Hellenistic Culture in Alexandria
- Greek culture blended with Egyptian, Persian, and Indian influences that became known as Hellenistic culture
- Koine was the language spoken by the Hellenistic cities, and enabled educated people and traders to communicate in cities throughout the world
- trade and culture diversity
- Alexandria became the foremost center of commerce and hellenistic civilization
- western edge of Nile delta
- was able to grow and thrive because of the commerce
- became an international community exceeding half a million people
- alexandria's attractions
- great beauty
- statues of greek gods
- royal palaces looking over harbor
- a much visited tomb held Alexander's glass coffin
- Pharos (enormous greek lighthouse)
- museum dedicated to Muses
- The Alexandrian Library with half a million papyrus scrolls
Science and Technology
- Hellenistic scholars preserved Greek and Egyptian learning in the sciences and provided most of the scientific knowledge available to the West
- Astronomy
- museum contained a small observatory in which astronomers oculd stufy planets and stars
- astronomer Aristarchus found out two things:
- disproved the belief that the sun was smaller than Greece
- proposed that the planets revolve around the sun but this theory was widely unsupported and rather accepted Ptolemy's theory of the earth being in the center of the solar system for the next 14 centuries
- Eratosthenes, director of Alexandrian Library used geometry to compute the Earth's circumference
- also a highly regarded astronomer and mathematician
- poet and historian
- Mathematics and Physics
- Eratosthenes and Aristarchus used a geometry text compiled by Euclid who was a highly regarded mathematician who taught in Alexandria
- his best known book Elements contained 465 carefully presented geometry propositions and proofs, and is still the basis for courses in geometry
- Archimedes of Syracuse studied at Alexandria
- explained law of the lever
- accurately estimated the value of pi
- invented the Archimedes screw and compound pulley
- using his ideas Hellenistic scientists later built force pumps, pneumatic machines, and even a steam engine
Philosophy and Art
- teachings of Plato and Aristotle continued to be influential in Hellenistic philosophy, but in the third century BC philosophers became concerned with how people should live their lives which developed two major philosophies
- stoicism and Epicureanism
- Philosopher named Zeno founded the school of philosophy called Stoicism
- stoics proposed people should live virtuous lives in harmony with the will or the natural laws that god established to run the universe
- preached that human desires, power, and wealth were dangerous distractions
- promoted social unity and encouraged its followers to focus on what they could control
- Epicurus founded the school of thought called Epicureanism
- taught that gods who had no interest in humans ruled the universe
- believed only real objects were those that the five senses perceived
- greatest good and highest pleasure came from virtuous conduct and absence of pain
- main goal of humans was to achieve harmony of body and mind
- realism in sculpture
- sculpture flourished during the Hellenistic age
- rulers, wealthy merchants, and cities all purchased statues to honor gods, commemorate heroes, and portray ordinary people in every day situations
- Colossus of Rhodes is one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world
- later toppled and sold for scrap
- moved away from harmonic balance and idealized forms of the classical age
- by 150 BC the Hellenistic world was in decline, because a new city Rome was growing and gaining strength
- through Rome, Greek culture was well preserved and eventually became the core of western civilization
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