Hellenistic Culture

Hellenistic Culture:

Hellenistic Culture in Alexandria

- Hellenistic culture: a blend of Greek, Egyptian, Persian, and Indian culture
- Trade and Cultural diversity:
- Alexandria became a foremost center of commerce and culture/civilization

Alexandria's Attractions

- Alexander's coffin
- An enormous stone lighthouse called Pharos
- Alexandria's museum and library
- The Alexandrian Library contained 500,000 papyrus scrolls

Science and Technology:

- Astronomy:
- Aristarchus: estimated that the Sun is at least 300 times bigger than the sun
- Earth and other planets revolved around the sun
- Ptolemy disagrees with Anistarchus, says that Earth is the center of Universe, this is taught for next 14 centuries
- Eratosthenes estimated the the real size of Earth, saying it's round
- Mathematics and Physics:
- Euclid: wrote the book on Geometry (Elements)
- Archimedes: estimated the value of pi, explained law of the lever
- the Archimedes screw - could raise water from the ground