The Hellenistic AgeThe Hellenistic Age

-Key Concepts--Key Concepts-

““oikoumene”oikoumene”

““cosmopolis”cosmopolis”

I. Peloponnesian War (430-404 I. Peloponnesian War (430-404 BCE)BCE)

• Very costly and drawn Very costly and drawn outout

• The defeat of AthensThe defeat of Athens

• Persia was the big Persia was the big winnerwinner

• Greek city-states Greek city-states commit political suicidecommit political suicide

• Recognition of what had Recognition of what had been lost produces a been lost produces a fourth-century fourth-century intellectual crisisintellectual crisis

II. Intellectual Crisis and II. Intellectual Crisis and ResponsesResponses

• Plato (429-347 BCE)Plato (429-347 BCE)--Rule of a --Rule of a “Philosopher-King”“Philosopher-King”--Plato’s Academy--Plato’s Academy--Doctrine of Ideas or --Doctrine of Ideas or FormsForms--Concept of Dualism--Concept of Dualism--The “Demiurge”--The “Demiurge”--The political --The political philosophy of philosophy of The The RepublicRepublic

II. Intellectual Crisis and II. Intellectual Crisis and Responses (cont)Responses (cont)

• Aristotle (384-322 BCE)Aristotle (384-322 BCE)

--More empirical --More empirical approach than Platoapproach than Plato

--Multiple systems of --Multiple systems of government will work as government will work as long as rulers have long as rulers have aretearete

----Aristotle’s backgroundAristotle’s background

--His school, the Lyceum--His school, the Lyceum

--Wanted to synthesize --Wanted to synthesize all knowledgeall knowledge

II. Intellectual Crisis and II. Intellectual Crisis and Responses (cont)Responses (cont)

• Aristotle (384-322 BCE)Aristotle (384-322 BCE)--invented the word --invented the word metaphysicsmetaphysics--his understanding of --his understanding of the universethe universe--earliest formal --earliest formal logicianlogician--contemplative life is --contemplative life is the best lifethe best life--elitist view of women --elitist view of women and “barbarians”and “barbarians”--the power of the --the power of the passionspassions

II. Intellectual Crisis and II. Intellectual Crisis and Responses (cont)Responses (cont)

• Isocrates (436-338 BCE)Isocrates (436-338 BCE)

--Background--Background

--Advocate of --Advocate of Pan-Pan-HellenismHellenism and the rule and the rule of Philip IIof Philip II

--His emphasis on the --His emphasis on the value of rhetoricvalue of rhetoric

--Redefined what it --Redefined what it meant to be Greekmeant to be Greek

----paideiapaideia

III. The Roots of III. The Roots of “Oikoumene”“Oikoumene”

A. Military and Political A. Military and Political UnityUnity

• Harshness of Harshness of Macedonian lifeMacedonian life

• The nature of The nature of Macedonian monarchyMacedonian monarchy

• The relationship of the The relationship of the Macedonians to the Macedonians to the GreeksGreeks

• The rise of Philip II to The rise of Philip II to the Macedonian the Macedonian thronethrone

• His plan to force the His plan to force the Greek city-states into Greek city-states into submissionsubmission

A. Military and Political Unity A. Military and Political Unity (cont)(cont)

• The rise of The rise of Alexander the Great to Alexander the Great to power (336-323 BCE)power (336-323 BCE)

• Conquest of Greece Conquest of Greece and Persiaand Persia

• Alexander’s presence Alexander’s presence in battlein battle

• Cuts the Gordion knowCuts the Gordion know

• Introduction of new Introduction of new military technologymilitary technology

A. Military and Political Unity A. Military and Political Unity (cont)(cont)

• Founding of Alexandria Founding of Alexandria and burning of and burning of PersepolisPersepolis

• Campaign as far as Campaign as far as IndiaIndia

• Rules as a divine, Rules as a divine, absolute monarchabsolute monarch

• Alexander’s goals and Alexander’s goals and his sense of historyhis sense of history

• The death of Alexander The death of Alexander the Greatthe Great

A. Military and Political Unity A. Military and Political Unity (cont)(cont)

• The Successor KingdomsThe Successor Kingdoms• Constant warfare Constant warfare

between these kingdomsbetween these kingdoms• The desire for Greek The desire for Greek

soldierssoldiers• The Hellenistic “shadow” The Hellenistic “shadow”

polispolis• Hellenistic cities were Hellenistic cities were

economic and social hubseconomic and social hubs• Hellenistic view of womenHellenistic view of women• Philanthropy in Hellenistic Philanthropy in Hellenistic

city lifecity life

B. Cultural UnityB. Cultural Unity

• Process of cultural Process of cultural interminglingintermingling

• Creation of a Creation of a professional Greek professional Greek administrative corpsadministrative corps

