Hist 1017, Hellenism Flashcards
Who was Alexander the Great?
son of Philip II; received military training in Macedonian army and was a student of Aristotle; great leader; conquered much land in Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, and Mesopotamia; goal was to conquer the known world. Used long spears.
Who did alexander the great conquer?
Persian empire. conquers money and conquest through women.
How do political expansion and cultural diffusion go together?
- More accommodation and adjustment between cultures.
- Laying foundations of large scale trade routes
- Tying religions together through institutional ties.
What happened to Alexander’s conquest after he died?
His generals divide up the territories and gave them to single powerful rulers. Some female rulers.
City-states still exist, but alongside large territories. Political units getting bigger.
what is hellenism?
cultural system that unifies. Greek culture spread across western Asia and northeastern Africa after the conquests of Alexander the Great. The period ended with the fall of the last major Hellenistic kingdom to Rome, but Greek cultural influence persisted until the spread of Islam.
What is Hellenistic Culture?
It is derived from greek culture. Uniform. Common culture. common greek language (Koine)
What were the elements of a hellenistic city?
named after alexander. grid system. library. ships would overturn scrolls and books. museums. theater, gymnasium, temples to greek gods.
What is cosmopolitanism?
the ideology that all human beings belong to a single community, based on a shared morality
How did Digenes approach cosmolpolitanism?
Argued that we should reject cultural norms
How did epicurus approach cosmolpolitanism?
argued that the good life is not caring. Order emerged from chaos at random, pursue pleasure.
How did the stoics approach cosmopolitanism?
help people find their place, nature is the permanent world, be unmoved by happiness or sorrow, not bothered by challenges. Everyone is connected
How did the cult of osiris approach cosmopolitanism?
cult in the anthropological sense (not negative), focused on the worship of Osiris (Egyptian god),focused on ritual dipping in water for rebirth (baptism), rebirth in the individual
what were the attractions of hellenism
People want connections. Trade is easier so economic growth. Seen as a way to increase your status
What was Ai Khanoum
The center of Hellenistic culture on the doorstep of India; spread Greek culture to the East. Very greek inspired (theater and gym), combining asian and greek culture.
who adopted hellenism and who did not?
- Maccabees resisted but then some of their coins became Greek inspired.
- Some Jewish elites adopted Hellenism
- Roman adopted with Hellenism
