Download File

10.31 Greek Cultural
Achievements
ONE OF THE GREATEST GREEK
ACHIEVEMENTS WAS THE INTRODUCTION
OF DRAMA TO THE WORLD, STILL USED AND
ACTIVE TODAY
INTRO: PANCHO VILLA
Greek Drama
 Like the Olympics, Greek drama started
out as a religious festival, to the god of
wine, Dionysus. It started with a chorus of
men who would dance and sing around an
alter to Dionysus.
 Gradually this changed over time…a single
actor was introduced, then other actors
added to the event. Soon, dialogue was
added, and gradually it became a story
played out on the stage, much like the
plays and dramas we are used to seeing on
the stage today.
 Also like the Olympics, good playwrights
were awarded prizes for excellence, being
judged by a panel of judges.
Drama Continued
 These performances were
paid for by wealthy
Athenian citizens, such as
Pericles. In fact, on
average around 3,000
citizens would perform in
the drama festival each
year.
 This was another way then
that citizens could
participate in the
community.
Comedy & Tragedy
 There were two main kinds of
drama that the Athenian
dramatists invented that are
still influential today: comedy
and tragedy.
 Comedies are funny plays
with happy endings, while
tragedies were serious
plays with sad endings.
Comedies were usually used to
look at current issues, while
tragedies focused on wellknown historical myths.
Famous Playwrights
 Aristophanes
was the premier
comic playwright
of the time; and
Aeschylus,
Euripides, and
Sophocles were
the most famous
tragic
playwrights.
The Big Four
AESCHYLUS
SOPHOCLES
EURIPIDES
ARISTOPHANES
Aeschylus, Tragedy Dramatist
 The oldest of the Big Four, Aeschylus
was born around 525 BC, and was
involved in the Persian Wars. After the
Wars, he became the leading dramatist of
his day. In 474 BC, he wrote a play about
the Wars, which was sponsored by
Pericles himself (i.e., Pericles paid for it to
be done).
 Later, Aeschylus wrote a very famous
trilogy called the Oresteia. A trilogy is a
trio of dramatic or literary works.
For example, the Lord of the Rings
books/movies are considered a trilogy
because there are three of each.
 Legend says that one of scenes from the
trilogy was supposed to be so scary that
kids watching had seizures. Sadly, (or not)
only 7 of his original 80 works have
survived…
Sophocles, Another Tragedy Dramatist
 Sophocles was a good 30 years
younger than Aeschylus; when
Aeschylus was fighting with the
Athenian navy at the battle of
Salamis, Sophocles was a young
teenager.
 However, because of his good looks
and playwright skills, he ended up
playing a key role in a celebration of
the victory. Later, he frequently
competed directly with Aeschylus at
the festivals of Dionysus. They
ended up being big rivals, while
Sophocles also got involved in other
public affairs.
Oedipus the King
 Sophocles’ most famous play is called
Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King). It is a
story of a legendary ruler who
(unknowingly) ends up fulfilling a
prophecy that he would kill his father and
in turn marry his own mother.
 When he discovers the awful truth, he
blinds himself out of shame. This tragedy
is a reminder to all of us that we are not
really in as much control of our lives as
we might think…
 Even today this is a play that is
sometimes done on the stage, so if you
get the chance you may want to go see it
sometime…or not.
Euripides, Last of the Great Greek Dramatists
 The last of the great Greek
playwrights, Euripides was
born around 485 BC. He also
produced some 80-90 plays, like
Aeschylus.
 Though he won less awards than
either Aeschylus or Sophocles, he
was very popular with Athenian
audiences and is widely admired
for his psychological insights
(i.e., understanding what and
how people think, feel,
motivations, etc).
Master of Comedy, Aristophanes
 A very popular dramatist,
Aristophanes lived from about
445-380 BC. He poked fun at lots
of different statesmen, such as
Pericles, teased other dramatists,
and even made fun of
philosophers, like Socrates (we’ll
discuss him later).
 Plato, another famous
philosopher, actually accused
Aristophanes of being responsible
for slander that led to Socrates’
death. His work is a bit less
serious than the others, but still
worth looking at, and has
influenced comedy even today.
Other Cultural Achievements
 There were many other
achievements of the Greeks during
the Golden Age of Athens. For
example, the Greeks were famous
for their decorative pottery.
