Ancient Greece

Section 5: Alexander and the Hellenistic Age

The Empire of Alexander the Great

Macedonian ruler Philip II came to control all of Greece.

His son, who came to be known as Alexander the Great, expanded his empire into Persia and Egypt.

The Legacy of Alexander Alexander’s conquests spread Greek culture and brought other cultural traditions to new lands.

He married a Persian woman and urged others to do the same.

He brought forth the Hellenistic civilization that blended Greek, Persian, Egyptian, and Indian cultures.

Alexandria in Egypt was the heart of this new empire.

Hellenistic Arts and Sciences

The Hellenistic age brought many advances in the arts and sciences.

The philosophy of Stoicism taught that women were the moral equals of men.

Pythagoras came up with the formula that relates the sides of a right triangle.

Aristarchus theorized that the Earth rotated and orbited the sun.

Archimedes mastered the lever and pulley.

Looking Ahead

When Rome conquered Asia Minor in 133 B.C., Greece’s influence declined.

Yet its contributions to philosophy, architecture, and other arts and sciences have never been forgotten.