Final

Question 1

Hellenistic poetry

Answer 1

More refined and shorter than previous poems. Complicated vocabulary, scholarly and learned, and highly allusive. Often interested in technology and skill. Most important three are Callimachus, Theocritus, and Apollonius

Question 2

Allusion

Answer 2

Reference to another work without making it explicit. Readers must fill in the allusion, which invites them to make comparison between the works

Question 3

Callimachus of Cyrene

Answer 3

Active under Ptolemies II and III. Wrote Six Hymns to the Gods, the Aetia, the Hecale, Iamboi, Epigrams, and Penakes. Hymn to Delos uses traditional language used to praise pharaohs to praise Apollo

Question 4

Apollonius of Rhodes

Answer 4

Head librarian in Alexandria from 270-245. Wrote Argonautica in 238 for Ptolemies

Question 5

Theocritus

Answer 5

Poet credited with inventing the bucolic/pastoral genre with his Idylls. Idyll 15 compares Ptolemy with Zeus and Alexander the Great. Celebrates Berenike. Says the Ptolemies are great because of their wealth, territory, descent, and patronage

Question 6

Idylls

Answer 6

Written by Theocritus. From Greek eidyllion, meaning little scene or vignette. Came to have connotations of idealization. A Roman title for his works, which were first called bucolics

Question 7

Bucolic/Pastorals

Answer 7

Poetic scenes related to the countryside. Bucolic comes from Greek boucholoi, meaning herdsmen

Question 8

Basilissa

Answer 8

Female version of basileus, the Greek word for king. Means queen or princess, but does not imply ruler or sole holder of power. More akin to royal. Used by all royal wives and daughters

Question 9

Eurydice (wife of Ptolemy I)

Answer 9

Wife of Ptolemy I when he was satrap of Egypt. Daughter of Antipater, regent of Macedon. From elite Macedonian background and closely tied to Alexander’s inner circle. Mother of Ptolemy Keraunos, who was skipped over for Ptolemy II

Question 10

Berenike I

Answer 10

Niece of Antipater. Second wife of Ptolemy I. Came to Egypt as a handmaiden. Had been married to Philippos, with whom she had Magas. With Ptolemy I, had Ptolemy II and Arsinoe II. Also had Philoteros, who is seen in Callimachus’ poetry

Question 11

Arsinoe I

Answer 11

Born ~300 BCE. Parents were probably Lysimachus and Nicaea. Sister of Agathocles. Wife of Ptolemy II. Mother of Ptolemy III, Berenike Syre, and another son name Lysimachus. Fell out of favor with the court and left Alexandria

Question 12

Arsinoe II

Answer 12

~316-270. Wife of Lysimachus, then her half-brother Ptolemy Keraunos, then her full brother Ptolemy II. Her sons were killed. One of them may have been Ptolemy “the son.” Had Olympic equestrian victories. Her coins show her and Ptolemy II as unified, siblings, fertile, royal, and Hellenistic.

Question 13

Berenike II

Answer 13

273-221. Daughter of Magas and Apama II. Married Ptolemy III in 246 BCE. Had Ptolemy IV, Arsinoe III, Berenike (who died as a child) and probably at least 3 others. Art identifies here with Athena, royalty, and in the Thmuis mosaic, a ship

Question 14

Arsinoe III

Answer 14

245-203. Married Ptolemy IV, her brother. Mother of Ptolemy V. Victim of court intrigue and killed off

Question 15

Zenon Archive

Answer 15

From Egyptian town of Philadelphos in Fayyum. Zenon an immigrant from Carea and business agent of Apollonius. Financial minister for Ptolemy II. Contains over 2,000 texts over many subjects. Many letters preserved, especially those from women. Show women’s involvement in business and the mix of Hellenistic and native Egyptian forms

Question 16

Erinna

Answer 16

Flourished in 380 BCE. Famous for the Distaff, which laments the death of a girl. References tortoises and lyres, both connected to weaving (which needs a distaff). The girl moved from her happy childhood to death after marrying a bad man. Praised by later poets, who did not think she was a woman

Question 17

Anyte

Answer 17

Flourished in ~300. From Arcadia. Wrote on many subjects, including dedicatory poems, epigrams, motherhood, dead pets, nature, and the Gallic invasion

Question 18

Nossis

Answer 18

Flourished in ~300. From Italy. Wrote religious dedications and epigrams, as well as erotic poetry. Influenced by Sappho.

Question 19

Cameo

Answer 19

An image in relief produced by cutting back a multicolored, naturally laminated stone under a darker/lighter layer is revealed

Question 20

Tazza Farnese

Answer 20

Sardonyx bowl dating to 150-30 BCE. Represents Ptolemaic rule with different cultures seen: Egyptian sphinx, Eusenia (Abundance) or Demeter/Isis, Nike, Horus, embodiment of winds. All about wealth and fertility

Question 21

Stoa

Answer 21

Applied to different buildings consisting of an open colonnade (generally Doric) and a roof over a rear wall. Provided shade and shelter. Later held political, judicial, social, and philosophical activities

Question 22

Nile Mosaic

Answer 22

Shows the Nile flooding. Starts closer to “civilization” with Greek style temples and then traces closer to more African forms with less people seen. Mixes real and imaginary animals

Question 23

Asclepius

Answer 23

God gaining new prominence during this time. Son of Apollo and a healer. Daughter is Hygenia. Epidauros and Kos had sanctuaries to him. Central feature of cults is incubation (healing sleep), which became hospitals and nursing homes. Many votive reliefs to him discussing illnesses

Question 24

Tyche

Answer 24

Old goddess gaining new prominence. Associated with fortune. An adaption of a Near Eastern goddess. A city goddess. Tyche of Antioch wears a Seleucid crown.

Question 25

Curse tablets

Answer 25

Tablets with curses written on them and then burned in tombs, in graves, or in wells. Often binding curses. Sent underground because that is more “dangerous.” Often ask Hermes, Persephone, and Hekate (a crossroads goddess) to deliver the curse

Question 26

Peripatetic school

Answer 26

Plato, Aristotle, Theophrastus the misanthrope, and Demetrius of Phaleron the monothetis who set up the Library of Alexandria in 297

Question 27

Demetrius of Phaleron

Answer 27

Elected strategos in 325/4 for a few years. Escaped death as a pro-Macedonian in 318. Cassander made him monothetis (lawgiver) for 10 years. Kicked out of Athens by Demetrius the Besieger in 307. Instrumental in setting up Library of Alexandria in 297.

Question 28

Stoicism

Answer 28

Founded by Zeno of Citium in ~313 BCE. Centered at Stoa Poecile, the painted stoa. Virtue is sufficient for happiness and is the only good thing. Emotions are always bad. Humans should live in accordance with human nature (reason) because humans are rational animals. World is made up of natural objects and their interactions, which work according to exceptionless laws called fate. Everything is fated, but humans are morally responsible. Basic elements produce everything else

Question 29

Epicureanism

Answer 29

Founded by Epicurus in 307/6. Aimed at producing happy lives with an ascetic lifestyle focused on the pleasure of the soul. Atomist theory. Gods exist but do not care about humans. Argues against worry about death. Most of it is from Lucretius. Official cult of Antiochos

Question 30

Skepticism

Answer 30

Founded by Pyrrhos of Elis and recorded by Timon of Phlius. Argues that nothing can be found out about the nature of things because senses are neither true nor false. Therefore, we should have no opinions, which creates tranquility. Also interested in asceticism

Question 31

Cynicism

Answer 31

Founded by Diogenes of Sinope (404-323). Rejects conventional society. Wisdom a matter of action, not thought. Live in accordance with nature, not society. Promotes asceticism and poverty. Philanthropy very important. Cosmopolitan-universe is a single entity, with humans, animals, and gods all a part of it. A good Cynic is supposed to represent all of these elements at once

Question 32

Utopianism

Answer 32

Comes from the idea that best society could not exist. Examples in Euhemerus passage, Iamboulos’ story about the island of the sun, and Aristomochus, the Roman rebel who tried to set up Heliopolis as a utopia

Question 33

Septuagint

Answer 33

Collection of Jewish works that became the Old Testament for Christians. Mostly in Hebrew, but also some Aramaic and Hebrew. Main audience was Hellenized Jews in Egypt and Greece. Story holds that Ptolemy had it translated by 72 scholars, who all came to the exact same translation. Really, translation done by different people at differed times in 3rd century