 They made decorated bowls, urns,
and vases, which they used and
had depicted scenes of everyday
life, to hold drinks, food, grain, etc.
Sometimes they showed scenes from
history or mythology too.
 These containers were traded and
sold all over the ancient Old World.
Historians study them today to see
what life was like in Ancient Greece.
Famous Historians
 Greece was known for being
a pioneer in many areas.
One of which was history.
Herodotus, aka the
“Father of History” was
known for his history of the
Persian Wars, including the
last stand at Thermopolyae.
 Another historian was
Thucydides, who told the
story of the Peloponnesian
War.
Medicine
 One of the most influential
Greeks from Athen’s Golden Age
was Hippocrates. He was born
around 460 BC, and was one of
the first to recognize that
weather, drinking water, and
location can play a role in
people’s health.
 He is most famous for the
“Hippocratic Oath,” which
states that doctors will only use
their skills for the good of their
patients. Doctors have been
making this pledge for over 2000
years.
10.31 / 5.3 Greek Philosophy
PHILOSOPHY & ADVERSITY
THROUGHOUT TIME, PEOPLE HAVE OFTEN
PONDERED THE MEANING OF LIFE, AND
CONSIDERED PHILOSOPHY AS AN ANSWER TO
THEIR CONCERNS. WHEN LIFE IS EASY AND GOOD,
IT CAN BE EASY TO IGNORE LARGER QUESTIONS,
SUCH AS THE MEANING OF LIFE. WHEN LIFE IS
DIFFICULT HOWEVER, WE OFTEN WONDER WHAT
THE PURPOSE IS TO ALL THE SUFFERING.
Athens, Home to Great Philosophers
 As Athens struggled economically and politically in
the waning years of the Peloponnesian War and the
following decades, Athenian Philosophy grew and
developed, and today we look back at famous
Athenian Philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and
Aristotle.
Early Greek Philosophy
 Greeks had been curious for many
years, and would often discuss such
important questions, like during
symposiums, etc.
 Early on, many simply attributed
things of nature and why things
were the way they were because of
the gods. For instance, a storm at
sea meant Poseidon was mad; a
thunderstorm meant Zeus was at
target practice; the world was full of
trouble because Pandora had opened a
box of evil because of her curiosity.
Faith Replaced by Reason
 Gradually, as time passed,
many of the Greeks came to
the conclusion that natural
phenomena might happen
because of something other
than the whims of gods.
 By 600 B.C.E. many Greeks
tried using logic (making
logical guesses based on info
at hand) and reason (clear
and ordered thinking) to
understand the world around
them. This was the beginning
of Philosophy.
Philosophy
 Philosophy means “love of
wisdom,” and the ancient
Greek philosophers certainly
wanted to be wiser. They
wondered how the world
around them worked, how it
had come to be, and what it
was made of.
 Some of their ideas have stood
the test of time, whilst others
have been debunked as false.
However, either way, the fact
that they were using their
brains to figure things out is
admirable.
Heraclitus
 One of the important early
Greek Philosophers was a man
by the name of Heraclitus. He
had many good ideas. For
instance, he said: “It is
impossible to step in the
same river twice.”
 He said this because rivers are
constantly changing and never
at rest, and so this makes a lot
of sense when you think about
it, and another quote of his was
“There is nothing
permanent except change.”
“Good character is
not formed in a
week or a month.
It is created little
by little, day by
day. Protracted
and patient effort
is needed to
develop good
character.”
Other Early Philosophers
 Thales was another early philosopher who believed that
everything in the universe came from water.
Anaximenes thought that all things were derived
or different forms of air. He saw that air was alive
and full of movement, so perhaps that is where all life
comes from. Empedocles had a theory of his own, that
there were four basic elements: earth, air, fire, and
water; everything else was a combination of these.
 Many of these theories were merely guesses, but as they
attempted to answer these difficult questions, they taught
themselves and their listeners how to reason, and not
simply live by blind faith.
Socrates
 One of the most famous
philosophers of all time, and
certainly in Greece, was a man by
the name of Socrates.
 Socrates lived from 469-399 B.C.E.,
and lived both during the Golden
Age of Athens and during and
after the Peloponnesian War, which
he fought in as a young man. Most
of what we now know about
Socrates we have learned from his
student Plato, since Socrates wrote
nothing himself.
