The Hellenistic Synthesis

• Greek cities quarreled, so King Philip II took advantage– Philip, King of Macedonia, (Northern Greece) destroyed the joint

army of Thebes & Athens--took control of Greece (338 BCE)– Philip murdered while preparing to invade Persia– His son, Alexander the Great, (tutored by Aristotle)

continued his work & overthrew Persia & spread Hellenism (Greek culture, thought, way of life)

– Created the largest empire to that point (2 million square miles)--Egypt to India

– Hellenistic age lasted from Alexander’s death in 323 to 30 BCE

• Effects of Hellenistic Rule trade with East Africa, Arabia, India, & Central Asia– Diffusion of Greek Culture– Explosion in philosophy, science, & medicine

• cynicism (Diogenes) = live according to nature; give up luxuries• Epicureanism (Epicures) = ignore issues; seek pleasure• stoicism (Zeno) = do your duty, don’t try to change things (natural

law)– Greatest achievement was in science

• Aristarchus = heliocentric theory; earth & planets move around the sun

• Archimedes = principles of mechanics