Information and translations of hellenization in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Start studying Hellenization of the Jews; Culture during Jesus' time. 9 years ago. The most important period of Hellenization by far was that which transpired under the reign of Alexander the Great. Stanley M Burstein, Walter Donlan, Jennifer Tolbert Roberts, Sarah B Pomeroy, "A Brief History of Ancient Greece: Politics, Society, and Culture", Oxford University Press, p. 255 Ovid did not come up with the idea of using the name Hellen to describe the Greek people; according to Thucydides: After the death of Alexander, some city-states came under Greek influence and were thus "Hellenized." The Hellenistic period was an important period for Western philosophy. What does hellenization mean? And the histories are still fascinating. She has been featured by NPR and National Geographic for her ancient history expertise. From The Making of Europe / Early European History, Pascal, The philosophers, and the most foolish, T. Cowen, Capitalism is the most effective equalizer the world has ever known, Will Durant, The Golden Age: 30 B.C.-A.D. 18, The most important feature of the Hellenistic age, The Making of Europe / Early European History, Font viewers, to browse, test, install and uninstall your fonts, Icon of the Christ and New Testament Reader, Daily Reading Gadget - Feasts and Bible Readings, Old Standard and Didot Unicode Greek Polytonic Fonts, Icon of the Mother of God and New Testament Reader, Menologion Free Troparion and Kontakion Reader. It was then that Octavian, who later became Augustus Caesar, defeated Mark Antony and Cleopatra and made Greece a part of the new Roman Empire. The Greek language, once the tongue of a petty people, grew to be a universal language of culture, spoken even by “barbarian” lips. Also to know, why was the Hellenistic civilization important? Christianity and Hellenistic philosophies experienced complex interactions during the first to the fourth centuries. The dominant philosophical traditions of the Greco-Roman world then were Stoicism, Platonism, Epicureanism, and, to a lesser extent, the skeptic traditions of … Register to get answer. Greek cities, founded by Alexander and his successors, stretched from the Nile to the Indus, dotted the shores of the Black Sea and Caspian, and arose amid the wilds of central Asia. For some purposes the period is extended for a further three and a half centuries, to the move by Constantine the Great of his Hellenization or Hellenism is the historical spread of ancient Greek culture, religion, and, to a lesser extent, language over foreign peoples conquered by Greeks or brought into their sphere of influence, particularly during the Hellenistic period following the campaigns of Alexander the Great in the fourth century BC. Why was Hellenisation important? The name comes from Hellen who was not the woman famed from the Trojan War (Helen of Troy), but the son of Deucalion and Pyrrha. Egypt was the last important survivor of the political system which had developed as a consequence both of the victories of Alexander and of his premature death. 1 Answer. Answer: Hellenism is the term used to describe the influence of Greek culture on the peoples the Greek and Roman Empires conquered or interacted with. Peter Paul Rubens/Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons. to the death of Cleopatra and the incorporation of Egypt in the Roman Empire in 30 B.C.E. More important, although Macedonian kings encouraged the Hellenization of the Macedonian nobility, Macedonian and Greek culture had little in common. Upon the Jews' return from exile in Babylon, they endeavored to protect their national identity by following the law closely. It was, indeed, a changed world in which men were now living. Answer to: Why was the Hellenistic age important? The process of Hellenization began early "as a natural and un­ premeditated admiration, unsponsored and unencouraged:'1 Archeological Hellenization refers to Alexander the Great's practice of bringing Greeks with him on his conquest and installing them as administrators in his growing empire. Explore this article. I’m going to stab at a related question, which is the legacy of Hellenistic culture. As Greek influence spread, Hellenization even reached the Balkans, the Middle East, Central Asia, and parts of modern India and Pakistan. The most interesting, as well as the most important, feature of the Hellenistic age is the diffusion of Hellenic culture—the “Hellenizing” of the Orient. Favorite Answer. With Hellenization, there was also a spiritual revolution and change in religious viewpoints. Alexander the Great created