1 The Shift to the Hellenistic EraGreek History The Shift to the Hellenistic Era
2 Greece Located in the Aegean Sea, it is made up of the Isthmus of Corinth and the Peloponnesian peninsula. They were a trading, seafaring, cosmopolitan people.
3 Greece (Cont.) The interior of the country is rocky terrain, which led them to grow mostly olives and raise goats in most places, however they grew wheat where they could. In most places, the land is not fertile enough to sustain life, and the terrain is too rocky for intercontinental commerce.
4 Greece (Cont.) Due to the geography, independent city-states arose. They had different languages, governments, and customs. Some of the most famous were Athens, Sparta, Troy, Ionia, Ithaca, Thebes, Delphi, and Attica.
5 1100-800 B.C. The Dark Ages of Grecian civilizationBrutal, outlaw, pillaging kings Around 800 BC, the Greek alphabet, which originated in Ethiopia, is developed. This is the first recorded language. It spread fast and it is the basis for democracy.
6 The Greek Alphabet Alpha Zeta Lambda Pi Phi Beta Eta Mu Rho Chi Gamma Theta Nu Sigma Psi Delta Iota Xi Tau Omega Epsilon Kappa Omichron Upsilon Due to the alphabet and the need for protection, city-states grow to enormous proportions.
7 The Hellenistic Era 7
8 Significance of the Hellenistic EraSpread of Greek culture throughout the eastern Mediterranean & Near East Shift from a culture dominated by ethnic Greeks to a culture dominated by Greek-speakers of various ethnicities Blending of Greek culture with Near Eastern influences Shift from the political dominance of the city-state to that of larger monarchies Cultural centers shifted away from mainland Greece to cosmopolitan cities New religious, philosophical and cultures concepts emerge New naturalistic artistic styles emerge 8
9 Hellenistic World Period after Alexander but before the RomansMonarchs rule vast and diverse kingdoms Territories of old Persian empire Each empire embarked on building projects, scholarship & patronage of the arts New ruling class of descendants of Greco-Macedonian conquerors New cities take on importance Greek culture dominates – Greek lingua franca Individualism replaces loyalty to polis Commerce and travel increases Blending and assimilation of cultures 9
10 Macedonian & Greek RulersRuling elite about 10 percent of population influence out of proportion to their numbers New professional class of rulers, administrators & merchants Old loyalties to the Polis given way to dedication to the profession Pursuit of individual wealth & power Greeks accept monarchy Included those who acquired Greek language and culture through formal or informal education Opened opportunities for ambitious 10
11 Hellenistic Cities All aspects of Greek cultureTheater, gymnasium, agora, temple Growth of these cities provokes massive migrations from the Greek mainland Cosmopolitan centers of government, trade and culture Cities were no longer independent Cities owed allegiance to kingdoms rather than city-states Monarchs often advocated democracy in their cities Governed by magistrates, councils & popular assemblies King demanded tribute and taxes Many cities introduced civic religious cults honoring their kings 11
12 Hellenistic Economy Despite the constant conflict, the Hellenistic world was incredibly prosperous Alexander and his successors liberated an immense amount of wealth from Persian empire Mainly ruling class and wealthy benefited Industry remained essentially hand-craft industry, and agriculture remained the primary occupation Vast estates predominated in agriculture International marketplace expands Goods moved freely between kingdoms Some luxury goods, but mostly agricultural products Labor was manual – slavery still prominent Cities created wider gulf between rich and poor 12
13 Hellenistic Economy Currency standardizedCoinage – 2 separate standards of weight Based on silver drachma Command Economies Kingdoms take control of economic activity Control trade and industry Funnel riches into royal treasury Successful industries converted into royal monopolies sesame oil, salt, perfumes, incense beer industry in Egypt – royal breweries Kings levy taxes on imports and exports Required complex administrative structures, with large Greek-speaking bureaucracies Used money to enrich themselves and fund constant wars 13
14 Women in Hellenistic SocietyCosmopolitan cities helped break down tight family life and female seclusion of traditional polis Greater personal freedom Free to move about in public More independence of action Right to control and own property Evidence of joint decision making in marriage More opportunities to participate in public sphere Political restrictions remain Never enfranchised Women depicted more in art Greater emphasis on female sexuality New Professions Musicians, writers, poets, artists all recognized City magistrates Elite and wealthy become educated Involved in commerce or intellectual activities 14
