Feb. 13 (101H): The Hellenistic era and the beginnings of Rome

I. Hellenistic monarchies

In 20 years after A's death, these generals would fight for Alexander's empire.

In the end, none of them were able to get all of it

The empire ended up splitting into 3 big pieces.

(MAP)

Macedonia and Greece - Antigonids

Seleucid kingdom: Old Persian empire ( Mesopotamia, Iran, southern Asia Minor, Syria) Ptolemaic Egypt - Ptolemies

These Hellenistic kingdoms will dominate western history for several centuries

300 BC - to 150 BC (longer in case of Egypt)

The royal families remained Greek or Macedonian in language and ancestory - they didn't marry conquered peoples (unlike Alexander)

The highest officials and generals were Greeks/Macedonians -

Ordinary subjects were a mixture of Greek-speakers, and Egyptians, Syrians, Jews, Assyrians, so on - cosmopolitan world

Union of Near Eastern and Greek civilization

Hellenistic kingdoms were important because they united the culture of the Greeks and the Near East.

If you wonder how Jews like the apostle Paul came to write the New Testament in Greek - it's because of the Hellenistic kingdoms.

Much that Near Eastern knowledge we talked about beginning of semester - Mesopotamian mathematics, Egyptian medicine - this got transmitted during the Hellenistic period

A. HOW ALEXANDER'S CONQUESTS CHANGED NEAR EAST

- Foundation of Greek cities (with picture of Ay Khanoum, Afghanistan)

Alexandria - main Greek city founded, new center of intellectual activity

Located in Ptolemaic Egypt

Alexander had founded Alexandria after he conquered Egypt

It was on western tip of Nile Delta - so fertile hinterland and near port Pharos (Homeric)

MAP

It soon became one of the largest cities in the world - with a population of hundreds of thousands.

Physical features of a Greek city: agora, gymnasia, temples, theatre

But the Ptolemies allowed multiethnic immigration - Macedonians, Greeks, Egyptians, Jews (perhaps 1/5 Jewish).

(Old Testament translated into Greek here - at king's orders)

This city became center for scientific advances - financed by Ptolemaic kings.

Museum

There scholars supported by government stipends congregated

A library attached - with goal to have copy of every book ever written I Greek - ultimately 700,000 papyrus rolls

Science

Alexandrian scholars made advances in math, astronomy, medicine, and engineering

Some noteworthy achievements in astronomy:

an accurate calculation of the circumference of the earth (by Eratosthenes)

first proposal that the earth revolves around the sun instead of other way around (Aristarchus of Samos)

And Alexandrian engineers created some of the wonders of the world:

Most striking monument the lighthouse at Pharos -

One of 7 Wonders of Ancient World

Built around 290 BC for Ptolemy II

Tallest building on earth at the time (384 feet high; 40-story building)

giant mirrors reflected continuous fire to guide ships to Alexandria

seen more than 35 milesoffshore

Recently a French archaeological team found parts of Pharos Lighthouse

UNDERWATER IMAGE (www.pbs.org.)

Sum up intellectual activity in Alexandria

- Greek language - koine - speads to most of Near East

even among the Jews

B. How Greeks changed during the Hellenistic Age?

1. Divine kingship

Kings are in charge now - not independent city-states

These kings are increasingly worshipped as divine

War and politics of the polis - city-state - are no longer focus of most men's lives

2. Culture: Rise of individualism

Mainland Greece - esp. Athens - remained the center of drama and philosophy during the Hellenistic period

Comedies (Menander)

about star-crossed lovers - usually women and men, not boys and men

Not as political as comedies of classical Greece

Art

More realistic, instead of focusing just on ideal

EXAMPLES - OLD BEGGAR WOMEN;

PEASANT LABORER

New philosophies: individualism

Similarly, not as idealistic as classical philosophy

Plato had still though he could reform the world - construct the ideal state

New philosophers focused on individuals might be as happy as possible in an imperfect world

Epicureanism: 341-271 BC, worked in Athens

Adopted atomic theory of earlier philosophers - that universe composed of randomly moving atoms

This atomic theory left little room for gods

Epicurus thought gods existed (proof of dreams), but they didn't care about people or the world

Nothing to fear from gods (or hope from them)

Physical forces controlled everything here on earth.

