Name:______Block:______
The Hellenistic World
Directions: Look at the following primary and secondary sources. Answer the questions that follow.
Below are images of the Light House of Alexandria, located in Alexandria, Egypt. The light house was said to be one of the 7 wonders of the Ancient World. It was made of stone. The fire reflected off of massive bronze mirrors to light the way for ships.
The light house was destroyed in a series of earthquakes between 926 and 1323 AD. It was found in 1994 underneath the water of Alexandria’s East Harbor.
Questions:
- What does the lighthouse of Alexandria tell you about the power of Alexander the Great?
- A Pharaohs power could be reflected in the amount of massive building projects they engaged in. When Alexander liberated Egypt he was seen as a God. Why do you think Alexander may have chosen to build this massive structure in Alexandria, Egypt?
Below is another wonder of the ancient world, the Colossus of Rhodes. The statue stood 110 feet tall, welcoming travelers into the harbor on the Greek Island of Rhodes. (It’s pedestal was another 50 feet tall)The island is located at the southwest tip of Asia Minor where the Aegean Sea meets the Mediterranean. After Alexander’s death, his successors, Ptolemy, Seleucids, andAntigous, fought to split up the fast empire that was left behind. There were vicious battles as the city-states in the vast empire took sides. The Rhodians took the side of Ptolemy. There was a major siege at the island of Rhodes. The Rhodians stood strong, and in the end, Demetrius, son of Antigous was forced to sign a peace treaty with the Rhodians.
To commemorate the battle, the Colossus of Rhodes, a statue of the God Helios, was built. The famous images below depicts the statue spanning the entry way to the harbor, however, it most likely did not look like this. The builders melted down bronze leftover from the siege. It took 12 years to complete the structure.
The statue stood for about 56 years. In 226 BCE an earthquake hit the area, toppling the statue.
Questions:
- What does this statue tell you about the reasons why the Rhodians ththought they had won the siege?
- Why do you think the massive structure has been drawn depicting it straddling the harbor, while it most likely stood straight on a pedestal?
Another famous statue built during the Hellenistic Empire was the Nike, or “Winged Victory of Samothrace. The statue commemorates the sea battle in Samothrace. Although the sculptor is unknown, it was most likely erected by the Macedonian general Demetrius after a naval battle at Cyprus. It depicts the Greek Goddess, Nike. The statue stands 8 feet high, and was made of traditional Greek marble.
Questions
- Who do you think the Greeks believe they should thank for the naval victory they achieved?
- How does this statue depict traditional “Hellenistic” characteristics?
The library of Alexandria was built in the shadow of the library at Athens. The library preserved Greek knowledge and learning, as well as learning from around the world. All Greek literature was available in the library, but so were translations of works created across the Mediterranean, Middle East, and India.
The library served as a library, museum, and university. Archaeologists haveuncovered what they believe to be lecture halls in the ruins of the library.
The museum was destroyed under Roman emperor Aurelian by a fire during the late 3rd century AD. The original great works of Plato and Socrates were destroyed during the burning of the library.
Questions:
- What does this massive library tell you about how important learning was to the Macedonians?
- How did the library at Alexandria help to preserve ancient Greek knowledge?
- What values do you think those who lived in Alexandria had?