The Expansion of Greece: Tragedies, Philosophies, and Conquests

1. Four The Expansion of Greece

2. Introduction • The tragedy of the ancient Greeks • Particularism • The gap between rich and poor • Despair and cynicism • From Hellenic to Hellenistic culture

3. Failures of the Fourth-Century Polis • The Corinthian War (395–387 B.C.E.) • Social and economic crises • Declining wealth • Towns devastated • Decline in the standard of living • Widespread unemployment • The problems of mercenary armies

4. The Cultural and Intellectual Response • Art and literature • Heightened sense of realism • Drama in decline compared to fifth century • The flight from social and political commentary • Drama as diversion and escape

5. The Cultural and Intellectual Response • Philosophy and political thought in the age of Plato and Aristotle • Plato (c. 429–349 B.C.E.) • The vindication of Socrates • The Academy • The world of appearances • Combating skepticism • The doctrine of Ideas; the Idea of the Good • The Republic and the philosopher king (“who will guard the guardians?”)

6. The Cultural and Intellectual Response • Philosophy and political thought in the age of Plato and Aristotle • Aristotelian thought • Aristotle (384–322 B.C.E.) • Trained as a scientist • Trusted his senses and sense perception • Objective reality of material objects • Everything is purposeful and moves toward a perfected form (telos) • The highest good is the harmonious functioning of mind and body • The contemplative life • “Man is by nature a political animal”

7. The Rise of Macedon and the Conquests of Alexander • The reign of Philip II (359–336 B.C.E.) • Stabilized his borders through warfare and diplomacy • Reorganized the army • The phalanx as fighting machine • The Companions • Dynastic marriages • Expansion brought conflict with Athens • Demosthenes (c. 383–322 B.C.E.) • Saw Philip as an aggressor • Battle of Chaeronea (338 B.C.E.) • League of Corinth • Assassination of Philip

8. The Rise of Macedon and the Conquests of Alexander • The conquests and reign of Alexander (336–323 B.C.E.) • Visionary, genius, or butcher? • Further expansion • Battle of Gaugamela (331 B.C.E.) • Queen Roxane • The new empire • New cities • Mass marriages • Breeding a new nobility • Installs no administrative apparatus • Death of Alexander

9. The Hellenistic Kingdoms • Ptolemaic Egypt • Most durable kingdom • Patronized science and the arts • Alexandria • Personal enrichment

10. The Hellenistic Kingdoms • Seleucid Asia • Near Eastern traditions • A Hellenized population • Planted new cities

11. The Hellenistic Kingdoms • Antigonid Macedon and Greece • Antigonus • Aetolian and Achaean Leagues

12. The Growth of Trade and Urbanization • Long-distance trade • Spread east to Central Asia • Harbors improved

13. The Growth of Trade and Urbanization • Cities • Importation of Greek officials and soldiers • Alexandria

14. The Growth of Trade and Urbanization • Wealth and poverty

15. Hellenistic Culture: Philosophy and Religion • Epicureanism and Stoicism • Both originated around 300 B.C.E. • Individualism and the good of the individual • Materialism and universalism • Stoicism • The cosmos is an ordered whole • Everything happens in accordance with a rational purpose • People are free only when they accept their fate • The duty of the individual is to submit to the order of the universe • The tranquility of mind • The duty of political participation • Epicureanism • The atomism of Democritus • No ultimate purpose of the universe • The tranquility of mind • There is no absolute justice • The wise man should withdraw from the world and study philosophy

16. Hellenistic Culture: Philosophy and Religion • Skepticism • Carneades (c. 213–129 B.C.E.) • All knowledge is limited and relative • No truth is certain • Escape

17. Hellenistic Culture: Philosophy and Religion • Religion • A vehicle for escape • Persistence of belief in gods who protected the polis • Mystery cults • Ecstatic mystical union with a deity • Cult of Dionysius • Egyptian cult of Isis • Zoroastrian dualism • Migration of gods to the Near East and Egypt • Combination of Greek and non-Greek cults • Greek influence on Jewish communities outside Palestine • The Septuagint

18. Hellenistic Culture: Literature and Art • Pastoral literature • The pastorals of Theocritus (c. 310–250 B.C.E.) • Prose • Polybius (c. 205–123 B.C.E.) • Historical development proceeds in cycles • Architecture • The lighthouse of Alexandria • The altar to Zeus at Pergamon

19. Hellenistic Culture: Literature and Art • Sculpture • Extreme naturalism • Extravagance

20. Science and Medicine • Origins • Mesopotamian and Egyptian science • Hellenistic rulers patronized scientific research • Sole motive was prestige

21. Science and Medicine • Astronomy, mathematics, and geography • Aristarchus of Samos (310–230 B.C.E.) • Euclid (fl. fourth century B.C.E.) • Eratosthenes (c. 276–196 B.C.E.)

22. Science and Medicine • Medicine • Herophilus of Chalcedon (c. 335–c.280 B.C.E.)

23. Science and Medicine • Physics • Archimedes of Syracuse (c. 287–212 B.C.E.)

24. The Transformation of the Polis • From polis to cosmopolis • From Hellene to Hellenistic • The breakdown of traditional values

25. This concludes the Lecture PowerPoint for Chapter 4. http://www.wwnorton.com/college/history/wciv_16e/brief