The Hellenistic Period Essay example - 1157 Words

The death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC marks the beginning of the Hellenistic Period and covers 300 years to the invasion of Egypt by the Romans. The word Hellenic refers only to the Greeks, but the term Hellenistic refers to `the Greek-influenced societies that arose in the wake of Alexanders conquest (Sacks, 105). The Hellenistic world extended from Greece all the way to Afghanistan and resulted in the beginning of the mass spreading of Greek culture. Its central characteristics were the mass empires created by Alexander and his successors, the mingling of Greek and other cultures and the diffusion of religions The conquests of Alexander the Great Alexander won a reputation for military genius when he became king of†¦show more content†¦Antigonus ruled over Asia minor, Macedonia and Thrace and in 306 BC he declared himself king of the Macedonians The Seleucids moved to control and reform the pre-existing Persian bureaucracy, installing Greek officials and switching from clay tablets to parchment and from cuneiform to Greek or Aramaic (Stewart, 2004).. Antigonos attempts to take control of the whole of Alexanders empire led to his death. His son, Demetrius managed to regain control of Macedon a few yeas later but lost his throne and died in prison. Ptolemaic dynasty Ptolemy 1 Soter proclaimed himself king of the Ptolemy kingdom of Egypt in 305 BC. He was a man of great culture and learning and under his leadership his capital Alexandria became and important cultural center and its museum was the first known and its library was the largest in the ancient world (Arcadia, 2004). He was also the author of a lost history of Alexanders campaign. The dynastic history is confusing because all the male rulers took the name Ptolemy and many married their sisters who were often called Cleopatra. Seleucid dynasty Seleucus 1 was made Satrap of Babylonia where he later declared himself king. His kingdom stretched from eastern Anatolia and Syria into what is now Pakistan. He met with much opposition because there were many different ethnic groups. They were accustomed to being ruled by local rulers and so did not adjust very well to being ruledShow MoreRelatedThe Between Classical And Classical Period And Hellenistic Period Essay1344 Words   |  6 PagesAs the Hellenistic society shifted away from the Classical ideals of perfectionism and idolization of the elites and gods in sculpture, artists began to be fixated on illustrating imperfection of a variety of individuals faced with ruthless authenticity of their emotional struggles. Whereas, Classical architecture focused on dedicating massive structures to the gods to emphasize their divinity, but Hellenistic architecture used advanced technology to exemplify Alexander the Great’s magnificence.Read MoreSimilarities And Differences Betw een Ancient And Hellenistic Period And The Piombino Apollo1296 Words   |  6 Pagesscholars to distinguish this statue as Hellenistic rather than Archaic. The modelling of the back is one of the biggest alterations that occurs between actual kouros from the archaic period and the Piombino Apollo. The back of the statue is much more artistically advanced than the front regarding modelling (Ridgway 1967: 48). The subtle modelling of the muscular structures and ridges of the spine of the back suggest the desired realism of the Hellenistic era, instead of the basic and ridged ‘idealized’Read MoreThe Classical And Hellenistic Period1098 Words   |  5 PagesClassical and Hellenistic periods. The Classical period took place from 500-323 BC. It is the period between Persian wars and ends with the death of Alexander the Great (History). Classical sculptures are known for being less detailed more stagnant. The Hellenistic period begins when the Classical period ends, in 3 23 BC. This period ends in 31 BC â€Å"with the conquest of the last Hellenistic kingdom by Rome† (Simonin). Hellenistic sculptures are known for being more realistic and active. Both periods of sculptureRead MoreThe Period Of Ancient Greece1010 Words   |  5 PagesThe Hellenistic Age was a period of ancient Greece lasting between 323 B.C after the death of Alexander the Great and 30 B.C the beginning of the Roman Empire. Alexander was determined to conquer unknown lands and his expedition provided a bridge between city-states and the Greek Hellenistic World. The Hellenistic World is what resulted from the disintegrated empire that came short after Alexanders death. Four major Hellenistic kingdoms emerged from the successors of Alexander. The Greeks and easternersRead MoreAnalysis Of Rolf Strootman, Courts And Elites In The Hellenistic Empires1661 Words   |  7 PagesIn Rolf Strootmans, Courts and Elites in the Hellenistic Empires, he discusses the Kingdoms of the Helleni stic era, there courts, how kingdoms were developed, the importance of military might, emphasis of the king as a war hero, king viewed as a liberator of cities and the development of diplomatic relations with the cities that are being governed by the kings.1 Strootman looks at three kingdoms to explain how the kingdoms in this empire function, they are the Ptolemies, Antigonids, and the SeleukidsRead MoreGreece : The Real Golden Age Of Greece2007 Words   |  9 PagesWhy the Hellenistic period in Greece was the real golden age of Greece: There are many aspects that contribute to a classification of a golden age because of this, in this essay I want to focus on three aspects that can be analysed to discover whether the Hellenistic period of Greek history can be classified as a golden age. These three aspects I will be looking at are science, literature, and art since each form were influential and contributed to society. During the Hellenistic age, science, inRead MoreAcient and Medieval Western Civilization766 Words   |  3 Pagesprospects for the Macedonians and the Greeks. In the last twelve years they had fulfilled wonderful victories that brought under their influence more than ten times the domain Alexander had started with in Greece. It was to be the start of the Hellenistic Age, a period of one of a kind social and political advancements, that achieved an amalgamation of old and new. After Phillip of Macedon died the next successor to the throne was his son Alexander III of Macedon. At the point when Alexander went to theRead MoreEssay on The Age of Alexander1793 Words   |  8 Pagestrue, the breakup of Alexanders brief empire, but the establishment of Macedonian dynasties in Egypt, Syria, and Persia (the Ptolemies and the Seleucidae) helped to mold the world of that day into a wider unity of trade and learning. The Hellenistic period was an international, cosmopolitan age. Commercial contacts were widespread and peoples of many ethnic and religious backgrounds merged in populous urban centers. Advances were made in various fields of scientific inquiry, including engineeringRead MoreEssay on Women in Egypt3006 Words   |  13 Pages Women in the Hellenistic world Women in the Hellenistic World Women’s lives were improved and expanded in the Hellenistic age more so than at any other time prior Greek history. Papyri from Egypt and Coele-Syria have led to the discovery of documents on marriage contracts, inscriptions of philanthropy, and the daily lives of the women in that period. The Hellenistic woman changed in many ways. She became more educated, more cultured, and she received domestic freedom and her new legal and occupationalRead MoreConstributions of Greek Culture531 Words   |  2 PagesKings of the Hellenistic era built temples, staffed with priest, for old gods. This way they spread Greek religious beliefs throughout the Near East. This broadened peoples span of knowledge of religions, science and philosophy and shaped the world. When people got tired of it and found rituals unsatisfying, they turned to mystery religions. Civic religions were primarily concerned with rituals and did not embrace such matters as morality and redemption. People did not inspire deep religious feelings