Hellenistic philosophy Essays

  • The Tale of Two Philosophies: Epicureanism and Stoicism

    1835 Words  | 4 Pages

    THESIS STATEMENT In Hellenistic Greece, Epicureanism and Stoicism were two influential philosophies encouraging a life of happiness; these philosophies were similar in their belief of the afterlife, but differed in their beliefs of the gods and the approach to attain happiness in life. PURPOSE STATEMENT Through research and analysis, it is shown that Epicureanism and Stoicism both portrayed the general idea of a content life, but had more differences than similarities in their various beliefs.

  • Stoicism

    694 Words  | 2 Pages

    Stoicism is a perspective, philosophy, and practice that encourages a more peaceful and content life, free from material and physical wealth. While Stoicism is still practiced today, it began as a philosophy conceived in ancient Greece. To some, ancient Stoic ideas may seem outdated and old fashioned today, but many of them are still applicable in our daily lives and help us address the many challenges we face as humans. There are many pros to Stoicism – it encourages human responsibility, helps

  • How Can I Be Happy?: The Different School of Thoughts of Stoicism and Epicureanism

    951 Words  | 2 Pages

    The study of ethics has for many years divided the philosophy community into competing schools of thought. Two of these schools, Stoicism and Epicureanism, have wrestled with the specific question “How can I be happy?” While the answer may appear obvious at first, the two schools have developed competing theories of happiness that prove it is not such an easy question to answer. The Stoics argue that the way to a happy life is through pursuing virtue. In comparison, the Epicureans argue that a happy

  • Epicureanism and Stoicism: How to Live a Comfortable and Satsifactory Life

    1539 Words  | 4 Pages

    making themselves and their philosophical concepts known. Along with the several great philosophers of this time, Epicurus and Zeno promoted their theories and collected their disciples. However, Epicurus and Zeno are not simply known for their philosophies, but for how significantly their ideas differentiated. “To the Stoic, it [referring to the philosophic life] consists in following virtue, in obedience to an authoritative law of nature or reason. . . To the Epicurean, the good life is that of

  • Ethics Of The Hellenistic World

    1250 Words  | 3 Pages

    difficult to contend which of these three theories would be a valid philosophy today. As they all have their seemingly strong points, there are still intrinsic weaknesses that would not hold up under the scrutiny of contemporary philosophers. Bibliography Hardie, W.F.R. Aristotle’s Ethical Theory. Great Britain: Oxford UP, 1968. Hyde, William. The Five Great Philosophies of Life. New York: Macmillan, 1945. Long, A.A. Hellenistic Philosophy. New York: Scribner’s, 1974.

  • Greek Hellenistic Sculptures

    1432 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sculpture has been a very important part of art history throughout thousands of years. For the past few months I have viewed many different kinds of sculpture, including Greek archaic sculptures, Greek classical sculptures, Greek Hellenistic sculptures and Roman sculptures. All of the sculptures that I have seen and analyzed have very interesting characteristics, but the one that I have analyzed most recently was the most fascinating. Hermes carrying the infant Dionysos, by the artist Praxiteles

  • Ancient Greek Theater Architecture

    2138 Words  | 5 Pages

    archeological finds and years of studying the people, the plays, and the architecture of the time, we are able to make many conclusions about these early structures. Greek Theaters are classified into three categories: The early Athenian Theaters, Hellenistic Theaters, and Graeco-Roman Theaters. Like most new inventions or creations, the initial theaters built by the Athenians were very simple. In the fifth century B.C., it became popular to build theaters on the slope of a large hill, or an acropolis

  • Hellenistic Marriages Can Be Mutually Supportive

    1561 Words  | 4 Pages

    Hellenistic views of marriage are very different from modern views in many ways, and because of these differences, it can be easy to dismiss archaic and Athenian marriages as loveless or purely functional. However, it should be noted that there are definite examples of these marriages being mutually supportive and loving. One can see these characteristics especially well in two works, Oeconomicus by Xenophon, and Alcestis by Euripides. Although different, these two stories demonstrate both the mutual

  • A Rebuttal to E. R. Dodds' On Misunderstanding the Oedipus Rex

    2977 Words  | 6 Pages

    that Oedipus' actions are entirely determined by the gods, who control him completely -- Dodds pooh-poohs on the grounds that Oedipus is a free agent, acting on his own initiative. In fact, Dodds states, the idea of free will vs. determinism is a Hellenistic thought and would not have even occured to an audience of Sophocles' time. I believe that, as all of Oedipus' actions, including those over the course of the play, were determined before his birth, and he cannot avoid them although it is his will

  • Ancian Roman Arcitecture

    891 Words  | 2 Pages

    dictator Sulla, Hellenistic architecture flourished in Rome, with the buildings Lindos, Cos, the acropolis at Pergamon, Fortuna at Praeneste, the sanctuary of He! rcules Victor at Tibur, and the temple of Jupiter Anxur at Terracina. Though all these buildings were noticeably Hellenistic, they retained the Roman’s own unique architectural style. Such as the cylindrical shape of Forum Boarium, this was an original shape for the Romans along with the roof. Eventually the Hellenistic architecture was

