SPREAD OF HELLENISTIC CULTURE
LEARNING AND COMMERCE
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Brought Greek culture to many areas—Nile Valley, S.W. Asia, borders of India
o Society contained a small wealthy class and a large group of poor
o In between was a small middle class which prospered during the Hellenistic era
o Trade was based in major cities and trade routes linked China, India and Arabia
to Hellenistic world
Library of Alexandria—thousands of papyrus scrolls—much of the knowledge and
literature of Hellenistic world
As people grew more wealthy—education became more widespread
o Old values were replaced with freer lifestyles for some groups
o Women appeared in public and won new rights regarding property
o Old Greek bias towards barbarians disappeared because everyone was “Greek”
RELIGION ANDS PHILOSOPHY
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Greek concept of polis declined
o Many felt they had lost control over their lives
o Many turned to new religions and philosophies—focused on satisfying people’s
need for sense of belonging
Hellenistic kings encouraged practice of ruler-worship—provided a sense of civic duty
o People found comfort in these figures for guidance
Many turned to cults—introduced secret teachings and mysteries
o Secrets of life after death and immortality
o Provided felling of unity, security and personal worth
4 schools of Philosophy existed in Hellenistic Era
o Cynicism—believed people should live simply and naturally w/o regard for
pleasure, wealth, or social status
 Best known Cynic was Diogenes
o Skeptics—believed the universe is always changing, all knowledge is uncertain
 Pyrrho is founder
o Stoicism—divine reason directs the world—accept fate w/o complaints
 Everyone had a “spark” of the divine within—could only achieve
happiness by following the “spark”
 Influenced Roman and Christian Thinking
 Zeno established philosophy in Athens
o Epicureanism—aim of life is to seek pleasure and avoid pain—limit your desires
to avoid suffering
 Epicurus is founder
SCIENCE IN THE HELLENISTIC AGE
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Scientist learned using very simple instruments
Showed little interest in labor saving devices—had slave labor
MATH AND PHYSICS
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Euclid—developed geometry—showed how geometric statements flow logically from
one to another
o Book Elements is basis for modern Geometry books
Archimedes
o Greatest scientist of period
o Calculated value of Pi—ratio of circumference to diameter in a circle
o Invented Archimedes screw to draw water upwards
MEDICINE
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Alexandria was center of medical science
o Learned Egyptian art of embalming and cataloguing of body parts
o To learn about anatomy they studied bodies of executed criminals
Herophilus concluded the brain was the center of the nervous system
These advancements allowed doctors to perform delicate surgeries
ASTRONOMY AND GEOGRAPHY
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Used principles of geometry to track movement of stars and planets
Aristarchus believed that the earth and planets revolved around the sun
Hipparchus used trigonometry to predict eclipses
o Used movement sun and moon to calculate length of year
Eratosthenes—calculated distance around the earth accurately
o Given job as head of Library of Alexandria as reward