were hired to create statues.• Statues looked more realistic.

Hellenistic Writers

• Writing was also promoted, although little survived from this time.

• Epic poem, Argonautic written by Appolonius.• Story of Jason and band of heroes who sail the seas

searching for the ram with golden fleece.• Hellenistic plays focused on love and ordinary

people.• Menander – important poet of Greek New Comedy• Influenced comedy

Thinkers and Scientists• Epicurus – philosophy called

Epicureanism, finding happiness was the goal of life, avoid pain to be happy

• Avoid worry

• Live simply

Thinkers and Scientists• Zeno – philosophy called Stoicism, happiness

comes from using reason• Sound thinking should guide all decisions• Thought people should serve the community• Stoic today means someone who is not affected

by joy or sadness

Science and Mathematics

Archimedes Established science of physics

Lever and compound pulley

Aristarchus Established the Earth revolves around the sun

Eratosthenes Thought the Earth was round

Euclid Wrote the Elements, organized information about geometry

Hipparchus Created system to explain how planets and stars move

Hypatia Knowledge of math and astronomy

Greece and Rome• Four Hellenistic kingdoms that formed after Alexander’s

death fought against each other.• By the late 200s B.C. Rome had conquered the Italian

Peninsula.• Greece lost its land in Italy and feared the Romans.• Greek fought on the side of Rome’s enemies.• Rome was too powerful and took control of Greece.