15 Hellenistic Art Realism instead of idealNaturalism, movement, emotion, expressiveness & dramatic posing Demonstrated individuality of faces & bodies, even imperfections Human condition, state of mind & daily life popular subjects Social diversity in art Statues of female nudes popular Royal & wealthy patronage Reflect ideals of Greek aesthetics Political agenda of promoting Greek culture Hired architects to design cities conducive to Greek life 15
16 Hellenistic Art 16
17 Jews & Hellenism Jewish religious practices restricted – Unlikeunder Persians Many Jews accepted Greek culture to prosper Maccabeen Revolt Seleucid king Antiochus IV tried to make the Jews worship the Greek gods – 168 BC Revolted & gained their independence Celebrate Hanukkah in commemoration of victory of Maccabees Maccabees founded Hasmonean royal dynasty & established Jewish state 165 – 63 BC Story of the Maccabees in Old Testament Herod I or Herod the Great (c. 74 BC– c. 1 BC) Roman client-king of Judaea From a wealthy, influential Idumaean family Ruthless political opportunitist Herod's Temple - massive renovation Dismantled Second Temple to make grander structure 17
18 Mystery Religions Religion of the common peopleSyncretism - fusion of beliefs Religion with secret wisdom Beliefs, practices, and the religion's true nature are revealed only to those who have been initiated into its secrets Common cult components Sacred symbols & rites with personal spiritual & magical efficacy Purification rituals Baptisms and other initiation rites and sacraments Initiation be divided into several stages through which an adherent had to ascend to obtain knowledge Central theme of life-death-rebirth cycle Promise of afterlife to initiates 18
19 7 Wonders of the World Tourist attractions of the Hellenistic worldNumber of ancient lists Earliest list - Antipater of Sidon c. 125 BC 1. Pyramids of Khufu 26th century BC 2. Hanging Gardens of Babylon 6th century BC 3. Temple of Artemis 4. Statue of Zeus 5th century BC 5. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus 4th century BC 6. Colossus of Rhodes 3rd century BC 7. Lighthouse of Alexandria 19
20 The Temple of Artemis City of Ephesus - Western TurkeyFirst shrine to Goddess Artemis built around 800 B.C. Goddess of fertility First temple burnt in 356 BC - Herostratus New temple ft long & 225 ft wide columns Parthenon 230 ft long, 100 ft wide & 58 columns Major tourist attraction Souvenirs & religious items including miniature statues of Artemis Destroyed by Goths in 262 A.D Few remains today Marble salvaged for local building needs 20
21 Hanging Gardens Of Babylon - IraqGarden built by King Nebuchadnezzar, who ruled the city for 43 years starting in 605 BC Strabo described them as groups of vaulted terraces raised one above another Built to cheer up Nebuchadnezzar's homesick wife, Amyitis from Medes Land she came from was green, rugged and mountainous, and she found the flat, sun-baked terrain of Mesopotamia depressing. 21
22 The Mausoleum at HalicarnassusWestern Turkey Mausolus, with his queen Artemisia (also sister), ruled over Halicarnassus & the surrounding territory for 24 years In 353 B.C. Mausolus died Artemisia, heartbroken, decided to build the world’s most splendid tomb Stood above the city ruins for some 17 centuries until destroyed by an earthquake in 1404 AD 22
23 The Great Pharos LighthouseAlexandria, Egypt founded by Alexander in 332 BC Under Ptolemys the city became rich and prosperous City needed both a symbol & a mechanism to guide the many trade ships into the busy harbor Built on the island of Pharos Building of the Pharos started in 290 B.C Took 20 years to complete Became tallest building in existence, with the exception of the Great Pyramid Became big tourist attraction Damaged by earthquakes Finally collapsed in 1306 AD 23
24 The Great Pyramids of GizaPharaoh Khufu 2400 BC Only remaining wonder 756 feet long & 450 high Tallest man-made structure for over 4400 years until Eiffel Tower Composed of 2,300,000 blocks of stone Originally covered by a beautiful smooth limestone surfacing Khufu’s tomb and treasure has never been found 24
25 The Colossus of Rhodes Island of Rhodes was an important economic center Southwestern tip of Asia Minor Held off a siege of city for over a year Celebrated the victory by building huge statue Melted metal from war machines left behind Construction took 12 years 110 high and stood upon a 50 foot pedestal near the harbor Destroyed by earthquake after 56 years 25
26 Statue of Zeus Temple of Zeus at Olympia – constructed 470 to 460 B.C.Similar to Parthenon in design Needed a magnificent statue of Zeus 50 feet high Phidias – sculptor Statue of Athena in the Parthenon 26
27 George Washington = Zeus?Smithsonian Museum of American History