1. Hellenistic Civilization (323-146 BCE)
(323 BCE = Death of Alexander)
(146 BCE = Conquest by the Romans)

2. Alexander the Great

3. Hellenistic Civilization
Hellenistic because of, on the one hand, the predominant role of Greece and, on the other hand, not completely Greek, being more multiethnic, multiracial, and multicultural.

4. Hellenistic Civilization: General Principles
The fragmentation of Alexander’s empire into three kingdoms: Kingdom of Macedonia, Kingdom of the Ptolemies (Egypt), and Kingdom of the Seleucids (Syria).
In some ways, a continuation of basic Hellenic philosophies and aesthetics, but with significant new features.

5. Hellenistic Civilization: General Principles
The flourishing of large metropolitan centers: Alexandria and Pergamum
Diverse ethnic groups (Greeks, Macedonians, Egyptians, Hebrews, Persians, Africans) linked by trade.
A form of colloquial Greek called Koine was spoken throughout the Hellenistic world.
Hellenistic rulers had no interest in democracy.

6. Pergamum

7. Alexandria The best example of a large Hellenistic metropolis.
Population of about 1,000,000
Cultural diversity
A center of learning and culture, featuring a theatre, library, museum, lighthouse, etc.
The world’s first university (a museum dedicated to the Muses) was built in Alexandria.
The library contained 700,000 volumes of books.

8. Library of
Alexandria

9. Exercise # 1
Find some information online about the cities of Alexandria and Pergamum during the Hellenistic Age.

10. Hellenistic literature
The seriousness of Hellenism began to give way to a Hellenistic love of playfulness as well as an interest in the ordinary, everyday subjects.
“New Comedy” – In contrast to the pointed, satiricial comedies of Hellenic Greece, the return to monarchy seems to have made playwrights more conservative in their willingness to criticize.
Menander, the leading figure of the New Comedy

11. Hellenistic literature
Pastoral poetry – City life and its hassles seems to bring with it a kind of nostalgia for country life.
At the same time, the poetry was a fantasy of country life, written by and for the upper class.
Theocritus created the new poetic forms of pastoral poetry as well as idyll.

12. Hellenistic Philosophy
Cynicism
Skepticism
Epicureanism
Stoicism