Unique Thinker
 Socrates was unique for several reasons. First off, he
cared less about the nature of the world, and cared
instead much more about the nature of man, and also
how man ought to behave. He was one of the first
philosophers to study ethics, which is the study of what
it means to live a good, moral life.
 He also had an interesting way of philosophizing. Instead
of sitting alone and pondering things by himself, he went
to the Athenian Marketplace (the agora) and
discussed these things with other Athenians. In this way
he also made philosophy a personal venture.
Discussions with Socrates
 While having these discussions, Socrates wanted his
fellow Athenians to examine their lives, and to see that
sometimes they weren’t living up to the high ideals and
moral values they claimed to have. He argued that “the
unexamined life is not worth living.”
 The way he did this was interesting as well. Instead of
giving plain answers, he would ask them questions about
important moral concepts, like justice for example. After
they gave their explanation, he would critique their
personal actions, pointing out the contradictions
between their words and actions.
 He did this not to condemn them for their hypocrisy, but
to get them to reconsider their actions in life, and to try
and live their lives better.
The Socratic Method
 Socrates used a method of
questioning, which led to his
listeners realizing something
that they might not have
realized without his
assistance. This is known
today as the Socratic
Method.
 As teachers, we often do this
to help you, the students,
think about new things or
come to your own resolutions.
In this process however, we
are merely guides, helping you
along a bit in your own
journey of discovery.
Other Interesting Facts about Socrates
 Socrates was not paid; many other philosophers
at the time were in fact paid to philosophize
(called sophists), but Socrates did it for simply
doing it, that was his reward.
 He also didn’t care much for personal comforts,
and claimed that he did not have any wisdom.
Then again, he did also claim that since he
realized he wasn’t wise, he was therefore the
wisest man in Athens because he knew he wasn’t
wise.
 He lived by two core principles:


It was important to never do ANY wrong, even indirectly.
Also, if people really understand between right and
wrong, they will choose right, and not wrong.
 Thus, he felt it was his responsibility to help
people understand right and wrong.
Trouble Brews for Socrates
 Though many people appreciated the insight and
philosophies of Socrates, many did not. Socrates would
speak when he felt like it, even if it meant embarrassing
important and powerful people.
 He was seen as annoying by many people, and a public
nuisance. And as he was constantly pointing people’s
faults, many were upset because they didn’t like to be
constantly reminded of their shortcomings.
 Eventually, Socrates was arrested on the charge of
corrupting the young men of Athens, and tried and
executed by being forced to drink hemlock, a poisonous
herb.
Charges of Treason
 Socrates had offended many people…too many people.
Many felt that his philosophies had led the youth to
become disrespectful to their elders (always asking
questions, etc.), of the gods, and encouraged them to be
selfish and power hungry.
 Mostly this was because of several of his students who
ended up doing some dishonorable things, like
Alcibiades, a favorite student of Socrates, who betrayed
the Athenians to Sparta in the Peloponnesian War.
 Also, several other students of his were part of a group
called the Thirty Tyrants, a short-lived oligarchy that
ran Athens as a pro-Spartan government after the failure
of the Peloponnesian War. Thus, many Athenians held
Socrates personally responsible for their misconduct.
A Condemned Man
 Plato, as the resident expert of
Socrates, paints a picture for us
as we try to understand what
led to Socrates’ death.
 He describes how Socrates
defended himself, but the end
result was that he was
condemned to death by an
assembly vote of 280 to 221.
A Man of Principle
 Afterwards, while awaiting his
execution, Socrates is recorded
as having had numerous
conversations with his friends
and supporters.
 Apparently there were many
who wanted to do whatever
necessary to save him, including
helping him to escape prison
and flee to freedom.
 Ultimately Socrates said he
would not try to escape, but for
justices’ sake would instead die.
He believed that it was
important he not break the law
now, even in his most dire hour.
Socrates’ Death
 Socrates was forced to drink hemlock,
a nasty poison that causes numbness,
convulsions, loss of speech and
vomiting. Plato instead tells us that
Socrates dies while having a pleasant
conversation with his friends, then
falling asleep and not waking up.
