CHAPTERFour

The Expansion of Greece

Introduction

• The tragedy of the ancient Greeks• Particularism• The gap between rich and poor• Despair and cynicism• From Hellenic to Hellenistic culture

Failures of the Fourth-Century Polis

• The Corinthian War (395–387 B.C.E.)

• Social and economic crises• Declining wealth• Towns devastated• Decline in the standard of living• Widespread unemployment• The problems of mercenary armies

The Cultural and Intellectual Response

• Art and literature• Heightened sense of realism• Drama in decline compared to fifth century• The flight from social and political

commentary• Drama as diversion and escape

The Cultural and Intellectual Response

• Philosophy and political thought in the age of Plato and Aristotle• Plato (c. 429–349 B.C.E.)

• The vindication of Socrates

• The Academy

• The world of appearances

• Combating skepticism

• The doctrine of Ideas; the Idea of the Good

• The Republic and the philosopher king (“who will guard the guardians?”)

The Cultural and Intellectual Response

• Philosophy and political thought in the age of Plato and Aristotle • Aristotelian thought

• Aristotle (384–322 B.C.E.)• Trained as a scientist• Trusted his senses and sense perception• Objective reality of material objects• Everything is purposeful and moves toward a

perfected form (telos)• The highest good is the harmonious functioning of

mind and body• The contemplative life• “Man is by nature a political animal”

The Rise of Macedon and the Conquests of Alexander

• The reign of Philip II (359–336 B.C.E.)• Stabilized his borders through warfare and

diplomacy• Reorganized the army• The phalanx as fighting machine• The Companions• Dynastic marriages• Expansion brought conflict with Athens

• Demosthenes (c. 383–322 B.C.E.)• Saw Philip as an aggressor

• Battle of Chaeronea (338 B.C.E.)• League of Corinth

• Assassination of Philip

The Rise of Macedon and the Conquests of Alexander

• The conquests and reign of Alexander (336–323 B.C.E.)• Visionary, genius, or butcher?• Further expansion• Battle of Gaugamela (331 B.C.E.)• Queen Roxane• The new empire

• New cities• Mass marriages• Breeding a new nobility• Installs no administrative apparatus

• Death of Alexander

The Hellenistic Kingdoms

• Ptolemaic Egypt• Most durable kingdom

• Patronized science and the arts

• Alexandria• Personal enrichment

The Hellenistic Kingdoms

• Seleucid Asia• Near Eastern traditions• A Hellenized population• Planted new cities

The Hellenistic Kingdoms

• Antigonid Macedon and Greece• Antigonus• Aetolian and Achaean Leagues

The Growth of Trade and Urbanization

• Long-distance trade• Spread east to Central Asia• Harbors improved

The Growth of Trade and Urbanization

• Cities• Importation of Greek officials and soldiers• Alexandria

The Growth of Trade and Urbanization

• Wealth and poverty

Hellenistic Culture: Philosophy and Religion

• Epicureanism and Stoicism• Both originated around 300 B.C.E.• Individualism and the good of the individual• Materialism and universalism• Stoicism

• The cosmos is an ordered whole• Everything happens in accordance with a rational purpose• People are free only when they accept their fate• The duty of the individual is to submit to the order of the universe• The tranquility of mind• The duty of political participation

• Epicureanism• The atomism of Democritus• No ultimate purpose of the universe• The tranquility of mind• There is no absolute justice• The wise man should withdraw from the world and study philosophy

Hellenistic Culture: Philosophy and Religion

• Skepticism• Carneades (c. 213–129 B.C.E.)

• All knowledge is limited and relative• No truth is certain• Escape

Hellenistic Culture: Philosophy and Religion

• Religion• A vehicle for escape• Persistence of belief in gods who protected the

polis• Mystery cults

• Ecstatic mystical union with a deity• Cult of Dionysius• Egyptian cult of Isis• Zoroastrian dualism

• Migration of gods to the Near East and Egypt• Combination of Greek and non-Greek cults• Greek influence on Jewish communities outside

Palestine• The Septuagint

Hellenistic Culture: Literature and Art

• Pastoral literature• The pastorals of Theocritus (c. 310–250

B.C.E.)

• Prose• Polybius (c. 205–123 B.C.E.)

• Historical development proceeds in cycles

• Architecture• The lighthouse of Alexandria• The altar to Zeus at Pergamon

Hellenistic Culture: Literature and Art

• Sculpture• Extreme naturalism• Extravagance

Science and Medicine

• Origins• Mesopotamian and Egyptian science• Hellenistic rulers patronized scientific

research• Sole motive was prestige

Science and Medicine

• Astronomy, mathematics, and geography• Aristarchus of Samos (310–230 B.C.E.)• Euclid (fl. fourth century B.C.E.)• Eratosthenes (c. 276–196 B.C.E.)

Science and Medicine

• Medicine• Herophilus of Chalcedon (c. 335–c.280

B.C.E.)

Science and Medicine

• Physics• Archimedes of Syracuse (c. 287–212

B.C.E.)

The Transformation of the Polis

• From polis to cosmopolis• From Hellene to Hellenistic• The breakdown of traditional values

This concludes the Lecture PowerPoint for Chapter 4.

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