1. The fourth century witnessed considerable dislocation and the collapse of the optimism of the fifth century.

2. The Peloponnesian War (431-404BC) had caused considerable destruction and forced people to think again about the good that the polis had brought to their life.

3. Various states--Sparta, Athens, Thebes--sought to impose their rule on the whole of Greece, but none of them succeeded.

4. Persia became the dominant power in Greece.

5. Macedon was a vast area in the north of Greece: by the fifth century it had adopted Greek language and culture.

6. Unlike southern Greece, Macedon had not developed independent polis, but rather had a hereditary monarchy.

7. In the fourth century Philip II acquired considerable wealth, and he used his military and diplomatic skill to become the strongest power in Greece.

8. Politicians and thinkers such as Isokrates welcomed a unifier such as Philip, while others such as Demosthenes continued to maintain the independence of the individual polis.

9. Philip II defeated the Greeks at the Battle of Chaironeia in 338BC and all of Greece fell under his control.

10. Philip established the League of Korinth, which was a federal association of nearly all the Greek cities, under the military control of Macedon.

11. Thus, the Greek cities lost their independence, although they were left alone to manage domestic affairs pretty much as before.

12. This kind of arrangement -- local independence under the military control of a powerful empire -- was characteristic of the ancient city until the end of the ancient world.

1. Alexander became king, at the age of 19, when his father died in 336BC.

2. Alexander went on to defeat the Persian Empire and conquer everything all the ways to the borders of India!

3. For one reason or another, Alexander sought to create a blend of Greek and Persian (or other "native") cultures.

4. The polis was the very essence of Greek culture, and Alexander founded Greek-type cities wherever his armies went.

5. At the same time "oriental" ideas permeated the old cities in Greece.

6. The Greek cities in the East were dominated politically and socially by Greek-speaking Macedonians or Greeks, and local people wanted to imitate them, thus creating a network of Greek culture throughout the ancient world.

7. Examples: Alexandria (the Hellenistic city par excellence), Antioch, Pergamum (Pergamon)

1. The first characteristic of the Hellenistic city was the continuation of the social, political, and cultural instituions of the classical Greek city.

2. Cities were generally independent in local affairs.

3. They were dominated by the landholding aristocracy, who continued to hold local political offices in the old way.

4. Temples and other public buildings were built or rebuilt -- the most important of which was the gymnasium.

5. There was a rich cultural mix in these cities.

a. A blend of "eastern" and "western" elements, the most obvious of which was the rise of popularity of eastern cults (mainly from Egypt and Syria).

b. The cult of the ruler -- commonly worshipped as a god, often in the guise of a local deity or hero. This could be used to promote loyalty on the local level, but it was probably generally accepted or even desired by the people of the cities.

6. Economic considerations.

a. The general peace of the Hellenistic period encouraged trade, economic specialization, and greater overall wealth.

b. Many people who had been farmers now had opportunities for other careers.

c. These economic conditions allowed cities to grow far larger and they were marked by much more mixing of population: you would find traders and sailors and goods from far away in many cities.

d. As a result of these developments many women came to administer considerable wealth, and this helped to lead to a more open position and greater opportunities for women. There can be no doubt that women played a greater role in the life of the Hellenistic city.

7. Social considerations.

a. There is no doubt that the Hellenistic city was a complex place, with a considerable mix of population and economic opportunity.

b. Nobody really had political power (remember that the local aristocracy basically did what the imperial power allowed them to do), and so there was a kind of equality (although there certainly was a big difference between rich and poor).

c. There was a curious tension between the loss of political power and the gain of economic prosperity; between the economic and social opportunity and the real loss of common identity: people in the Hellenistic city lost the sense of close community identity and unity that had characterized the classical city.