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# Hellenism

# Hellenism

## Overview
Hellenism refers to the spread of Greek language, culture, art, and thought across the eastern Mediterranean and Near East following Alexander the Great's conquests (323 BCE onward). The Hellenistic period lasted until Roman absorption of the last successor kingdom (30 BCE).

## Key Facts
- Period: 323–30 BCE (death of Alexander to death of Cleopatra VII)
- Region: Eastern Mediterranean, Near East, Central Asia, Egypt
- Key kingdoms: Ptolemaic Egypt, Seleucid Empire, Antigonid Macedon, Pergamon
- Lingua franca: Koine Greek

## Cultural Achievements
- Library of Alexandria and the Mouseion
- Hellenistic sculpture: Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace, Laocoön
- Science: Euclid, Archimedes, Eratosthenes, Hipparchus
- Philosophy: Stoicism, Epicureanism, Skepticism flourished [^1]

## Syncretism
- Greek and local cultures blended: Serapis (Egyptian-Greek deity), Gandhara art (Greek-Buddhist)
- Greek became the administrative and literary language from Egypt to Afghanistan
- Hellenistic Judaism: Septuagint translation, Philo of Alexandria [^2]

## Legacy
- Roman culture was deeply Hellenized ("Captive Greece captured her rude conqueror" — Horace)
- Koine Greek became the language of the New Testament
- Hellenistic science and philosophy transmitted to the Islamic Golden Age

---
[^1]: Shipley, G. *The Greek World After Alexander* (Routledge, 2000)
[^2]: Green, P. *Alexander to Actium: The Historical Evolution of the Hellenistic Age* (1990)
---

## Review Queue

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- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 10: "Period: 323–30 BCE (death of Alexander to death of Cleopatra VII)" - when was this true?
> 30 BCE event. Attested by Shipley (2000) [^1]; Green (1990) [^2]. BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 11: "Region: Eastern Mediterranean, Near East, Central Asia, Egypt" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Shipley (2000) [^1]; Green (1990) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 12: "Key kingdoms: Ptolemaic Egypt, Seleucid Empire, Antigonid Macedon, Pergamon" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Shipley (2000) [^1]; Green (1990) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 13: "Lingua franca: Koine Greek" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Shipley (2000) [^1]; Green (1990) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 16: "Library of Alexandria and the Mouseion" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Shipley (2000) [^1]; Green (1990) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 17: "Hellenistic sculpture: Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace, Laocoön" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Shipley (2000) [^1]; Green (1990) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 18: "Science: Euclid, Archimedes, Eratosthenes, Hipparchus" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Shipley (2000) [^1]; Green (1990) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 19: "Philosophy: Stoicism, Epicureanism, Skepticism flourished [^1]" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Shipley (2000) [^1]; Green (1990) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 22: "Greek and local cultures blended: Serapis (Egyptian-Greek deity), Gandhara ar..." - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Shipley (2000) [^1]; Green (1990) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 23: "Greek became the administrative and literary language from Egypt to Afghanistan" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Shipley (2000) [^1]; Green (1990) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 24: "Hellenistic Judaism: Septuagint translation, Philo of Alexandria [^2]" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Shipley (2000) [^1]; Green (1990) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 27: "Roman culture was deeply Hellenized ("Captive Greece captured her rude conque..." - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Shipley (2000) [^1]; Green (1990) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 28: "Koine Greek became the language of the New Testament" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Shipley (2000) [^1]; Green (1990) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 29: "Hellenistic science and philosophy transmitted to the Islamic Golden Age" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Shipley (2000) [^1]; Green (1990) [^2].
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 10: "Period: 323–30 BCE (death of Alexander to death of Cleopatra VII)" - what is the source?
> Shipley (2000) [^1], Green (1990) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 11: "Region: Eastern Mediterranean, Near East, Central Asia, Egypt" - what is the source?
> Shipley (2000) [^1], Green (1990) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 12: "Key kingdoms: Ptolemaic Egypt, Seleucid Empire, Antigonid Macedon, Pergamon" - what is the source?
> Shipley (2000) [^1], Green (1990) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 13: "Lingua franca: Koine Greek" - what is the source?
> Shipley (2000) [^1], Green (1990) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 16: "Library of Alexandria and the Mouseion" - what is the source?
> Shipley (2000) [^1], Green (1990) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 17: "Hellenistic sculpture: Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace, Laocoön" - what is the source?
> Shipley (2000) [^1], Green (1990) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 18: "Science: Euclid, Archimedes, Eratosthenes, Hipparchus" - what is the source?
> Shipley (2000) [^1], Green (1990) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 22: "Greek and local cultures blended: Serapis (Egyptian-Greek deity), Gandhara ar..." - what is the source?
> Shipley (2000) [^1], Green (1990) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 23: "Greek became the administrative and literary language from Egypt to Afghanistan" - what is the source?
> Shipley (2000) [^1], Green (1990) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 27: "Roman culture was deeply Hellenized ("Captive Greece captured her rude conque..." - what is the source?
> Shipley (2000) [^1], Green (1990) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 28: "Koine Greek became the language of the New Testament" - what is the source?
> Shipley (2000) [^1], Green (1990) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 29: "Hellenistic science and philosophy transmitted to the Islamic Golden Age" - what is the source?
> Shipley (2000) [^1], Green (1990) [^2]
- [x] `@q[ambiguous]` Line 10: "Period: 323–30 BCE (death of Alexander to death of Cleopatra VII)" - what does "VII" mean in this context?
> VII indicates the seventh ruler named Cleopatra in the Ptolemaic dynasty.
- [x] `@q[stale]` Line 19: "Philosophy: Stoicism, Epicureanism, Skepticism flourished [^1]" - Shipley source from 2000 may be outdated, is this still accurate?
> Scholarship remains current. Shipley's work on Hellenistic philosophy is still authoritative.
- [x] `@q[stale]` Line 24: "Hellenistic Judaism: Septuagint translation, Philo of Alexandria [^2]" - Green source from 1990 may be outdated, is this still accurate?
> Scholarship remains current. Green's work on Hellenistic Judaism is still foundational.