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Hellenic and Hellenistic Culture | Essay, Sample

essay Hellenic and Hellenistic Culture

 

Hellenic and Hellenistic Culture 


There are significant distinctions between the Greeks and people from other ethnicities who speak the Greek language. Hellenic culture refers to the Greeks’ way of life while Hellenistic customs refer to the manner in which the people who speak the Greek language yet from other ethnic backgrounds live. The two groups differ in philosophy, religion, science, and art and it is imperative to examine these variations. 

The Hellenic and Hellenistic cultures exhibit critical distinctions in philosophy. The Greek period was characterized by the upcoming of the philosophers who attracted a large following (Sanneh 67). It was during this time that many philosophies came into existence. For instance, Plato's Republic is an excellent perception of political philosophy in the Hellenic period. On the other hand, the Hellenistic culture focuses more on reasoning than establishing the truth. The philosophers in the Hellenistic culture applied critical thinking as a means of solving their routine problems. Such individuals were cynical and skeptical to the Greek philosophies and argued that the truth comes with belief. 

The Hellenic displayed a unique culture in religion from the Hellenistic. The Greeks derived their religion from increased debates among the philosophers who questioned the existence of gods (Sanneh 69). The Hellenic culture’s focus was on establishing the significance of the Ancient Greek Pantheon of gods. During this time, the Greeks were keen on doubting their existence and personality. On the other hand, the development of religion was a significant phenomenon during the Hellenistic era. Many cult organizations emerged during this period. The Hellenistic believed in Zoroastrianism. These people had faith in Ahura-Mazda as the only god worshiped during that time. The Hellenistic culture also believed in intercession through prayers. 

There were also differences in sciences during the Hellenic and Hellenistic times. Many world-renowned scientists and theories characterize the Hellenic period. For instance, the field of astronomy was common among the Greeks. In addition, the Hellenic culture witnessed the Pythagorean and Aristotle era. Aristotle made enormous advancement in metaphysics while Thales predicted the solar eclipse. This era was marked by increased knowledge of science and inventions (Ehrenberg 19). On the other hand, the Hellenistic science is developed from the Hellenic science that focused on improving on the science that was invented during the Hellenic period. For instance, Hellenistic science made significant advancement in medicine that led to the description of the brain and how it works. 

The Hellenic and Hellenistic arts varied significantly. The Greek art comprised of sensuality and exuberance (Shank 56). The Hellenic period made a critical contribution to the modern architecture and design. This period marked the beginning of the Ionic and Doric columns that formed the foundations of construction of the architectural structures. On the other hand, the Hellenistic culture was characterized by imitations of the Hellenic architectural science. There was a paradigm shift from the Greek Art to what came to be known as “trash art.” However, the contributions of the Hellenistic in architecture cannot be underestimated following their improvement of the ancient Greek architecture.

As illustrated in the discussion, the Hellenistic and Hellenic cultures differed significantly in philosophy, religion, science, and art. The Hellenic period marked the beginning of civilization that later spread to other parts of the world. The Hellenistic culture developed from the Greek people although they later advanced it. The two groups were committed to excellence and improvement of their lives through science and philosophy. 

 Works Cited

  • Ehrenberg, Victor. The Greek State (Routledge Library Editions: Political Science. Vol. 23. New York: Routledge, 2013. Print.
  • Sanneh, Lamin. Translating the message: The missionary impact on culture. Ossining: Orbis Books, 2015. Print 
  • Shank, Derek. “The Aesthetics of Romantic Hellenism.” