Final Flashcards
Hellenistic poetry
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
Allusion
Reference to another work without making it explicit. Readers must fill in the allusion, which invites them to make comparison between the works
Callimachus of Cyrene
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
Apollonius of Rhodes
Head librarian in Alexandria from 270-245. Wrote Argonautica in 238 for Ptolemies
Theocritus
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
Idylls
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
Bucolic/Pastorals
Poetic scenes related to the countryside. Bucolic comes from Greek boucholoi, meaning herdsmen
Basilissa
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
Eurydice (wife of Ptolemy I)
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
Berenike I
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
Arsinoe I
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
Arsinoe II
~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.
Berenike II
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
Arsinoe III
245-203. Married Ptolemy IV, her brother. Mother of Ptolemy V. Victim of court intrigue and killed off
Zenon Archive
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
Erinna
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
Anyte
Flourished in ~300. From Arcadia. Wrote on many subjects, including dedicatory poems, epigrams, motherhood, dead pets, nature, and the Gallic invasion
Nossis
Flourished in ~300. From Italy. Wrote religious dedications and epigrams, as well as erotic poetry. Influenced by Sappho.
Cameo
An image in relief produced by cutting back a multicolored, naturally laminated stone under a darker/lighter layer is revealed
Tazza Farnese
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
Stoa
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
Nile Mosaic
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
Asclepius
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
Tyche
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.
Curse tablets
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
Peripatetic school
Plato, Aristotle, Theophrastus the misanthrope, and Demetrius of Phaleron the monothetis who set up the Library of Alexandria in 297
Demetrius of Phaleron
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.
Stoicism
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
Epicureanism
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
Skepticism
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
Cynicism
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
Utopianism
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
Septuagint
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
Apocrypha
Books of Jewish origin in the Septuagint that Jews did not accept as canon. 2 Maccabees is considered apocryphal, as is Ecclesiastes
Palace economy
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
Amphorae
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
Helepolis
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
Dioptra
Improved during this time. Used for measuring position of stars and surveying land
Astrolabe
Represented celestial great circle with concentric, pivoting, and gradiated bronze rings
Archimedes
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
Antikythera mechanism
Probably astronomical machine measuring movement of planets and time. Found in a shipwreck. Question of its purpose, why it is unique, etc
Eratosthenes of Cyrene
~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
Cleopatra VII
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
Julius Caesar
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
Mark Antony
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
Dictator
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
Imperator
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
Imperium
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.
Fasces
Bundle of rods bound by red thongs with a single axhead. Carried by lictors. Axe added when magistrate left the city
Battle of Actium
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
