Page 123 - Western Civilization A Brief History, Volume I To 1715 9th - Jackson J. Spielvogel

manufacturing shifted significantly. Industry spread from Greece to the East—especially to Asia Minor, Rhodes, and Egypt. Leading all cities in manufacturing was Alexandria in Egypt, which became the center for the production of parchment, textiles, linens, oil, metalwork, and glass.
Commerce expanded considerably in the Hellenistic era. Indeed, trading contacts linked much of the Hellenistic world. The decline in the number of politi- cal barriers encouraged more commercial traffic. Although Hellenistic monarchs still fought wars, the conquests of Alexander and the policies of his succes- sors made possible greater trade between East and West. An incredible variety of products were traded: gold and silver from Spain; iron from northern Arme- nia; salt from Asia Minor; timber from Macedonia; purple dye from Tyre; ebony, gems, ivory, and spices from India; frankincense (used on altars) from Arabia; slaves from Thrace, Syria, and Asia Minor; fine wines from Syria and western Asia Minor; olive oil from Athens; and numerous exquisite foodstuffs, such as the famous prunes of Damascus. The greatest trade, however, was in the basic staple of life—grain. The great exporting areas were Egypt, Sicily, and the Black Sea region.
New Opportunities for Women
One of the significant features of social life in the Hel- lenistic world was the emergence of new opportunities for women—at least, for upper-class women—espe- cially in economic matters. Documents reveal increas- ing numbers of women involved in managing slaves, selling property, and making loans. Even then, legal contracts made by women had to include their official male guardians, although in numerous instances these men no longer played an important function but were listed only to satisfy legal requirements. Although a few philosophers welcomed female participation in men’s affairs, many philosophers rejected equality between men and women and asserted that the tradi- tional roles of wives and mothers were most satisfying for women. In her treatise “On Chastity,” Phintys (FIN- tiss) wrote that “serving as generals, public officials, and statesmen is appropriate for men,” but “keeping house, remaining within, and taking care of husbands belongs to women.”3
But the opinions of philosophers did not prevent upper-class women from making gains in areas other than the economic sphere (see the box on p. 86). New possibilities for females arose when women in some parts of the Hellenistic world were allowed to pursue
education in the traditional fields of literature, music, and even athletics. Education, then, provided new oppor- tunities for women: several female poets were active in the third century B.C.E., and there are instances of women involved in both scholarly and artistic activities.
The creation of the Hellenistic monarchies, which represented a considerable departure from the world of the polis, also gave new scope to the role played by the monarchs’ wives, the Hellenistic queens. In Macedonia, a pattern of alliances between mothers and sons provided openings for women to take an active role in politics, especially in political intrigue. In Egypt, oppor- tunities for royal women were even greater because the Ptolemaic rulers reverted to an Egyptian custom of kings marrying their own sisters. Of the first eight Ptolemaic rulers, four wed their sisters. Ptolemy II and his sister- wife Arsino€e (ahr-SIN-oh-ee) II were both worshiped as gods in their lifetimes. Arsino€e played an energetic role in government and was involved in the expansion of the Egyptian navy. She was also the first Egyptian queen whose portrait appeared on coins with her husband. Hellenistic queens also showed an intense interest in culture. They wrote poems, collected art, and corre- sponded with intellectuals.
Culture in the Hellenistic World
Q FOCUS QUESTION: What achievements in literature, art, science, and philosophy occurred during the Hellenistic period?
Although the Hellenistic kingdoms encompassed vast areas and many diverse peoples, the Greeks provided a sense of unity as a result of the diffusion of Greek cul- ture throughout the region. The Hellenistic era was a period of considerable cultural accomplishment in many areas—literature, art, science, and philosophy. Although these achievements occurred everywhere in the Hellenistic world, certain centers, especially the great cities of Alexandria and Pergamum, stood out. In both cities, cultural developments were encouraged by the rulers themselves. Rich Hellenistic kings had con- siderable resources with which to patronize culture.
The Ptolemies in Egypt made Alexandria an espe- cially important cultural center. The library became the largest in ancient times, housing more than half a mil- lion scrolls. The museum (literally, “temple of the Muses”) created a favorable environment for scholarly research. Alexandria became home to scholars of all kinds—poets, writers, philosophers, and scientists.
Culture in the Hellenistic World 85
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