Download Hellenistic and Roman Culture

Glencoe World History pages 141-143 and p. 163-168
SSWH3 The student will examine the political,
philosophical, and cultural interaction of Classical
Mediterranean societies from 700 BCE to 400 CE.
c. Analyze the contributions of Hellenistic and Roman
culture; include law, gender, and science.
The Legacy of Alexander
 Greek language, architecture, literature & art diffused
throughout the territory
 Hellenistic = “to imitate Greeks”
 The Hellenistic Kingdoms
 4 kingdoms developed that were ruler by Greek generals:


Macedonia, Syria, Pergamum, & Egypt
all were eventually conquered by the Romans
 Alexandria, Egypt became the largest city in region
 Encouraged Greek migration
Hellenistic Culture
 The libraries of Alexandria & Pergamum
 Architecture & Sculpture:
 Founding & rebuilding cities in Asia Minor employed Greek
architects & sculptors
 Art became more emotional & realistic (statues of women &
children)
 Science:
 Aristarchus = Sun is the center of the Universe
 not widely accepted
 Eratosthenes = the Earth was round & circumference
 Euclid = Plain Geometry (the Elements)
 Archimedes of Syracuse = inventor & mathematician
(Geometry, spheres, & Pi)
Hellenistic Philosophy & Literature
 Hellenistic Philosophy:
 Centered in Athens
 Epicureanism = humans were free to follow self- interest as
motivation


Happiness was the goal of life
the means to achieve happiness is the Pursuit of pleasure (freedom from
emotional turmoil & worry), the only true good.
 Stoicism = developed by Zeno, believed happiness could be found
only when people gained inner peace by living in harmony with the
will of God (later embraced by the Romans)
 Literature:
 Apollonius of Rhodes wrote Argonautica (Epic Poem)
 Theocritis wrote shorter poems
 Menander wrote a new kind of comedies
Culture and Society in the Roman World
 Roman Art and Architecture
 Produced realistic statues that included even unpleasant
physical details
 Excelled in architecture including the arch, dome, vault,
roads, bridges, and aqueducts
 The first to use concrete on a massive scale
 Roman Literature
 Virgil – poet who wrote Aeneid: written in honor of Rome
 Horace- writer who laughed at the weaknesses of humans
 Livy- historian who celebrated Rome’s greatness
The Roman Family
 Families led by the paterfamilias- the dominant male
 Raised their children at home
 All (males & females) upper class children were expected
to learn to read
 Father chose how children would be educated
 For females, 14 was the common age to get married, for
males it was later (12 was the minimum)
 Boys became men at the age of 16 with a special ceremony
 Marriage meant for life, but divorce became fairly easy to
obtain
Changing Roles
 By the second century A.D. important changes were
occurring in the Roman family
 Upper class women had the right to own, inherit, and
sell property
 Women were appreciated as enjoyable company and
were the center of household life
 Upper class women could attend races, the theater,
and events
 Women of rank were accompanied by maids and
companions when they went out
Slavery
 In the ancient world no people had more slaves than
the Romans
 Greek slaves were in high demand
 Built roads, public buildings and farmed large estates
for the wealthy
 Romans lived in great fear of their slaves
 Spartacus, a gladiator, led the most famous slave
revolt in 73 BC
Daily Life in the City of Rome
 Center of the Roman Empire
 Overcrowded and noisy
 Cart & wagon traffic was banned during the day
 An enormous gulf existed between the rich and the
poor
 Rome boasted public buildings such as temples,
markets, baths, theaters, and amphitheaters
 Entertainment was provided on a grand scale
including horse & chariot races, dramatic
performances, and gladiatorial shows