the largest empire of his time Alexander became a king after the death of his father, Philip of Macedon in 336BCE. The Rise of the Macedon. The result of Hellenization was that elements of Greek origin combined in various … Egypt, and particularly Alexandria, came to be the center of Hellenism. There are more programs in the US today (classics and history) that don't use the term 'western civilization' than do and still teach the histories of these regions and people. But it is important to understand that this was not either / or issue for the Jews in the second century B.C. What was there about Hellenism that lured so many Jews to assimilate and at the same time, aroused in other Jews such staunch opposition? Ironically, Greek culture and Judaism are the roots of modern Western civilization. And the art, the science, the literature, the principles of politics and philosophy, developed in isolation by the Greek mind, henceforth became the heritage of many nations. The Influence of Hellenism The word Hellenistic comes from the Greek word meaning "imitating the Greeks." Be the first to answer! Why's it still important? Asked by Wiki User. Mads. Hellen, the male, has two l's in his name; whereas Helen of Troy has only one. The distinction between Greek and Barbarian gradually faded away, and the ancient world became ever more unified in sympathies and aspirations. Meaning of hellenization. The scope and aims of these two events were highly different. Extending the reach of his rule to staggering extents after his father’s unification of the Greek city-states—to Egypt, India, Persia, and across the eastern Mediterranean—Alexander did not limit this rule to simple military conquest and tribute collection. It was, indeed, a changed world in which men were now living. Hellenism is the term generally used by historians to refer to the period from the death of Alexander the Great (323 B.C.E.) When Alexander arrived in Egypt, he was greeted as a hero by the grateful Egyptian people. Thx4A2A, Anon. The Hellenes, therefore, were not necessarily ethnic Greeks as we know them today. Instead, they included groups we now know of as Assyrians, Egyptians, Jews, Arabs, and Armenians among others. "Hellenistic" is a modern word and a 19th-century concept; the idea of a Hellenistic period did not exist in ancient Greece.Although words related in form or meaning, e.g. Hellenization occurred throughout the region, followed by later Orientalization. and motives as they relate to Hellenization, and to notice his conduct and achievements in light of God's prophecies and providence. This process of Hellenization happened wherever the Greeks went, although there was far less conflict outside of Judea. The Hellenization of Christianity was a complex interaction between Hellenistic philosophy and early Christianity during the first four centuries of the Common Era. Why did the interaction of the Greeks and the Jews create such problems? In 168 BCE, the Romans defeated Macedon; from that point forward, Roman influence grew. It is therefore from Alexander and his decade of beneficent con-quest (334-324 B. c.) that we date the beginning of that helleniza- The use of this period is justified by the extent of the Hellenic culture in most of these areas, due to the Greek political presence especially in Asia after Alexander 's conquests, but also to a new wave of Greek colonization. During the time of Greek control, the Jewish people were influenced by an influx of Greek language, art and ways of thinking. Answer. According to Ovid's Metamorphoses, Deucalion and Pyrrha were the only survivors of a flood similar to the one described in the story of Noah's Ark. The people of Greece produced a culture that influenced the known world. The Hellenes, therefore, were not necessarily ethnic Greeks as we know them today. To repopulate the world, they throw stones which turn into people; the first stone they throw becomes their son, Hellen. Relevance. Gill is a Latinist, writer, and teacher of ancient history and Latin. If you read any ancient Greek history, you'll see references to the "Hellenic" people and the "Hellenistic" period. The most important period of Hellenization by far was that which transpired under the reign of Alexander the Great. The … 0 0 1. Definition of hellenization in the Definitions.net dictionary. Philip II’s conquests during the Third Sacred War cemented his power, as well as the influence of Macedon, throughout the Hellenic world. An important point to emphasize: one can have histories of antiquity, of Europe, of the US, without recourse to the imaginary identity of 'western civilization'. N.S. Find out how UKEssays.com can help you! The Hellenistic Period is a part of the Ancient Period for the European and Near Asian space. