From the Classical to the Hellenistic World

400–30 B.C.E.

Following the end of the Peloponnesian War in 404 B.C.E., the Greek city-states fell victim to internal squabbling and disunity as each vied to dominate Greece. The first document elucidates how Macedonian kings seized this opportunity to become masters of the eastern Mediterranean and beyond. Their successors capitalized on this legacy, carving out individual kingdoms from the Macedonian Empire. The result was a mix of Greek and Near Eastern peoples and traditions that became a hallmark of the Hellenistic world. In the second document, we see this world through the eyes of an official working in one of its hubs, Egypt, to keep royal rule running smoothly at the local level. The third document helps us to understand women’s roles in this new landscape. Against this backdrop, the once mighty Greek city-states became second-rate powers, prompting many Greek thinkers, including Epicurus (Document 4), to reexamine the role of fate and chance in life. As the final document attests, Hellenistic scientists likewise expanded the boundaries of knowledge with innovative methods and discoveries.