Hellenistic period facts for kids

This sculpture of Dionysus is from the Hellenistic period.

The Hellenistic period was an exciting time in Ancient Greece. It started in 323 BC after the death of Alexander the Great. It ended in 146 BC when the Romans took over Greece.

During this period, Greek culture, art, and power spread far and wide. They reached places like the Near and Middle East. Greek influence was strongest in Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia. This was a time of great growth and new ideas. People made amazing progress in art, exploration, literature, theatre, architecture, music, mathematics, philosophy, and science.

Many people see this time as a bridge between the older, "Classical" Greek era and later times. It was a period of big changes and new ways of thinking.

New Ideas and Discoveries

The Hellenistic period brought many new ideas to the world.

New Ways of Thinking

• New Comedy: This was a popular type of play. It focused on everyday life and funny situations.
• Alexandrian Poetry: Poets in the city of Alexandria wrote new kinds of poems.
• Septuagint: This was an important Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible.
• Stoicism: This philosophy taught people to be calm and strong. It said you should accept what you cannot change. Zeno of Citium started this way of thinking.
• Epicureanism: This philosophy focused on finding happiness and peace. It taught that pleasure was the highest good, but it meant peace of mind, not just fun.

Amazing Science and Math

Greek thinkers made huge steps in science and math.

• The mathematician Euclid wrote "Elements." This book is still used to teach geometry today.
• The brilliant thinker Archimedes made many discoveries. He worked on things like levers and buoyancy. He also invented new machines.
• The Antikythera mechanism was an ancient device. It was like a complex clock. It could calculate where planets and stars would be.

New Religions

During this time, people started to worship new gods.

• The Greco-Egyptian god Serapis became popular. He combined Greek and Egyptian ideas.
• Eastern gods like Attis and Cybele were also welcomed.
• Some Greeks even started to follow Buddhism. This showed how cultures mixed.

Images for kids

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  The Nike of Samothrace is one of the most famous Hellenistic artworks.

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  Alexander fighting the Persian king Darius III.

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  Alexander's empire at its largest.

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  How Alexander's empire was divided after his death.

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  The kingdoms of Antigonos and his rivals around 303 BC.

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  The main Hellenistic kingdoms in 240 BC.

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  Philip V, a king of Macedon.

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  Greece and the Aegean World around 200 BC.

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  A painting from a Hellenistic tomb.

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  A Gallo-Greek inscription.

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  A silver coin from Massalia (modern Marseille).

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  Seleucus I Nicator started the Seleucid Empire.

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  The Hellenistic world around 200 BC.

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  The Dying Gaul, a famous Roman copy of a Hellenistic statue.

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  Bust of Mithridates VI wearing a lion pelt.

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  Tigranes the Great's Armenian Empire.

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  A coin of Phraates IV showing Greek influence.

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  A sculpted head wearing a Hellenistic-style helmet.

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  Al-Khazneh in Petra shows Hellenistic designs.

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  A model of Herod's Temple in Jerusalem.

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  The Greco-Bactrian kingdom at its largest.

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  A coin of Demetrius I of Bactria.

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  Indo-Greek Kingdoms in 100 BC.

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  A Greco-Scythian golden comb.

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  A statuette of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory.

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  A Carthaginian hoplite soldier.

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  The Eastern hemisphere at the end of the 2nd century BC.

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  Perseus of Macedon surrenders to Paullus.

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  The Library of Alexandria, one of the most important libraries of the ancient world.

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  The Rosetta Stone, which helped us understand ancient Egyptian writing.

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  One of the first images of the Buddha, showing Greek influence.

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  A bull capital from the Maurya Empire with Hellenistic designs.

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  A bust of Zeus-Ammon, a god combining Greek and Egyptian features.

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  Cybele, a mother goddess, with a lion.

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  A relief showing masks from New Comedy plays.

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  Zeno of Citium founded Stoic philosophy.

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  An old piece of papyrus with Euclid's "Elements."

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  The Antikythera mechanism, an ancient computer.

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  Drawings of ancient mechanical artillery.

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  A realistic sculpture of an old woman's head.

See also

In Spanish: Período helenístico para niños