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. It was this mingled civilization of Orient and Occident with which the Romans were now to come in contact, as they pushed their conquering arms beyond Italy into the eastern Mediterranean. Lv 6. Hellenism definition, ancient Greek culture or ideals. Extending the reach of his rule to staggering extents after his father’s unification of the Greek city-states—to Egypt, India, Persia, and across the eastern Mediterranean—Alexander did not limit this rule to simple military conquest and tribute collection. These references describe only a relatively brief period between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE and the defeat of Egypt by Rome in 31 BCE. Answer Save. In 146 BCE the Hellenistic region became a Protectorate of Rome; it was then that Romans began imitating Hellenic (Greek) clothing, religion, and ideas. Everyone adapted to Greek culture in some way, the only question was how far to allow a Greek world view to overwhelm a Jewish world view. The word Hellenism is … Hellenization, or Hellenism, refers to the spread of Greek culture that had begun after the conquest of Alexander the Great in the fourth century, B.C.E. Hellenized Jews; Religious Beliefs; Afterlife; Philosophy; 1 Hellenized Jews. This formed an important period in Jewish history in which a conflict arose over how much Hellenization was acceptable among the Jewish people. This was replaced by a strong influence from Eastern religion which led to the development of the cult of Isis (Spielvogel, 2007). Hellenization Begins with Alexander the Great (334-323 BCE), king of the large territorial state of Macedonia, who takes over the old Persian empire and beyond, introduces Hellenistic (Greek) rule and values throughout his new lands, but keeps eastern ideas of kingship. Hellenistic civilization was preceded by the Classical Hellenic period, and followed by Roman rule over the areas Greece had … At his death his generals succeed him—e.g. the Ptolemies in Egypt and Seleucids in Syria/Israel, Antigonus in Macedonia. With time, there was a reduction in the influence of Greek gods. The end of the Hellenistic World came when the Romans took over Egypt, in 30 B.C., with the death of Cleopatra. Some of the major philosophies of the period were Pythagoreanism, Platonism, Cynicism, Stoicism, Sophism, and Pyrrhonism. By signing up, you'll get thousands of step-by-step solutions to your homework questions. The end of the Hellenistic Era came in 31 BCE. The study of sacrifice in antiquity has recently been enriched by two important contributions in the form of the acta of conferences, one organized at Göteborg in 1997 and the other in Paris in 2001. As Greek influence spread, Hellenization even reached the Balkans, the Middle East, Central Asia, and parts of modern India and Pakistan. Hellenism introduced and spread the Greek language, art, culture, political ideas, and philosophy across the Mediterranean and Middle East. Be the first to answer this question. The most interesting, as well as the most important, feature of the Hellenistic age is the diffusion of Hellenic culture—the “Hellenizing” of the Orient. As Christianity spread throughout the Hellenic world, an increasing number of church leaders were educated in Greek philosophy. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Hellenistic civilization (Greek civilization beyond classical Greeks) represents the zenith of Greek influence in the ancient world from 323 BC to about 146 BC . See more. Who doesn't love being #1? As my fellows have asked, we’ll need more detail on what you’re asking. In the period after Alexander the long struggle between East and West reached a peaceful conclusion. Instead, they included groups we now know of as Assyrians, Egyptians, Jews, Arabs, and Armenians among others. Hellenistic age, in the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, the period between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 bce and the conquest of Egypt by Rome in 30 bce. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our, Ancient Greek Flood Myth of Deucalion and Pyrrha, Prometheus: Fire Bringer and Philanthropist, A Timeline of the Major Eras of Ancient Jewish History, Biography of Helen of Troy, Cause of the Trojan War, Most Important Figures in Ancient History, 30 Maps of Ancient Greece Show How a Country Became an Empire, The Different Periods of Ancient Greek Art, The Ptolemies: Dynastic Egypt From Alexander to Cleopatra, M.A., Linguistics, University of Minnesota. 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