Question Four Hellenistic Contributions

Literary talent highly regarded

Libraries built to attract scholars and authors

Theocritus wrote little poems or idylls dealing with erotic themes, lovers' complaints, and pastoral themes about love of nature and nature's beauty

Historical and biographical literature

• Polybius (chief
• historian; Roman expansion)

• New form of comedy focused on amusement and
• entertainment:

• -         
• Menander of Athens used simple plots

• Temples, theatres, gymnasia resembled that of the
• Greek homeland (Corinthian Order)

Sculptors highly regarded

• Classical Period of balance and harmony -->
• realistic art and female nude

Indians impacted as well, through Buddha

Finally separated from philosophy

Astronomy:

• -         
• Aristarchus (310-230): heliocentric/ earth on axis

• -         
• Eratosthenes: circumference using Syene and Alexandria

Ptolemy: Romanera; astronomer; goes back to Aristotle's way of thinking; elliptical/ retrogrades/ mathematical application/ discovers 84 circular orbits 

• Euclid: Elements
• Archimedes: geometry, pi, hydrostatics,

Hippocrates

• -         
• Stressed natural explanations and cures
• for disease

Herophilus

Erasistratus

• Epicureanism
• Stoicism
• - new ideas due to large empire and the diffusion of culture and mixed ideas
• Hedonism: contrary to Epicureanism; wanted pleasure but sought physical pleasure; overzealous

Mystery Religions

Women have way more priveleges:

• -         
• Women in politics

• -         
• Egyptians marry sisters

• -         
• Queens interested in culture

• -         
• Managed slaves

• -         
• Sold property

• -         
• Made loans and contracts

Politically active

Greek Gymnasium--> school

New innovations

• -         
• Elephants

• Siege machinery
• (catapult and siege towers)

• Diffusion of Greek culture
• Trade and commerce expanded (manufacturing)
• - decline in number of political barriers= more commercial traffic
• - trade routes
• - slavery