 Though in reality his death was
probably much more gruesome, like
Plato it is better to remember Socrates
as someone who was an example of
deep self-reflection and control, and
committed to seeking truth and being a
good, moral person. These are things
that are still important today, and why
we remember him now. VID
Plato & Aristotle
PLATO
JUST LIKE SOCRATES, PLATO WAS FROM ATHENS
AND SEARCHED FOR THE TRUTH. HE WAS BOTH A
GREAT THINKER AND A GREAT WRITER AS WELL,
WHICH IS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE STILL
KNOW WHO HE WAS TODAY.
Plato, Student of Socrates
 Plato was about the same age as Socrates (he was
about 24 when the Peloponnesian War ended). Once
Socrates had been executed however, he fled the
country, fearing that he might be next.
 He moved from place to place, visiting Italy, Sicily,
and other Greek city-states. Finally returned in 387
B.C.E. and set up a school simply called the
Academy. This school remained open for hundreds
of years, till about 500 A.D. when the Roman
Emperor Justinian closed it, as it was not teaching
Christianity.
The Dialogues
 Plato respected Socrates quite a bit, going
so far as to record the philosophical
discussions, or dialogues, that he’d had
with others. He did this so that others might
get a glimpse of what it was like to
understand Socrates.
 Later on, Plato’s dialogues followed the
same format, but they were more historical
fiction, because he discussed topics that
Socrates had never talked about before.
Based on what he knew of Socrates
however, Plato made his best guess as to
what Socrates might have said if he were
still around. This was his way of honoring
Socrates’ memory.
Why?
 Thru this method, this allowed the readers to feel like
part of a larger philosophical discussion. He encouraged
them to think about their own opinions, and these
dialogues showed that reason and logic could be used to
discover much.
 Though Plato was much like Socrates, he also was
different. He was more idealistic / optimistic, and
focused a lot on the idea of goodness, and less on
whether people were living it or not. Also, he was more
traditional in his methods of teaching (he didn’t confront
random people, but had a group of regular students, like
most other philosophers).
Mathematics
 Plato really liked math, because he thought that
it led to pure, abstract (pure, not complicated)
truth. Thus, you’d need to study math before
having a discussion with him. Plato didn’t like
to think about the regular, imperfect world, full
of exceptions and problems.
 In fact, he believed there were two distinct
worlds: A perfect one of forms, or ideals (the
“real” world), and another, imperfect copy of
that world, which was the world that we live in.
Thus, Plato felt that the most important thing
was to discover those ideal forms as best as
possible. He thought that Philosophy and Math
were good ways to discover those ideal truths,
and then one could strive to reach those ideals
in this life.
An Ideal World
 Plato felt than an ideal society would
have philosophers playing key roles,
since they alone best understood
concepts of truth and justice.
 He didn’t believe in democracy
because he thought it gave too much
power to ignorant people who did
stupid things; like the people who
executed Socrates. He considered it
more of a mobocracy (rule of the
masses instead of rule of law), or
even anarchy (no real rule
whatsoever).
Society Should Be Like School
 Plato felt that society should be like
school, with people training to always
be better (like in Sparta, where they
trained to be good soldiers). He
designed the ideal state, ruled by
philosophers and dedicated to justice.
 There, citizens could develop virtue
(moral excellence) and choose
goodness. With the right education,
Plato believed that citizens could
exercise self-control, and be less
selfish. This ideal state is described in
his dialogue The Republic.
Role of Philosophers in Ancient Greece
 During the time of Socrates and Plato,
philosophers certainly played their
part in the life of the polis or city-state.
They tried to get involved and educate
their fellow citizens, and to point out
its flaws as well.
 Things changed gradually over time.
Philosophers started to teach in
schools rather than the marketplace,
and they would identify problems of
society with possible suggestions.
However, they were less directly
involved in polis life than they used to
be, but Aristotle (the student of Plato)
would soon change all of that.
Aristotle
STUDENT OF PLATO, AS PLATO WAS
STUDENT TO SOCRATES
Fatherly Influence
 Aristotle was born around 384 B.C. in
Macedonia, a country north of Greece.
His father was a doctor in the court of
the king Amyntas III. Once in Athens,
Aristotle studied with Plato and stayed
at the Academy for 20 years, before then
going and starting his own school,
called the Lyceum.
