The Spread of
Hellenistic Culture
Chapter 5 Section 5
Page 132
First, A Review…
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Philip and Alexander were kings of which country?
Macedonia
Why did Philip want to take Persia?
It had wealthy provinces and to avenge the attacks on
Greece years before
What did Alexander do with Darius’s offer of the Western
half of the Persian empire?
Rejected it
How far had Alexander’s army marched in 11 years?
11,000 miles
Where was Alexander’s tomb located for centuries?
Alexandria
Hellenistic Culture in Alexandria
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After Alexander the Great’s death, a new
culture emerges-Greek Hellenic
Blended Greek, Egyptian, Persian and
Indian influences together
Language was Koine (koy-nay) in
Hellenistic cities like Alexandria
Alexandria, Egypt
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Alexandria the center
of commerce and
Hellenistic civilization
Location- great place,
located on edge of
Nile delta
Population over
500,000
Modern view of Alexandria
Trade and Cultural Diversity
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Very beautiful, majestic palaces that look
over harbor
Ships from all around Mediterranean
docked in its spacious harbor
Thriving commerce enabled Alexandria to
grow and prosper
People of all cultures and trade mingled in
crowded marketplaces
Alexandria’s Greatest Attractions
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A tomb containing Alexander’s glass coffin
was stored in Alexandria
An enormous stone lighthouse called the
Pharos soared over the harbor
The lighthouse contained a bronze mirror
that reflected the light from a blazing fire
Famous museum and library dedicated to
the Muses, the Greek goddesses of art
and sciences
Great Library in Alexandria, Egypt
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature
/3707641.stm
Science and Technology
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Scholars in Alexandria provided most of
the scientific knowledge available
Museum contained small observatory
where astronomers could study the
planets and stars
Astronomer Aristarchus concluded that the
sun was 300 times larger than the earth
and that other planets revolve around the
sun
Incorrect Information
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Unfortunately, other astronomers refused
to support Artistarchus’ theories
By 2nd century A.D. , another astronomer
Ptolemy incorrectly placed the earth at the
center of the solar system, and is believed
to be true for next 1400 years
Earth’s Size
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A scholar named Eratosthenes closely
calculated the earth’s true size using
geometry
He concluded the earth’s circumference at
24,662 miles
Today we compute the earth’s
circumference to be 24,860 miles
His estimate was within 1% of our modern
calculations
Mathematics and Physics
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Euclid, a mathematician opened a school of
geometry in Alexandria and wrote the book,
Elements
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Book was used in universities into the 1900’s
Archimedes, gifted in geometry and physics,
studied at Alexandria
Accurately estimated the value of pi
Shared knowledge that helped build different
machines
Philosophy and Art
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Teachings of Plato and Aristotle very
influential in Hellenistic philosophy
2 major philosophies develop during this
period- Stoicism and Epicureanism
Stoicism
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Greek philosopher Zeno founded stoicism
Philosophy based on ethics
Proposed people should live life in
harmony with natural law
Preached that things like human desires,
power and wealth were dangerous
distractions that should be controlled
Encourage those to focus on things they
could control
Epicureanism
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Greek philosopher Epicurus founded
Epicureanism
Taught the universe was composed of
atoms and ruled by gods who had no
interest in humans
Believed the main goal of humans was
achieve harmony of body and mind
Today, the word epicurean means one
devoted to pursuing human pleasures
Realism in Sculpture
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Like science, sculpture flourished during
Hellenistic period, sculptures and statues were
displayed
Largest known statue was the Colossus of
Rhodes- bronze statue stood more than 100 feet
high
Legend said it straddled the harbor, but experts
don’t think that is true
Was destroyed by an earthquake, and bronze
was sold for scrap
Hellenistic Sculptors
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Hellenistic sculptors moved away from the
harmonic balance and began to create
more realistic works
Instead of a serene face and perfect body,
they began to create more natural works
Explored new subjects like ordinary
people, and a wrinkled old peasant
woman
Decline
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By 150 B.C., Hellenistic world was on a
decline
A new city Rome was growing and gaining
strength
Through Rome, Greek-style drama,
architecture, sculpture, religion and
philosophy were preserved and became
the core of Western Civilization
Just for Fun…
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Wife Swap- Athens/ Sparta
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLyW5
UYPYYs&feature=related