Hellenistic Culture, Philosophy, and Science

Hellenistic Age: Culture and Innovation ## Literature in the Hellenistic Age * Menander (Late 4^{th} - Early 3^{rd} Century BCE): * Successor to earlier dramatists, he staged everyday life in exaggerated forms. * His plays featured a gallery of stock characters: rude misers with marriageable daughters, eager and clumsy young lovers, and slaves acting as intermediaries. * This indicates a change in the style and content of literary works. * Apollonius of Rhodes: * Authored an epic poem about the mythical expedition of Jason and the Argonauts on their ship, Argo. * Purpose of the expedition: Jason had to retrieve the Golden Fleece from a winged ram in Colchis (Black Sea) to win a throne in Thessaly. * Apollonius focused on human psychology, particularly in extreme situations. * Example: The story explores the inner turmoil of the King of Colchis's daughter as she contemplates betraying her father for Jason, delving into her feelings, thoughts, and actions. * Shift in Poetic Themes: * Hellenistic poets differed from Classical Athenian tragedians; they did not primarily address political or religious themes. * Their focus was on emotional situations and how individuals felt. * Audience: * Unlike the classical era where poetry was a public affair, Hellenistic poetry was written for highly educated and cultivated members of various courts. ## New Philosophies in the Hellenistic Age * Context: New philosophies emerged, focusing on understanding life within an empire. Athens remained a center for ideas. * Established Schools: Plato's Academy and Aristotle's Lyceum continued, professing opposing ideas about the universe. * New Schools in Athens: * Epicureanism (Founded by Epicurus): * The Garden: The name of Epicurus's school in Athens. * Cosmology: Argued that the entire universe consists solely of matter and motion. * Origin of Cosmos: The creation of the cosmos could be traced back to an accidental collision of primary particles. * Chance Swerving: Some particles