8 - 1 - The Hellenistic Period

The Hellenistic Kingdoms

  • Borders shifted throughout the Hellenistic period.

  • Development of three major kingdoms:

  • Antigonid Macedonia/Greece

  • Seleukid Asia: Comprised much of Alexander's Asian territories.

    • Attalid Pergamon: A significant cultural center in western Asia Minor.

      • Becomes a big power, gains a lot of territory within Asia themselves

  • Ptolemaic Egypt

  • Will ultimately come into contact with Rome and will be taken over by Rome

Living in the Hellenistic Period

  • Clear divide between new and local populations

  • Royalty:

    • Royal palaces were large-scale versions of traditional homes

    • New cities were founded

      • Exclusively royal and Greek

    • Royal patronage supported both new and prominent older cities.

      • Royalty trying to “bolster” their reputations

  • General Population:

    • The prominence of Greece faded during this period.

      • As Hellenisitic cities become major powers

    • Times were marked by uncertainty for many, as power dynamics shifted.

    • Income inequality between new vs local populations

Hellenistic Coinage

  • Development of Royal coinages

  • "Alexanders": Coins featuring Alexander the Great's portrait

  • Ruler portraits of current rulers of their dynasty become more popular

    • Notable coins:

      • Alexander coin from Thrace (305-281 BCE)

      • Gold coin of Ptolemy III from Egypt (246-221 BCE)

      • Silver coin of Mithradates III from Pontus (220-185 BCE)

      • Silver coin of Menander I from Bactria (155-130 BCE)

        • Heads written in greek, tails not in Greek

The Birth of Art Collecting

  • Now seeing large scale art being produced for decorative purposes

  • Wealthy Hellenistic monarchs would collect both originals and copies of artworks to decorate their cities and homes.

    • All in competition to collect the best art

  • Art took on a new function, being appreciated for its decorative value rather than solely for its religious or political contexts.

  • Example: Aphrodite and Pan sculptural group, Delos, ca. 100 BCE.

The Hellenistic Baroque (ca. 250-150 BCE)

  • Pergamon emerged as the center of the Hellenistic Baroque style.

  • Named after its resemblance to the art of the 1600s

  • Vigorous gestures, dramatic emotions

  • See modern takes on art start to decline

    • Notable quote from Pliny: “There were some artists, who, though far inferior to those already mentioned [Classical artists], were still highly esteemed.”

    • Ultimately a decline from the height of the classical period - we’ve moved away from the idea that it’s a “decline” - more of just a change

Significant Sculptures

  • The Nike of Samothrace (ca. 225-125 BCE): A celebrated sculpture known for its dynamic form and association with victory.

    • Better preserved than Paionios

    • Shift toward more motion and drama

  • The Nike of Paionios (ca. 420 BCE)

  • The Weary Boxer (3rd-1st centuries BCE): Represents human emotion and physicality, emblematic of Hellenistic artistic sensibilities.

    • broken nose, puffy eye

    • Posture and emotion is “worn down”

    • Emotional state we don’t really see in the Classical Period