CHAPTER OUTLINE

I. Introduction

II. Art and Literature in Classical Greece

III. Greek Thought from the Pre-Socratics

to Aristotle

IV. The Macedonian Conquests

V. The Hellenistic Kingdoms

A. Hellenistic Science, Philosophy, and Religion

B. The Jews in the Hellenistic World

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CHAPTER 3

GREEK CULTURE AND ITS

HELLENISTIC DIFFUSION

F

or all its violence and insecurity, the age of the

Persian and Peloponnesian wars was for the

Greeks, and in particular for Athens, a time of

unparalleled creativity. The intensity of life in

the midst of almost perpetual crisis called forth their

best efforts, not only in war and politics, but also in art,

literature, and philosophy.

The conquests of Alexander spread Greek culture

and values to the limits of the known world, but the

process was one of diffusion rather than imposition.

The peoples of the Middle East retained their own

identities while adopting Greek ideas, and the Greeks

changed through contacts with ancient civilizations

whose cultural norms differed radically from their own.

The result was a rich and cosmopolitan fusion that is

usually referred to as the Hellenistic Age.

Art and Literature in Classical Greece

Greek literary and artistic inspiration stemmed from

two basic sources: the Homeric poems and the mythol-

ogy that had grown up around the adventures of the

gods. Together, these wellsprings of the Greek tradition

provided a rich fund of themes and motifs that illus-

trated in graphic terms what it meant to be Greek. The

influence of that tradition had little to do with religious

teachings as they are now understood. The behavior of

the gods—and of Homer’s heroes—was often highly

improper, and Greek religion offered few ethical

prescriptions. The ancient tales did not preach, but

even when they taught by bad example, they offered a

precious guide to values, social attitudes, and conduct.

For this reason, each polis sought to encourage the arts

to the best of its financial ability. They were the means

by which citizens were created and common values

reaffirmed.

Nowhere was this concern more evident than in

the drama. Plays, like athletic contests, accompanied

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