The Spread of Greek Culture Chapter 8 Section 4

Greek Culture Spreads  Philosophers, poets, scientists, and writers moved to the new Greek cities in southwest Asia during the Hellenistic Era. What city did many of these people come to?  Alexandria  Hellenistic kings wanted to make their cities like those in Greece, so they hired Greek architects and sculptors.  The writers of the Hellenistic Era produced a large body of literature.  What city was the center of Greek theater?  Athens  Athenians still created plays, but the topic of the plays of the Hellenistic Era shifted to what?  love and relationships.

Discussion Question  Why were the cities of southwest Asia lands of opportunity for artisans, scientists, philosophers, and writers?  The rulers of these cities wanted them to be like the cultural centers of Greece.  To achieve that goal, the rulers needed the services of artisans, scientists, philosophers, and writers.

New Philosophy and Science  Philosophers  What philosophy did Epicurus found?  Epicureanism. What did this teach?  happiness was the goal of life.  What did he believe was the “definition” of pleasure?  It meant spending time with friends and learning not to worry about things. They avoided worry by avoiding politics and public service.  Who developed the philosophy of Stoicism?  A Phoenician named Zeno. What does this philosophy believe?  happiness comes from reason, not emotions, and from doing your duty.

New Philosophy and Science  What do Astronomers do?  Study the stars, planets, and other heavenly bodies.  Who was Aristarchus?  an astronomer who claimed that the sun was at the center of the universe and that the earth revolved around the sun.  Who was Eratosthenes?  an astronomer who believed that the earth was round and who measured the earth’s circumference (distance around the earth.)

New Philosophy and Science  Mathematicians  Who was Euclid ?  one of the most famous Greek mathematicians who described plane geometry. What is this?  The study of points, lines, angles, and surfaces and how they relate to one another.  Who was Archimedes?  the most famous scientist of the Hellenistic Era.  He worked on solid geometry. What is this?  the study of spheres and cylinders.  He also determined the value of pi. What is this number used for?  It measures the area of circles  What did he invent?  the catapult, among other weapons. A catapult is a machine that hurls arrows, spears, & rocks.  Who was Hypatia?  The first female mathematician whose written records survived.

Discussion Question  What did other astronomers believe about Aristarchus’ idea that the sun was at the center of the universe?  Other scientists thought Aristarchus was wrong.  They believed Earth was the center of the universe.  They thought the sun revolved around Earth.

Greece Falls to Rome  The four Greek kingdoms shared their culture but fought one another.  In the late 200’s B.C., Rome, a city-state in Italy, conquered the Italian peninsula.  The Romans began expanding into Greece.  The Greeks began supporting Rome’s enemies in times of war, but the Romans conquered Greece and its allies.  Even though Greece was now under the control of Rome, Greek ideas and culture still influenced societies in Europe and Asia for hundreds of years.