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4

The Hellenistic

World

CHAPTER OUTLINE

AND FOCUS QUESTIONS

Macedonia and the Conquests of Alexander

Q How was Alexander able to amass his empire, and

what might his rule have been like if he had lived

longer?

The World of the Hellenistic Kingdoms

Q What were the main features of the political and

military organization of the Hellenistic kingdoms,

and how did the new political systems differ from

those of the Greek city-states? What were the main

social developments in the Hellenistic world?

Culture in the Hellenistic World

Q What achievements in literature, art, science, and

philosophy occurred during the Hellenistic period?

Religion in the Hellenistic World

Q Which religions were prominent during the

Hellenistic period, and what does their popularity

suggest about Hellenistic society?

CRITICAL THINKING

QHow was the Hellenistic period different from

the Greek Classical Age?

CONNECTIONS TO TODAY

QWhat role would a military leader like

Alexander play in a military system today?

Roman statuette of Alexander the Great wearing a helmet

Louvre (Bulloz), Paris//

ª

RMN-Grand Palais/Art Resource, NY

IN 334B.C.E., ALEXANDER THE GREATled an

army of Greeks and Macedonians into western

Asia to launch his attack on the Persian Empire.

Years of campaigning resulted in the complete

defeat of the Persians, and in 327B.C.E., Alexander

and his troops pushed east into India. But two

more years of fighting in an exotic and difficult

terrain exhausted his troops, who rebelled and

refused to go on. Reluctantly, Alexander turned

back, leading his men across the arid lands of

southern Persia. Conditions in the desert were

appalling; the blazing sun and lack of water led to

thousands of deaths. At one point, when a group

of his soldiers found a little water, they scooped it

up in a helmet and gave it to Alexander. Then,

73

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