Chapter Summary

The Macedonian kings Philip II and his son Alexander conquered Greece, Egypt, and Persia, initiating the transition from the independent Greek city-states to large, multi-ethnic urban centers. Under Philip and Alexander's successors, the Hellenistic kings, the Greek language and culture spread from the Mediterranean as far east as India. Trade increased, and Greek became the universal language of business. Royal patronage stimulated the arts and learning among the privileged, while ordinary people confronted growing poverty and difficult conditions in these cosmopolitan cities.

Chapter Outline

1. The Conquest of the Poleis
   The Macedonian kings Philip II and his son Alexander used military genius to unite their own region and then conquer much of the Mediterranean world.
   1. Tribal Macedonia
      
      1. Geography
      2. Uniting the tribes
   2. Philip II: Military Genius
      
      1. Military innovations
      2. Greek responses
      3. Greece conquered
   3. Death of the King
      
      1. Philip murdered
      2. Philip's tomb
   4. Alexander's Conquests
      
      1. Military exploits
      2. The Greek hero
      3. India
   5. A Young Ruler's Legacy
      
      1. Intercultural marriages
      2. Resentments
      3. Alexander's memory
2. The Successor Kingdoms, 323 - ca. 100 B.C.
   After Alexander's death, his unified empire broke up into smaller kingdoms whose rulers contributed to the spread of Hellenistic culture.
   1. Egypt under the Ptolemies
      
      1. Continuity of life
      2. Hellenistic queens
      3. Alexandria
      4. Rosetta Stone
   2. The Seleucids Rule Asia
      
      1. Commercial Cities
      2. Seleucid Colonists
   3. Antigonids in Greece
      
      1. Life in Macedonia
      2. Changes in Greece
3. East Meets West in the Successor Kingdoms
   The pace of economic activity quickened under Hellenistic rule as Greek became the universal language of business and trade facilitated the spread of Hellenistic culture.
   1. Money in the New Cosmopolitan Economies
      
      1. Coinage and trade
      2. Command economies
   2. Armies of the Hellenistic World
      
      1. Mercenary armies
      2. War elephants
      3. Slavery
   3. A True Cultural Blending?
      
      1. Travelers
      2. Diverse art
   4. Struggles and Successes: Life in the Cosmopolitan Cities
      
      1. Women
      2. Cities and kings
      3. Urban problems
      4. New opportunities
   5. Patronage, Planning, and Passion: Hellenistic Art
      
      1. Royal patrons
      2. Sculpture
   6. Resistance to Hellenism: Judaism, 323 - 76 B.C.
      1. Hellenized Jews
      2. Maccabean Revolt
      3. Independent Judea
4. The Search for Truth: Hellenistic Thought, Religion, and Science
   Hellenistic rulers actively supported Greek learning and arts, thereby stimulating both the spread and the brilliance of Hellenistic cultural achievements.
   1. A Life of Learning
   2. Theater and Literature
      
      1. New comedies
      2. Hellenistic novels
   3. Cynics, Epicureans, and Stoics: Cosmopolitan Philosophy
      
      1. Cynics
      2. Epicurus
      3. Stoics
   4. New Religions of Hope
      
      1. "Mystery religion"
   5. Hellenistic Science
      
      1. Medical advances
      2. Mathematics and astronomy
      3. Archimedes

The Chapter in Perspective

      The Macedonian kings Philip and Alexander conquered Greece, then Egypt and the Persian Empire in Asia, creating a unique blend of these ancient civilizations. By establishing a ruling elite of Greeks and Macedonians in cities from the Mediterranean to India, Alexander and his successors spread key elements of Greek civilization. Yet they also reshaped the culture of the polis, which had been the hallmark of Greek glory. Cosmopolitan areas in which peoples from all over the Hellenistic world mingled replaced the Greek city-states as the centers of political, cultural, and economic life. Within these new urban centers, some people benefited greatly from the new opportunities for personal enrichment but many more sank to unprecedented levels of poverty. Some peoples embraced the cultural blending; others rejected it. Despite the costs of constant warfare as kings competed for land and power, Hellenistic rulers patronized the arts and learning, which furthered the spread of Greek culture. Scientists, artisans, and scholars of this complex age also made impressive advances. Yet this civilization would also pass from glory as a new force gathered momentum in the West.

1. Which elements of the Hellenistic world do you think might endure? Which might change? Why? Include political organization, military strategy, and cultural elements.*
2. How would you evaluate the Hellenization that occurred on the heels of Alexander's conquests? Compare the effects of Hellenization in at least two regions in your response.