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The Hellenistic period (323 BC-146/31 BC) saw Greeks and Greek culture dominate and influence large regions in the Eastern Mediterranean, Southwest and South Asia. Alexander the Great’s conquests extended to India, and the period featured a fusion of Greek, Middle Eastern, and Indian culture. After Alexander’s death, his generals fought for the conquered territory, leading to the establishment of four dynasties. Hellenization was most pronounced among the upper class and urban elite, and Greeks were less reluctant to integrate with the conquered lands’ “barbarians.” The period saw the construction of many wonders, including the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Royal Library of Alexandria, and the Colossus of Rhodes.
The Hellenistic period is a period of time from about 323 BC to 146-31 BC in the Eastern Mediterranean, Southwest and South Asia where large regions were dominated and influenced by Greeks and Greek culture. The Hellenistic period occurred in the wake of the conquests of Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), which extended into Anatolia, Syria, Phenicia, Persia, Judea, Gaza, Egypt, Bactria, Mesopotamia and as far east as the Punjab in the ‘present- day India. The period featured a fusion of Greek, Middle Eastern and Indian culture. Under Greek rule, Hellenistic subjects began to adopt elements of Greek fashion, urban life, and religion. The etymology of “Hellenistic” comes from the word “Hellen”, which is the name of the Greeks themselves.
After an uninterrupted military campaign for about 12 years, Alexander the Great (a Greek from the Macedonian city-state) finally died at the age of 32, possibly from malaria, poisoning, typhoid fever, viral encephalitis, or alcoholism. After his death, his generals (the “Diadochi”) fought on the conquered territory for nearly 40 years (the “Diadochi Wars”). Eventually, the situation stabilizes in four states: the Antigonid dynasty in Macedonia and central Greece; the Seleucid dynasty in Syria and Mesopotamia based in Antioch; the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt based in Alexandria; and the Attalid dynasty which was based in Pergasmum in Anatolia. Except for the Ptolemaic dynasty, which ruled Egypt for almost 300 years, most of these dynasties died out after 150-200 years.
While the popular imagination seems to suggest that many of the cultures of the area changed during the Hellenistic period, in fact the phenomenon was most pronounced among the upper class and urban elite. Beginning with Alexander the Great, one of the first elements of Hellenization was the encouragement of the founding or re-founding of cities, which could serve as administrative centers for the Greeks. The Hellenistic period also marked a departure from earlier Greek customs in that Greeks were less reluctant to fraternize with the “barbarians” of conquered lands, integrating them with military and marital elites.
One of the most interesting and enduring images of the Hellenistic period was the depiction of Ptolemy I Soter, a Greek, as a classical Egyptian pharaoh in his statues. This close fusion of Egyptian and European culture was unique and has never happened before or since. During the Hellenistic period, many of the wonders of the ancient world were built, including the Lighthouse of Alexandria 247 (BC), which between 115 and 150 m (380 and 490 ft) was the third tallest building in the world for over 1,500 years (behind the Great Pyramids), the Royal Library of Alexandria (half a million scrolls, the largest in the world at the time), and the Colossus of Rhodes, a giant brass statue on which the State of Liberty was eventually modeled.
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