Section 4 Alexander's Empire
Philip Builds Macedonian Power
- Macedonia~ is a kingdom located just north of Greece, that had rough terrain and a cold climate
- they had one important resource, their shrewd and fearless kings
- in 359 B.C. Philip ll became king
- he was 23 years old and he transformed peasants into an army
- the Macedonians defeated the Greeks at the battle of Chaeronea
- Alexander the Great~ king Philip 11's son that took over the rule when he got stabbed in 336 B.C.
Alexander Defeats Persia
- he was 20 years old, but he was under Aristotle's teaching learning science, geography, and literature
- in 334 B.C. he led 35,000 soldiers across the Hellespont into Anatolia
- he won the battle against the Persian defenses
- Darius 111~ the Persian King
- won the battle against Darius and his troops and then got control of Anatolia
- his victory at Gaugamela ended Persia's power
- he also occupied Babylon, Susa, and Persepolis
Alexander's Other Conquests
- he now reigned as the unchallenged ruler of southwest Asia
- they had been fighting for 11 years, and marched more than 11,000 miles
- when he got back he became ill and died at the age of 32
- Antigonus became king of Macedonia and took control of the Greek city-states
- Ptolemy seized Egypt, took the title of pharaoh, and established a dynasty
- Seleucus took most of the old Persian Empire, which became known as the Seleucid Kingdom
- his conquests had a cultural impact
- a vibrant new culture emerged from the blend of Greek and Eastern customs
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Section 5 The Spread of Hellenistic Culture
Hellenistic Culture in Alexandria
- Hellenistic Culture~ culture that blends Greek, Egyptian, Persian, and Indian influences
- Koine, the popular language, was a dialect from Greek ("common"), it was Hellenistic
- Alexandria~ Egyptian city that became the foremost center of commerce and Hellenistic civilization
- it's diverse population exceeded over half a million people
- its greatest attractions were its famous museum and library
Science and Technology
- Alexandrian scholars provided most of the scientific knowledge available to the west
- Aristarchus, an astronomer, estimated that the sun was at least 300 times larger than Earth, and that the planets revolved around the sun
- Eratosthenes tried to compute earth's circumference and he was a highly regarded astronomer and mathematician, he was also a historian and poet
- Euclid~ a highly regarded mathematician who taught in Alexandria
- his best known book, Elements, contained 465 carefully presented geometry propositions and proofs
- Archimedes~ a scientist that accurately estimated the value of pi, also explained the law of the lever
- using his ideas, Hellenistic scientists later built a force pump, pneumatic machines, and a steam engine
Philosophy and Art
- philosophers became more concerned with how people lived their lives, so 2 major philosophies such as Stoicism and Epicureanism developed out of this concern
- a Greek philosopher named Zeno founded the school of philosophy called Stoicism
- stoics proposed that people should live virtuous lives in harmony with the will of god or the natural laws that God established to run the universe
- also preached that human desires, power, and wealth were dangerous distractions that should be checked
- Stoicism promoted social unity and encouraged its followers to focus on what they could control
- Epicurus founded the school of thought called Epicureanism
- he taught that gods who had no interest in humans ruled the universe and that the greatest good came from virtuous conduct and the absence of pain
- he believed that the only real objects were those that the 5 senses perceived
- Epicureans proposed that the main goal of humans was to achieve harmony of the body and mind
- rulers, wealthy merchants, and cities all purchased statues to honor gods, commemorate heroes, and portray ordinary people in everyday situations
- Colossus of Rhodes~ the largest known Hellenistic statue that was bronze and over 100 feet high
- Hellenistic sculptures more natural works, compared to the serene face and perfect body of an idealized man or woman
- by 150 B.C. the Hellenistic world was in decline
- a new city, Rome, was growing and gaining strength
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