 Aristotle was greatly influenced by both
his father and Plato. In ancient times,
fathers often passed their knowledge
from father to son, and so on. As a
doctor’s son, Aristotle learned to
observe people carefully.
Artistic rendition of the
Lyceum
Plato’s Influence
 As for Plato, he certainly had an
Rafael’s The School of
Athens, painted 1510 A.D.
influence on Aristotle as well. Plato
taught Aristotle to appreciate
abstract ideals and knowledge.
Though they often disagreed and even
argued, Aristotle once said “Plato is
dear to me, but dearer still is
truth.”
 Aristotle looked for truth all around
him. He also added to the general
knowledge of the day by collecting,
examining and dissecting different
animals. He even dissected 50
different types of animals himself just
to learn more.
A Keen Observer
 Aristotle used his keen observing skills to look
at the world around him, and to learn more
about life. He knew that there were many ways to
analyze things, an animal for example. You could
watch how it moved, its actions, its composition
(what it was made of), to better understand it.
 Though he didn’t realize it, Aristotle was laying down
the foundations of scientific research. Though not all
his ideas were right, he got philosophy to start
down the path towards modern science.
Writings of Aristotle
 Like many other philosophers (sans/except
Socrates), Aristotle wrote a lot about his
thoughts. He believed life was meant as a
time of testing and stretching one’s abilities
and virtues.
 He wrote the book Nicomachean Ethics,
and in it he said “Virtue, therefore, is…the
mean or moderate amount.” By this, he
meant that people should avoid being
too extreme either way. Thus, they
shouldn’t be self-righteous, yet neither an
evil-doer. Nor should they be cowardly or
foolishly brave.
 He believed in moderation in all things, and
this idea was known as the Golden Mean.
Politics
 Aristotle also examined politics, and just like
Plato, he had some strong opinions. He
traveled far and wide, observing many
different city-states, looking for one that
best cared for its citizens, and not just the
rulers.
 He wrote about these thoughts in his book
the Politics, and longed for a country that
created an ideal society where all its
citizens could live honorably, nobly and well.
 Still, he was a product of his time. He
believed men were superior to women, that
slaves were property, and that aristocrats
were smarter than those that weren’t.
Influence
 Though certainly not perfect,
Aristotle has remained a very
influential person. In medieval
Europe for instance, he was
known as simply the
Philosopher, a sign of how wellrespected he was.
 Thanks to Aristotle, Plato and
Socrates, we have learned to use
reason to examine and critique
the world around us. Much of
what we know and think about
today is based on these principles
of reason and observation that
had their beginnings in Ancient
Greece.
11.2 The Olympic Games
WHILE SPARTA, ATHENS
RIVALRIES AND FEUDS,
LAY THOSE ASIDE AND
PARTICIPATE IN
AND OTHER CITY-STATES HAD
ONE WAY THEY MANAGED TO
YET STILL COMPETE WAS TO
THE OLYMPIC GAMES.
In the Beginning…
 One of the most famous athletic competitions
ever was originally held close to Athens and
Sparta was held in the city-state of Olympia.
 Every fourth year, a messenger would go to
all the surrounding city-states, with a sacred
engraved discus (the emblem of the games),
inviting them to participate, and calling an
Olympic truce. A truce is an agreement of
peace between two or more parties who would
otherwise be fighting. Thus Greece was
peaceful from the time it took to travel,
participate, and travel back home from the
games.
 The games started as a religious festival
in honor of Zeus, but added athletic
competitions starting in 776 B.C., first with
a footrace, and adding other events later.
In the
Beginning…
Greek athletes in the
Olympics had a lot to
play for.
While the official prize
was a wreath of olive
leaves worn on the
head, they also
competed for the
honor and glory of
their city-state.
A winner could count
on becoming a local
hero at home, and
perhaps be the subject
of statues or song.
Other Interesting Facts
Dress
Participation
 Just like the Athenians,
 Greeks came from all
most competitors at the
Olympics didn’t wear
anything at all, not even
shoes!
 They thought that clothes
slowed them down, and
they certainly didn’t
mind a little nudity (as
their sculptures and art
suggest).
over the known world
to participate in the
Olympic games
 Only unmarried
priestesses and free
males were allowed to
observe (under penalty
of death)
Early Athletic Events
 Most of the athletic contests were events
based on physical strength which the
Greeks needed for survival.