• Use of Greeks in Use of Greeks in professional armies professional armies and naviesand navies

• Imitation of Greek Imitation of Greek culture by non-Greeksculture by non-Greeks----KoineKoine Greek Greek

B. Cultural Unity (cont)B. Cultural Unity (cont)

• The role of the city in The role of the city in the Hellenistic empirethe Hellenistic empire

• Employment of Greek Employment of Greek writers, artists and writers, artists and architectsarchitects

• The Library of The Library of AlexandriaAlexandria

----MuseumMuseum

• Hellenistic poets and Hellenistic poets and comicscomics

--Theocritus--Theocritus

B. Cultural Unity (cont)B. Cultural Unity (cont)

• Hellenistic sculptureHellenistic sculpture

• Hellenistic artHellenistic art

• Spread of Greek Spread of Greek culture was wider than culture was wider than it was deepit was deep

• Treatment of the Jews Treatment of the Jews in Hellenistic citiesin Hellenistic cities

--Hanukkah--Hanukkah

--Septuagint (LXX)--Septuagint (LXX)

C. Commercial UnityC. Commercial Unity

• East and West linked in East and West linked in a broad commercial a broad commercial networknetwork

• Uniformity in coinage, Uniformity in coinage, weights, and measuresweights, and measures

• Exchange of commercial Exchange of commercial customscustoms

• Most trade was sea Most trade was sea borneborne

• Regional specializationRegional specialization

• Hellenistic slave tradeHellenistic slave trade

D. Philosophical UnityD. Philosophical Unity

• Reasons for the Reasons for the popularity of Greek popularity of Greek philosophyphilosophy

• Basic question of Basic question of Hellenistic Hellenistic philosophy:philosophy:

• What is the best way What is the best way for humans to live?for humans to live?

• EpicureanismEpicureanism

D. Philosophical Unity D. Philosophical Unity (cont)(cont)

• StoicismStoicism--Zeno (333-262 --Zeno (333-262 BCE)BCE)----LogosLogos--unified and orderly --unified and orderly naturenature--basic unity of all --basic unity of all human beingshuman beings--everything that --everything that happened was fatedhappened was fated

D. Philosophical Unity D. Philosophical Unity (cont)(cont)

• SkepticsSkeptics

--Pyrrho (360-270 --Pyrrho (360-270 BCE)BCE)

• CynicsCynics

--Diogenes--Diogenes

--Antisthenes--Antisthenes

--artificiality of the --artificiality of the polispolis

--citizens of the --citizens of the “cosmopolis”“cosmopolis”

E. Religious UnityE. Religious Unity

• The sterility of Greek The sterility of Greek religious cultsreligious cults

• The power of The power of TycheTyche

• Greeks do not try to Greeks do not try to spread their religionspread their religion

• The growth of The growth of “mystery religions”“mystery religions”

• Rites of initiation that Rites of initiation that united devotee with a united devotee with a risen godrisen god

E. Religious Unity (cont)E. Religious Unity (cont)

• Egyptian cult of Egyptian cult of Serapis Serapis --Asclepius--Asclepius

• The Egyptian cult The Egyptian cult of Isisof Isis

• Tendencies toward Tendencies toward religious religious universalism and universalism and personal personal immortalityimmortality

IV. Achievements of Hellenistic IV. Achievements of Hellenistic CultureCulture

• The “Golden Age” of The “Golden Age” of ScienceScience

• Euclid and his advances Euclid and his advances in mathematicsin mathematics

• The practical and The practical and theoretical discoveries of theoretical discoveries of ArchimedesArchimedes

• Aristarchus and his Aristarchus and his model of the solar model of the solar systemsystem

• Eratosthenes and Eratosthenes and mathematical geographymathematical geography

IV. Achievements of Hellenistic IV. Achievements of Hellenistic Culture (cont)Culture (cont)

• Theophrastus and the Theophrastus and the study of botanystudy of botany

• Practical technological Practical technological applicationapplication

• Significant medical Significant medical advancesadvances--The Hellenistic --The Hellenistic practice of vivisectionpractice of vivisection

• Doctors faced a Doctors faced a reputation of quakeryreputation of quakery

• Hellenistic cures and Hellenistic cures and potionspotions