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Hellenistic Culture - Coggle Diagram
Hellenistic Culture
Astronomy
The museum in Alexandria featured an observatory where astronomers could study the planets and stars. Alexandria had many astronomers like Aristarchus, Ptolemy, & Eratosthenes.
Aristarchus's calculated that the Sun was 300 times bigger than Earth. Aristarchus debated the common belief that the Sun was tinier than Greece, Aristarchus' theories were rejected by many astronomers.
Ptolemy, an astronomer of Alexandria, miscalculated the location of the solar system's center. Throughout the following fourteen centuries, astronomers held to this theory.
The head of the Alexandrian Library, Eratosthenes
tried to estimate the size of the Earth. He calculated Earth's circumference using geometry to be between 28,000 and 29,000 miles. The circumference is now estimated to be 24,860 miles.
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Philosophy
Hellenistic philosophy was still heavily influenced by Plato and Aristotle. But in the third century B.C., philosophers started to wonder how people ought to live their lives. Out of this worry, two key philosophies arose. Epicureanism and Stoicism
The Stoic school of philosophy was established by a Greek philosopher by the name of Zeno. According to the Stoics, people should live moral lives under the divine will or the natural rules that God established to govern the universe. They also advocated a stop to human ambitions for wealth, power, and influence because these are harmful diversions. Stoicism encouraged its adherents to concentrate on self-control and social harmony.
The Epicurean school of philosophy was established by Epicurus. According to Epicurus, the universe was dominated by gods who had no regard for mortals. He advocated for virtue and the absence of suffering as sources of the greatest good and the highest joy. According to Epicureans, achieving body-mind harmony was the main objective of life. Epicurus promoted moderation in all things during his lifetime.
Epicurean vs Stoic
Epicurean philosophy is focused on seeking pleasure and avoidance of pain, while Stoic practices four virtues (Justice, Courage, Moderation, and Happiness)
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One of the big differences is their beliefs in Epicureanism it is believed that the world was formed by accidental collisions of atoms. Meanwhile, Stoics thought fate determined everything
Alexandria
The Egyptian city of Alexandria emerged as the primary center of trade in Hellenistic civilization. Located on the western side of the Nile delta, Alexandria held a key position. Its expansive harbor was crowded with trading vessels from all across the Mediterranean. Alexandria was able to expand and prosper due to its burgeoning trade. Alexandria had developed into a global city by the third century B.C., with a rich fusion of Aegean and Egyptian traditions. Its varied population surpassed 500,000 individuals.
Alexandria's exceptional beauty was admired by both locals and tourists. The city was split into blocks by wide avenues that were adorned with statues of Greek gods. Magnificent royal mansions with harbor views were constructed by rulers. Alexander's beautiful glass casket was kept in a well-traveled tomb. The Pharos, a massive stone lighthouse, stood more than 350 feet above the bay. A polished bronze mirror within this lighthouse would at night reflects the light from a roaring fire.
The most notable landmarks in Alexandria were its library and renowned museum. The museum served as a shrine for the Muses, the ancient Greek deities of the humanities and sciences. It had dining facilities, zoos, botanical gardens, and art galleries. The museum served as a center for advanced learning. Nearby stood the Alexandrian Library. Many works of ancient literature were among the 500,000 papyrus scrolls in its library. It assisted in advancing the studies of a talented group of academics as the first real research library in history. These academics have high regard for older classical works of literature and knowledge. They created explanations for these works in commentaries.
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Hellenistic Culture
Alexander's policies led to the rise of a thriving new culture. Greek (also known as Hellenic) civilization which incorporated elements from Egypt, Persia, and India. The result of this merging civilization is known as Hellenistic. The widespread spoken language known as Koine, which was spoken in Hellenistic cities, was a direct product of cultural fusion. Greek for "common" is where the word "koine" originated. The spoken language was a Greek dialect. Throughout towns across the Hellenistic world, this language allowed educated individuals and traders from many backgrounds to converse.