Hellenistic age essays

Hellenistic age essays While the classical age of Greece produced great literature, poetry, philosophy, drama, and art, the Hellenistic age shared it with the known world. At the forefront of this new age were the Hellenistic cities. They stood as islands of Greek culture in a sea of non-Greeks. The spread of Greek culture, new opportunities for women, and long term improvements in living resulted from these Hellenistic Cities. The Greek culture thrived in the Hellenistic cities. While these cities were often very diverse, all government business was transacted in Greek. The political institutions of the cities were modeled after those of the Greek polis and the physical layout of the new cities were modeled after those of the Greek homeland. In a traditional rectilinear grid, cities were laid out with temples, altars, and theaters. The Greeks commissioned purely Greek sculpture, read literature of the classical period, and had separate law courts for themselves. Within these Hellenistic cities some Natives felt resentful and their complaints have been recorded. According to Jackson J. Spielvogel, Western Civilization, An Egyptian camel driver, for example, complained bitterly that he was not paid regularly because he did not know how to behave like a Greek We can see how important it would be for easterners to completely become Hellenized in order to enter the ranks of the ruling class. Sadly bec oming Hellenized often meant alienation from ones own culture. If a non- Greek wanted to achieve any such success he had to first adapt himself into the Greek culture. With cities growing and trade spreading through the east, the Greek culture was able to spread to the known world. A noticeable feature in the Hellenistic world was the improvement of opportunities for women. For example in Macedonia, alliances between mothers and sons provided openings for women to take an active role in politics. And in Egypt opportunities fo...