And when mans atoms come apart - i.e. he dies - there is no afterlife (no soul as in Plato)

So the proper goal of life was to enjoy the here and now: the pursuit of pleasure

Now Epicurus didn't mean wild abandon - he thought most lasting happiness was untroubled state free from excessive pleasure or pain (like Stoics)

Engaging in politics was likely to involve you in too much pain or pleasure; falling headlong in love; drinking too much - these should all be taken in moderation

Philosophy for new age:

When people no longer had as much control over their lives as in classical city-states

individual happiness becomes most important thing

STATUS OF WOMEN CHANGED - FOR THE BETTER

Female intellectuals appear:

Epicurus admitted women into his philosophical circle

(His female lover = Leontion - who wrote philosophical treatises herself)

Women become more visible in art and literature

In comedies - women are worthy romantic love object

Artists begin to paint and sculpt women more frequently

Marriage contracts begin to be used - to protect rights of bride

(for example, grooms contract not to bring a mistress into the house)

Women occasionally even play a role in government:

Queens in Egypt:

CLEOPATRA

Why should status of women have risen?

Fighting and politics - male dominated activities - going into decline

Kings controlled both now

The "female" virtues - submissiveness, hard work, - valued more in age when Greeks were no longer free

END OF HELLENISTIC PERIOD

Summary of important aspects:

Rise of Macedonia

Philip's military reforms

Alexander's conquest of the world

Effects:

Greeks lose their political freedom - democracy no longer existed

War and politics are no longer focus of most men's lives

Fruitful union of Greek and Near Eastern culture:

Alexandrian scientists and engineers highlighted

Drama and philosophy emphasize individual happiness

Art becomes more realistic - portraying poor people, old women, foreigners, as well as beautiful Greek boys

Women become more visible and influential

The Greeks, all things considered, become a little soft during the Hellenistic age

Ripe for conquest by a new warrior people of Italy - whom the Greeks had hardly noticed

Romans

PICTURE

II. ROMAN REPUBLIC

Legacy of Greeks vs. Romans

Debt to Greeks: democracy; philosophy; history; geometry; athletics; drama; sculpture

What do we - 20^th century Americans - owe to the Romans?

republic - senate - citizenship (something that can be granted)

city planning - grid-pattern of Chicago roads;

sewers (manholes)

concrete - mixing ground stone with mortar to use in arches -

the arch (good for aqueducts and sewers)

Roman Catholic church

months - September (7^th month); July (Julius Caesar); August (Augustus Caesar), so on

Roman new year's on January 1

Shape of our football stadiums - Roman amphitheatre

porches in back of our house

jurisprudence - law as a profession; separation of civil and criminal law

An influential people

Roman history divided into three broad chronological periods:

Roman Republic (509-31 BC)

Roman Empire (31 BC - 300 AD)

Late antiquity (ca. 300 AD - 600 AD)

TODAY: I'm going to talk about beginnings of the Roman Republic

I. Origins of Roman Republic

Rome was founded in 753 BC. (or so the Romans claimed)

It was at first a group of villages, later a city-state (like the Greek city-states except less literate).

There were all sorts of other ethnic groups in Italy at the time - Greeks in the south (esp. Sicily), Etruscans in the north, other Latins related to the Romans (but independent from them)

- Kings in Rome 753 - 509 BC

For its first several centuries, Rome was ruled by kings, often foreign kings.

The most important of these kings were Etruscan.

Etruscans were a mysterious people in n. Italy - possibly originally from Asia Minor.

Romans learned a lot of things from the Etruscans (McKay 137)

Etruscans gave them their (and our) alphabet (adapted from the Greek)

Gladiator games

auspices (a peculiar way of predicting outcome of wars or other major political decisions by examining the intestines of animals – evidence of importance of religion in Roman politics)

vault and arch

toga

Finally around 509 BC, the Romans expelled their Etruscan kings, and set up a republic - a "public thing" - i.e. rule by the public, instead of by monarchs.\

Constitution of the Republic

The Roman republic was not a direct democracy (like Athens)- but a representative government where wealthy Romans had more votes than poor ones.

Senate - most important organ of government

300 men, who owned a certain amount of property, and had held high office

Only advisory role in theory but in practice governed Rome

Two Assemblies - Comitia centuriata and (later) the concilium plebis (McKay 140)

Assembly elected magistrates, and approved legislation

All free adult male citizens belonged

But those with property had much more voting power - their candidates almost always won office

Two consuls elected annually by the Assembly: led army and enforced the law.

So representative government -

less democratic than Athens (where every citizen had an equal vote); closer to Sparta

Culture of early Republic

They were good farmers - but not great merchants or seafarers; their economy was underdeveloped

Traditional family structure: fathers had great authority over wives and children

Their architecture and art was simple