Question 34

Apocrypha

Answer 34

Books of Jewish origin in the Septuagint that Jews did not accept as canon. 2 Maccabees is considered apocryphal, as is Ecclesiastes

Question 35

Palace economy

Answer 35

Centralized economy based on patrimonial, hierarchical society. Geared towards financing a small elite, including chief and his household, who command redistribution. Example: Ptolemaic Egypt, which was made to produce a lot of grain. Theoretical ideal that everyone was the same in public, regardless of personal wealth, fades in Hellenistic era, even though it never really existed. Transfer of knowledge became more important

Question 36

Amphorae

Answer 36

Storage vessels. Especially used for olive oil and grapes. Sometimes have stamps, which might or might not indicate sellers. Residues indicate what was in there. Very widely used and important source for Hellenistic economy

Question 37

Helepolis

Answer 37

City-destroyer. Siege machine associated with Demetrios the Beseiger, who devised it at Salamis. Tall, wheeled, and fireproofed on three sides. Supposedly held up to 200 men. May have been used for shock and awe primarily

Question 38

Dioptra

Answer 38

Improved during this time. Used for measuring position of stars and surveying land

Question 39

Astrolabe

Answer 39

Represented celestial great circle with concentric, pivoting, and gradiated bronze rings

Question 40

Archimedes

Answer 40

Mathematician living from 287-212/1. Spent most of his time in Syracuse at court of King Hiero II. Became figure of legend. Known as inventor of many machines. Developed Archimedean screw to pump water

Question 41

Antikythera mechanism

Answer 41

Probably astronomical machine measuring movement of planets and time. Found in a shipwreck. Question of its purpose, why it is unique, etc

Question 42

Eratosthenes of Cyrene

Answer 42

~275-200 BCE. Head librarian at Alexandria. A philologos, a lover of learning. Had nickname beta because he was second-best at everything. Measured circumference of earth by calculating difference in the shadows of poles in Alexandria and Syene

Question 43

Cleopatra VII

Answer 43

Daughter of Ptolemy XII. Comes to power at 17/8. Fell in with Caesar. Had Caesarion with him. Then fell in with Mark Antony in 41. Had three children with him. Associated with Aphrodite and Isis. Depicted as spectacular, over-the-top, very charming, lavish, and highly intelligent. Commits suicide after Battle of Actium

Question 44

Julius Caesar

Answer 44

100-44 BCE. Came to prominence through wars, especially in Gaul. Seen as threat to Republic, then crosses the Rubicon. Lucan depicts this. Defeats Pompey at Battle of Pharsalus in 48. Becomes dictator perpetuo afterwards. Assassinated 44 to prevent concentration of power. His presence in Egypt, which he did not make a province, started a minor with with Ptolemy’s advisors. He called Cleopatra back afterwards and then fell in with her

Question 45

Mark Antony

Answer 45

83-30 BCE. Close to Caesar, fought with him in Gaul and commanded left wing at Pharsalus. Part of Second Triumvirate with Octavius and Lepidus. Meets Cleopatra in 41 and lived a very lavish lifestyle with her. Had three children with her. Known for drinking and straightforwardness. Tried to associated himself with Dionysos and Heracles. Commits suicide after Cleopatra does after Battle of Actium

Question 46

Dictator

Answer 46

Supreme magistrate in Rome. Used for a specific task during military and domestic crises. Normally capped at six months and officeholder supposed to resign once done. Caesar and Sulla appointed for “restoring the constitution.” Caesar then appointed himself dictator perpetuo, creating a semi-monarchy

Question 47

Imperator

Answer 47

Generic title for Roman commanders, then one of honors. Generals became imperators by their soldiers and held the title until end of their magistracy or after their triumphs. Later became a title like Emperor

Question 48

Imperium

Answer 48

Supreme power over war, execution of laws, and the community, especially as it deals with individuals. Power to give orders and expect obedience. Roman kings had it before being deposed. Symbolized by fasces.

Question 49

Fasces

Answer 49

Bundle of rods bound by red thongs with a single axhead. Carried by lictors. Axe added when magistrate left the city

Question 50

Battle of Actium

Answer 50

31 BCE battle where Cleopatra’s and Antony’s forces are defeated by Octavian, ending the civil war. They commit suicide in the next year