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Chapter 5.5 The Spread of Hellenistic
Culture
1. Who was Archimedes? (Time Period,
Location, Key Achievements)
* 3rd Century BCE
* From Syracuse, studied at Alexandria
* Hellenistic scientist…accurately
estimated the value of pi…law of
lever…compound pulley…Archimedes
Screw…catapult
2. List 2 similarities and 2 differences
between Stoicism and Epicureanism
Similarities: both Hellenistic
Philosophies…both took into account
human nature…pursuit of harmony
Differences: Stoicism believed that human
desires needed to be
controlled/suppressed, while
Epicureanism believed that human
desires should be pursued, as long as
they weren’t dangerous…Stoicism
encouraged separation from political life,
Epicureanism encouraged participation
3. List 3 characteristics of Hellenistic
sculpture, and give at least one example.
 More realistic…used everyday
people...used more emotion
 Winged Victory of Samothrace and
Colossus of Rhodes
Chapter 5.5: The Spread of Hellenistic
Culture
Setting the Stage:
 Alexander the Great’s ambitions were
cultural, as well as military and
political
 New cities were started as outposts of
Greek Culture
o Alexandria in Egypt…Asian
Alexandrias in the East
o Adopted many Greek patterns and
customs
o Trade, shared Greek culture, and
Greek language
 Alexander’s successors gradually
began dynasties, encouraged local
traditions while transplanting Greek
culture
I. Hellenistic Culture in Alexandria
 Hellenistic Culture= blend of Greek
(Hellenic) culture with Egyptian,
Persian, and Indian influences
 Popular language of Koine (dialect of
Greek)
A. Trade and Cultural Diversity
 African city of Alexandria became the
foremost center of commerce and
Hellenistic civilization
 Strategic site on the western edge of
the Nile delta…much trade with
Mediterranean Sea
 Nile Valley: wheat
 Thriving commerce in Alexandria
 3rd Century BCE: population over
500,000…Alexandria as an
international community
B. Alexandria’s Greatest Attractions
 Alexandria featured broad avenues
with statues of Greek gods
 Royal palaces…Alexander’s elaborate
glass coffin
 Enormous stone lighthouse, called the
Pharos
 Greatest attractions famous museum
and library
 Museum= temple dedicated to the
Muses (Greek goddesses of arts and
sciences)
 Art galleries, zoo, botanical gardens,
dining hall
 Alexandrian library: ½ million
papyrus scrolls
 First true research library in the world
 Scholars produced commentaries on
earlier works of classical literature
and learning
II. Science and Technology
 During the Hellenistic period, center
of scholarship gradually shifted away
from Athens
 Hellenistic scholars preserved Greek
and Egyptian learning in the sciences.
A. Astronomy
 Museum had a small observatory
 Aristarchus of Samos- famous
astronomer
o Estimated that the sun was at least
300 times larger than the earth (he
underestimated the sun’s true size,
but disproved the belief that the
sun was smaller than Greece)
o Proposed that the earth and other
planets revolve around the sun
 Ptolemy- 2nd century AD…astronomer
in Alexandria who incorrectly placed
the earth at the center of the solar
system.
o Known as the Geocentric or
Ptolemaic Theory…astronomers
accepted this view for the next 14
centuries
 Eratosthenes- Hellenistic scholar who
closely calculated the earth’s true size
o Director of the Alexandrian
Library
o Highly regarded astronomer, poet,
historian, mathematician
o Used Geometry to compute the
earth’s circumference at 24,662
miles…today we compute the
earth’s circumference at 24,860
miles
 Hipparchus: invented the system of
longitude and latitude used on maps
and sky charts
B. Mathematics and Physics
 Eratosthenes and Aristarchus used a
geometry text compiled by Euclid
 Euclid- highly regarded
mathematician
o Opened a school of geometry in
Alexandria
o Best-known book: Elements- 465
carefully presented geometry
propositions and proofs
o Euclid’s work is still the basis for
courses in geometry
 Archimedes- Hellenistic scientist
o From Syracuse, studied at
Alexandria
o Accurately estimated the value of
pi- ratio of the circumference of a
circle to its diameter
o Showed value to be between 3
10/71 and 3 1/7
o Explained the law of the lever
o Invented the compound pulley to
lift heavy objects
o Invented the Archimedes Screwdevice that raised water from the
ground
o Invented a catapult
 other scientists built on Archimedes
knowledge, inventing force pump,
pneumatic machines, and a steam
engine
III. Philosophy and Art
 Hellenistic scholars believed that the
universe followed rational
principles…used philosophy
 Teachings of Plato and Aristotle were
very influential
 2 major Hellenistic Philosophies:
Stoicism and Epicureanism
A. Stoicism and Epicureanism
 Stoicism founded by Zeno (335263BCE)
o Believed a divine power controlled
the universe
o People should live a virtuous life in
harmony with natural law
o Preached that vices such as human
desires, power, and wealth were
dangerous distractions that should
be controlled
o Explained nature and provided an
ethical approach to life
o Promoted social unity and
encouraged followers to focus on
things they could control
o Ethical doctrine appealed to many
 Epicureanism founded by Epicurus
o Taught the universe was
composed of atoms and ruled by
gods who had no interest in
humans
o Believed that the only real objects
were those that the 5 senses
perceived
o Greatest good and highest
pleasure came from virtuous
conduct and the absence of pain
o Main goal of humans was to
achieve harmony of body and
mind
o Epicurean- one devoted to
pursuing human pleasures
o Epicurus did advocate moderation
in all things
B. Realism in Sculpture
 Sculpture flourished during the
Hellenistic age
 Statues honored gods, commemorated
heroes, and portrayed ordinary
people in everyday situations
 Largest known Hellenistic statue was
created on the island of
Rhodes…known as the Colossus of
Rhodes…bronze statue more than
100’ high…one of the 7 wonders of
ancient world…toppled by earthquake
about 225BCE
 Winged Victory of Samothrace
(discovered by archaeologists in
1863)…commemorates a naval victory
by the Greeks against foes who have
enslaved them
 Hellenistic sculpture moved away
from the harmonic balance and
idealized forms of the Greeks
 More realistic and emotional works
 Had ordinary people
 By 150 BCE: Hellenistic world was in
decline…city of Rome was growing