Hellenistic World Flashcards
What types of transformation took place with the Hellenistic World?
Geographical
Cultural
What’s an example of the cultural transformation experienced with the Hellenistic World?
Classical Idealism to Hellenistic Realism
What scholarly prejudices exist regarding the Hellenistic World?
The belief nothing could be better than classical period
What did Bevan say about the Hellenistic World?
No other period of 10 years had such momentous change
Why is there a scholarly bias against the Hellenistic World?
First Hellenistic histories were German (Droysen) and written during unification model and chose Classical, anything else pale imitation
What was the political atmosphere of 4th Century Greece?
Fractured
Which country was Phillip II King of?
Macedonia
Where was Phillip II a prisoner?
Thebes
Where was Phillip II educated?
Thebes, Greece
What steps does Phillip II do when coming to the throne?
Reorganised Army and Increases Population
How does Phillip II take control of much of Greece?
Diplomacy and Conquest
What year does Phillip II defeat Theban/Athenian coalition?
338 BC
When did Phillip II die?
336 BC
What situation is Alexander greeted with when he comes to power?
Revolts
Once in control where did Alexander head on a military campaign?
Persia
What stops Alexander?
Resistant Army
Why were Alexander’s army resistant to him?
Macedonians had signed up to defeat Greece, end up in Asia after decade of fighting
What was the long-term issue with Alexander’s plan?
Never set up means to maintain empire
When did Alexander die?
323 BC
What happened after Alexander died?
30 years of infighting between generals, no clear successor
What three dynasties emerge out of Alexander’s world?
Antigonids
Ptolemy
Selucids
What dynasty was formed in Greece?
Antigonids
What dynasty was formed in Eygpt?
Ptolemies
What dynasty was formed in the Eastern realm?
Selucids
How does Alexander change the fundamentals of the Greek World?
The King-Military based
Careful not to unnecessarily destroy something
Were Hellenistic kings more in common with classical or archaic Rulers?
More Homeric Heroes than Greek Statesman
What characterized Alexander’s successors?
Improvisational, hadn’t expected to be kings and didnt know how to
Who did the dynastic kings imitate?
Alexander
What was Kingship deeply rooted in?
Macedonian Tradition
How was a King seen in the Macedonian tradition?
Conqueror/Benefactor/God
What was the role of the king in Macedonia?
Head of the military and nobility
What role did Divinity play in Macedonian kingship?
Alexander worshipped as God by some
What were the characteristics of the Antigonids?
Remain Greek/Macedonian
Free/Autonomous
Defender of Greek Cities and Autonomy
What were the characteristics of the Ptolemies?
Highly functioning administrative system and social structure based on Egyptian system but act Greek and are treated Greek
What was the Ptolemeies’s heritage like?
Incestuous
What was the culture of Ptolemaic Egypt?
Multicultural, treated Greek
What characterized the Seleucids?
Diversity of the Empire (at least 13 countries)
What unified the Seleucids?
Royal Cult
How many cities did Alexander found?
Over 70
Why did Alexander found so many cities?
Spread Greek authority and idea of power
Why did the Seleucids have many of the new cities?
Combat diversity of empire
Why was the ancient economy different to the modern economy?
Not a market economy
What characteristics did the Ancient Hellenistic economy have?
Currency represent concrete values
What’s the Greek term for ‘economy’?
Oikonomia
What does Oikos mean?
Household
What does Nomos mean?
Rule and Order
Why is the Ancient Economy’s scale different to that of a modern economy?
Local economy more important, focus on neccessities
Was the Ancient Economy monetized?
No, item for item
What did Samuel say about the Hellenistic Economy?
Different priorities, Ptolemaic Egypt wanted stability, not expansion
What did 1920/30s scholarship say about the Hellenistic Economy?
The economy was a place of movement of capital
What did 1960/70s scholarship say about the Hellenistic Economy?
Not one giant economy but rather composed of small, local economies
Why did the cities rely on imports?
Cities could not make enough to support their populations and many on subsistence
Why was there constant warfare?
King legitimacy relies on fighting
Why is warfare expensive?
Soldiers fighting cannot make money
Were soldiers paid?
Most
Where did money for war come from?
Tax, high taxes, and complex codes
What’s a Greek town that was taken over by the Macedonians?
Euboea
In Euboea how much interference by the Macedonians was there?
Little in local government with king in background
What major effect did Macedonian rule have on Euboea?
In contact with many more places than before
What effect did Macedonian rule have on Euboea’s economy?
No massive seismic change in economy
For Euboeans what was taxation?
A form of survival
Why do we have an abundance of evidence about Ptolemaic Eygpt?
Papyrus used
After taking over Eygpt what did the Cleruchs do?
They settled amongst the villages and countryside
What does Cleruch mean?
Soldier
What was the status of cleruchs or horsemen?
Hereditary
What was the legal setup of Ptolemaic Egypt?
Two legal systems dependent on ethnicity
Why was Babylonia different to Ptolemaic Greece?
Had segregation at first
When did Babylonia flourish?
When co-existence in place?
What main evidence do we have for Ai Khanoum?
Archaeological evidence as no literary references exist
Why is there an issue with relying on Archaeological evidence for studying Ai Khanoum?
Because it was used as a rebel hideout during the Soviet occupation of Afganistan
Why was intermarriage inevitable in Ai Khanoum?
Few women
How can the cultural exchange between the new dynasties and their new lands be described?
One way cultural relationship-Greek ideas widespread
What’s an example of the integration of Greek culture?
Temple of Bel (Zeus) in Greece
How can the ethnicity of the Hellenistic world be described?
Not binary but a spectrum
What evidence do we have that Alexander was treated as a living god?
Alexander as Zeus coins were found dating from Indian campaign
What was the relationship between faith and morality in the Hellenistic world?
Not intrinsically linked, morality came from society
What happened to the image of Alexander after his death?
Was deified
Were most kings deified like Alexander?
Initially, but more became worshipped during their lifetime
What was the purpose of the Royal Cult?
Promoting imperial unity
Why was Ai Khanoum different in terms of religion?
Its temple had a tripartite cella, three gods?
Were new gods found in the Hellenistic world?
Yes, in Epidaurous Askleos was popular healing cult
How did Ptolemy try to unite Greek and Egyptian religion?
Serapis introduced as combination of cultures
What did Walbank think about Hellenistic religion?
Majority of Greeks agnostic even Atheist
What religion has a framework set for it and why?
Christianity, living God and spread of gospel
