The Spread of Hellenistic Culture

Though Classic Greece was very powerful and accomplished, the Greek culture was not spread to its maximum until the arrival of Hellenistic Greece. Representing the product of Classic Greece, Hellenistic culture was spread throughout Eurasia, with the help of a great leader, Alexander. Alexander was able to come to power as result of Classical Greece's decline and vulnerability to control.

The peak of Classic Greece society occurred in the 5th century BCE. The two leading city states at the time were Athens and Sparta, both distinguished leaders in their respective ways. Athens represented Greek perfection in the form of government. Sparta however represented honor through warfare. Both these cities felt they were the most powerful in Greece, and soon a war broke out to decide this. Athens demanded money from all Greek cities in return for protection (Spielvogel, Page 48). The Spartans, filled deep with pride and honor themselves, refused to be submissive to Athens, and the result was an almost 30 year war. This conflict, named the Peloponnesian War, resulted in the removal of Athens from the dominant center of Greece, and an overall weakening of all the Greek city-states. This would eventually result in the end of Classical Greece.

With their focus on the other cities, the people of Greece were unaware of the dangers to the north. To the north of Greece, a nation called Macedonia was on the rise. Even though the Macedonians were from an area very close to Greece, they were considered barbaric, ruthless, and less than Greek. The Macedonian king, Philip, was seen as a barbaric monster, who was placed well below the level of being a Greek. The Macedonians were known for often engaging in fighting, drinking, and possessing many wives. Despite a small attempt to defeat the barbarians to the north, the Athenians were defeated by King Philip at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BCE (Spielvogel, Page 59). Philip however did not wish to destroy the city-states of Greece, but rather to unify them. His ultimate plan was to raise an army and conquer all of Persia, but he died before this could happen. Philip's favorite son, Alexander, was half-Greek and half-Macedonian. He became ruler of this new empire after his father's death, and sought to follow through on his plans for conquering Persia. Since Persia had been long time enemies of Greece, Alexander saw this as a perfect way to gain full support of all Greeks.

While some Greeks liked Alexander because he sought to strengthen Greece, others disliked him because he still was part barbaric, and he was seen as land-hungry. Nevertheless, over the next 11 years Alexander the Great, as he came to be known, conquered the entire Persian Empire (Spielvogel, Page 60). He wished to continue his push for more land, but his soldiers wished to no longer go on. He tried to convince his men to continue fighting, for the rewards would be great, and the dangers of leaving land unconquered were high. Despite his efforts, the army refused, and Alexander eventually died on his journey back home. Taking older Greek traditions and adding them to new ones, Hellenistic culture was spread across all of Persia, and into Asia and Egypt (Spielvogel, Page 62). While the expansions of Alexander were on an enormous scale, the idea of Greeks being a select, elite group was over. After Alexander's death, the importance was on controlling land and continued greedy fighting. Only a few true Greeks remained, who lived their lives by the values and honors of Classic Greece.

The conquests of Alexander the Great and his army are viewed as one of the most impressive military accomplishments of all time. Leaders for ages to come used Alexander's conquests as guidelines for their own expansion. Without Alexander's brilliance and devotion, the spread of Hellenistic culture would have never been as profound.

References:

Spielvogel, J. Jackson. (2005). The Great Peloponnesian War and the Decline of the Greek States. Western Civilization

Spielvogel, J. Jackson. (2005). The Rise of Macedonia and the Conquests of Alexander. Western Civilization