 There were at least two different events
that used the javelin (a type of spear);
one for accuracy, and one for distance.
 Also, there was the discus throw. The
discus, besides being the emblem of the
games, was also used as a sort of Frisbee.
They were made of stone, bronze, iron or
lead. The object was to throw the discus
as far as you could.
Early Athletic Events
 The ancient Greeks also did a long jump,
but they did this with weights in hand,
which made it significantly more difficult.
 They also had a pentathlon (penta=five),
which consisted of five events: discus,
javelin, long jump, wrestling, and a
200 yard footrace.
 They also had a separate wrestling event
called the pankration, which had no rules
except for no biting, and no poking in
the eyes. Besides that, you could basically
beat up your opponent (if they let you).
 They also had lots of different foot races,
besides the 200 yard there was a 400
yard race, and a 400 yard race with
full armor attire: including a shield,
helmet, and greaves (shin guards). VID
A Longstanding Tradition
 The Olympic games continued for centuries, even
after the Roman Conquest of Greece. However, in
393 AD, the games were for a long time cancelled
by Theodosius I, the Roman Emperor and a
Christian who didn’t like the fact that the games
were originally a celebration of Zeus.
 However, thankfully the games were started up again
in 1897, in a new, rebuilt stadium in Athens. Ever
since, just like of old, the games have been held every
4 years (excepting WWI and WWII) and people from
all over the world participate.
Olympic Games @ Merit Rules!
 Ok; so we are breaking up into teams of three people







each! We are going to have 3 mini Olympic events of our
own! Each team member must participate in an event!
1st Event: Discus Throw (we’ll just use a paper ball)
2nd Event: Pushup Contest
3rd Event: Race to the Finish!
The teams that come in 1st, 2nd and 3rd will get 3 pts, 2
pts, and 1 pt respectively for each event. At the end, the
top three teams with the most points will win!
Team #1 = 3 EC pts on the exam!
Team #2 = 2 EC pts on the exam!
Team #1 = 1 EC pt on the exam!
Alexander and the Hellenistic
Period
A BRAVE AND DARING GENERAL:
DURING ARISTOTLE’S TIME, A YOUNG KING NAMED
ALEXANDER ROSE TO GREAT POWER. HE MAY HAVE
BEEN THE GREATEST GENERAL WHO LIVED, AND
HE CERTAINLY ACCOMPLISHED MUCH IN HIS
SHORT LIFETIME, CHANGING THE MEDITERRANEAN
WORLD FOREVER.
Another Student
 Alexander the Great ended up being one of the most powerful
men on earth. He started out simply enough, as the son of
Philip II, king of Macedonia, and a student of
Aristotle’s. After his father was assassinated at the young age
of 20, many assumed he wouldn’t last long against his fathers’
old enemies.
 Sadly for them, they were wrong. Alexander quickly crushed
those who wanted him gone, and began to then increase his
empire as well. VID
Defining Attribute: Bravery
 Alexander was many things,
including strong, handsome, and
very intelligent. Yet perhaps most
important of all, he was fearless.
 In spite of how awful a battle
might be, he was always at the
front lines, and this made his
troops extremely loyal to him. It
also struck fear into his enemies’
hearts, because who knew what
he might do?
Alexander the Conqueror
 As a younger man, Alexander
helped his father subjugate
(conquer and control) the rest
of Greece. This wasn’t all that
difficult however as the citystates were often quarreling.
And after the death of his
father, Alexander decided to go
after their old enemies, the
Persians.
 In 334 B.C. when Alexander
decided to attack, the Persian
Empire was still very large,
and covered much of the
Middle East, and much of the
Mediterranean as well.
The War Begins
 Though Alexander didn’t have a large
army (some 30,000 infantry and
5,000 cavalry) and no navy, he
figured that once people saw him
fight and win, they would join him
because he was a winner.
 Well, he was right. He started with
Asia Minor (Turkey) and fought the
Persian Emperor, Darius III. Darius
III fled, and Alexander conquered all
of Asia Minor, and continued down
the Mediterranean coast, until he had
conquered everything between
Turkey and Greece.
Offers for Peace
 After these initial defeats, Darius III
offered to let Alexander keep half of
the former Persian Empire and
remain at peace, if he would stop his
onslaught. Alexander hadn’t lost a
single battle yet, so he refused.
