Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Relating to the period, culture, or style of Greek history, language, and civilization from the death of Alexander the Great (323 BC) to the emergence of the Roman Empire (around 31 BC): This period is characterized by the spread of Greek influence across the Mediterranean and Near East, blending with local cultures.
   • Relating to or characteristic of the classical Greek civilization in a broader sense: Pertaining to the language, art, philosophy, or customs of ancient Greece, especially as they were adopted and adapted by other peoples.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The museum has a remarkable collection of Hellenistic sculptures. (The sculptures belong to the historical period after Alexander the Great.)
  • Alexandria in Egypt was a major center of Hellenistic learning and culture. (The city was a hub for Greek-style culture during that era.)
  • The philosophy of Stoicism flourished in the Hellenistic age. (This school of thought was prominent during that specific historical period.)

Advanced Usage

• "Hellenistic world": Refers to the vast geographical area, from Greece to Egypt and parts of Asia, that came under Greek cultural influence after Alexander's conquests.
  • Trade routes connected the entire Hellenistic world.
• "Hellenistic period" / "Hellenistic age": The specific historical era between the Classical Greek and Roman periods.
  • The Hellenistic period saw great advances in science and mathematics.

Variants and Related Words

• Hellenism (noun): The national character, culture, or ideals of ancient Greece, or the imitation or adoption of these.
  • The spread of Hellenism was a key feature of Alexander's empire.
• Hellenize (verb): To make Greek or Hellenistic in character.
  • The conquered territories were gradually Hellenized.

Synonyms

• Greco-Roman (when referring to the broader classical tradition that includes Roman adaptations).
• Classical (in a broader sense, though "Classical" often specifically refers to the 5th-4th centuries BC in Greece).

Related Terms and Concepts

• Koine Greek: The common Greek dialect that became the of the Hellenistic world and the language of the New Testament.
  • The New Testament was written in Koine Greek.
• Alexander the Great: The Macedonian king whose conquests created the conditions for the Hellenistic era.

Adjective

1. relating to or characteristic of the classical Greek civilization