  • Four Styles of Roman Wall Painting and Mosaics

    2688 Words  | 6 Pages

    on a more combined technique. Style I, known as incrustation, began approximately during the second century b.c. This style features the strong influence of the Hellenistic Greek period in its surface decoration. At the Samnite House at Herculaneum, walls are painted as faux marble slabs. This is very typical of the influence of Hellenistic Greece. There is a three fold division of a Roman wall during this time. The dado is at the bottom, the middle section imitates the stone slabs, and the upper part

  • The Hellenistic Homemaker

    2010 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Hellenistic Homemaker In both Xenophon’s Oeconomicus and Lysias’ defense of Euphiletus’ murder of Eratosthenes, insight into the purpose and function of Athenian marriage may be gained by examination of the speeches of two citizens about their wives and their homes. Through both texts, it becomes apparent that the citizen’s value of his wife is based upon his wife’s ability as an “oikonomikos” or “skilled household manager” (Strauss, 3). It is through filling this role as her husband’s housekeeper

  • The Similarities Between The Kinestic Period And The Hellenistic Period

    536 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Hellenistic period and the Hellenic period have many differences and many similarities in their culture. The Hellenistic and Hellenic periods are some major parts of the Greek civilization. Around the Hellenistic time cultural influence and power were at their highest point, And them having such great experiences in; arts, exploring, literature, theatre, architecture, music, mathematics, philosophy, and science brought major benefits to the Hellenistic period. However, the Hellenic period marks

  • The Greatest Accomplishments Of The Hellenistic People

    1164 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Hellenistic period was a long-lasting period which spanned from 323 BC to 31 BC. It began with the death of Alexander the Great and ended with the rise of the Roman Empire. Throughout this period the Hellenistic people achieved many great things. They conquered lands while exploring and mapping out new ones. They made wonderful artworks, designed amazing pieces of architecture, and wrote vast amounts of literature. They also made groundbreaking scientific discoveries in the fields of mathematics

  • The Hellenistic Period

    1151 Words  | 3 Pages

    The death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC marks the beginning of the Hellenistic Period and covers 300 years to the invasion of Egypt by the Romans. The word Hellenic refers only to the Greeks, but the term Hellenistic refers to `the Greek-influenced societies that arose in the wake of Alexander's conquest' (Sacks, 105). The Hellenistic world extended from Greece all the way to Afghanistan and resulted in the beginning of the mass spreading of Greek culture. Its central characteristics were the

  • The Age of Alexander

    1802 Words  | 4 Pages

    is true, the breakup of Alexander's brief empire, but the establishment of Macedonian dynasties in Egypt, Syria, and Persia (the Ptolemies and the Seleucidae) helped to mold the world of that day into a wider unity of trade and learning. The Hellenistic period was an international, cosmopolitan age. Commercial contacts were widespread and peoples of many ethnic and religious backgrounds merged in populous urban centers. Advances were made in various fields of scientific inquiry, including engineering

  • The Hellenistic Era: Thought, Culture, and Religion

    2121 Words  | 5 Pages

    Although the Hellenistic Era started with the death of Alexander the Great in 323BCE it is important to explore its beginnings. Both Greek and Oriental philosophies greatly influenced the formation of the Hellenistic Age. The spread of Hellenistic culture and its substantial scientific contributions produced an impact on civilization that is still evident today. One of the most important aspects of the thought, culture, and religion during the Hellenistic Era was its impact on the Jewish culture

  • Hellenistic Period Essay

    700 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hellenistic Period In this paper we will answer some key questions on the “Hellenistic Period”. The questions that we will be tackling are, why did the “Hellenistic Period”, following the conquests of Alexander Great, “became a melting pot of cultures” (Sources, 56)? What do we mean by “Hellenization”? Finally, what happened when classical Greek culture met and mixed with Persian, Egyptian and Jewish cultures and religions? First let’s look at the melting pot question. After the death of Alexander

  • Hellenistic Accomplishments

    775 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Hellenistic world was a period where certain accomplishments had become more advanced which some are still in uses even to this day. They had different social developments that would end up changing its society including new opportunities for women, role of slavery, and education. They also had many achievements by changing literature, art, science, and philosophy. They had changed the way that certain things where done and because of these accomplishments that they advanced we still to this

  • Alexander: One Of The Greatest Leaders Of All Time

    1643 Words  | 4 Pages

    Alexander influenced world history. Mark, Joshua J. “The Hellenistic World: The World of Alexander the Great.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, www.ancient.eu/article/94/. Accessed 24 Apr. 2017. He found numerous cities, spread greek culture. Alexander the great ordered his man to marry Persian women so that Persians