 Meanwhile, the nobles of Persia
were sick of Darius’ ineffectiveness,
and they had him arrested and
killed, AND Alexander later found
him, dying or dead, but gave him a
proper funeral. They then tried to take
on Alexander themselves. They slowed
him down, but after three long (or
short) years, Alexander had conquered
the Persian empire.
Continuing his Conquering Ways
 Even though Alexander had conquered the largest empire in
the world (Persia), he wasn’t finished. He continued towards
India, and finally that is where he stopped. By 326 B.C., his
men were ready to be done.
 They were still victorious, but the soldiers wanted to go home.
They had just defeated an army with 500 war elephants, but
they knew that the enemy had another 5000 such elephants
waiting, and they didn’t want to face them. So, they returned
home.
Sudden Death
 The Greeks expected Alexander to
rule for many more years, as he was
pretty young. However, after moving
to his new capital in Babylon,
Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq), he
died only a year later after getting a
fever (possibly poisoned) in 323 B.C.,
at 33 years old. VID
 He never lost a battle, and was a
brilliant military leader. As a result of
his conquests, much of the rest of the
world was exposed to Greek culture,
and this changed the world forever.
Tales of Alexander
 Like any good heroic figure in
history, there were many tall
tales of Alexander, some
more true than others (think
Chuck Norris).
 For instance, it was said that
once while he was thinking of
crossing the sea, the waters
parted in front of him, allowing
him to walk across, due to the
immense respect that even
nature had for this man.
Other Tales
 Additionally, there was a legend
about something called the Gordian
Knot, which was supposed to be an
extremely complicated knot that only
the future leader of Asia could undo.
If you tried to untie it and failed
however, you were executed.
 Alexander arrived, and he thought
about it, and finally he just whipped
out his sword and sliced it in half,
thus “undoing” it (everyone else had
assumed the prophecy meant
“untie”), and thus he proved he was
worthy to rule Asia.
The Hellenistic Period
GREEK CULTURE, OF HELLENIC CULTURE,
WAS SOON SPREAD ACROSS MOST OF THE
ANCIENT WORLD NOW AS A RESULT OF
ALEXANDER THE GREAT’S EXPLOITS. THIS
PERIOD OF GREAT GREEK INFLUENCE CAME
TO BE CALLED THE HELLENISTIC PERIOD,
FROM 323 B.C. TO 30 B.C.
After His Death
 When Alexander died,
he had no heir, and
neither did he really
tell anyone whom
should be the next
ruler of his vast empire.
 Apparently, when
asked who should the
rule fall to once he was
gone, he weakly
muttered: “To the
strongest.” VID
Order and Disorder
 As a result, Alexander’s top generals (know as the
Diadochoi) fought amongst themselves for supremacy,
eventually dividing the empire up into many different
Hellenistic Kingdoms.
 The most successful of these was Ptolemy, who governed
Egypt, including the magnificent city Alexandria.
Alexandria
 In spite of their disagreements, they tried to honor
Alexander’s wishes for education throughout the empire.
Alexander had been influenced by Aristotle, and had
wanted everyone in his empire to have the same
opportunities. He also desired to build new cities,
full of gymnasiums, theatres, etc., much like the
cities of Greece.
 The city that most exemplified this was Alexandria, in
Egypt (many of the cities Alexander conquered were
renamed Alexandria, but this is the most famous). It was
a model Greek city, with its own gymnasium, for
discussion and exercise, and many good schools, where
many philosophers could teach and learn as well.
The Library of Alexandria
 King Ptolemy also built a
world-famous library
in Alexandria. It was
said to have 200,000
scrolls by his death
(which are the ancient
version of books, and
were rolled up paper
called papyrus), and
his son added another
500,000 scrolls.
Place of Learning
 It grew to be the largest and most
magnificent library of the ancient
world. There, many famous
philosophers studied and learned.
 This included the famous astronomer
Ptolemy (different person) worked
and studied, and his theory about the
solar system remained gospel until the
16th century (1500 AD). He believed the
sun and planets revolved around the
earth; this was known as the
Ptolemaic System VID
 Sadly, the library was destroyed by
several invasions, robberies, fires, etc.
And soon, the Hellenistic world would
be overshadowed by another growing
empire: The Romans.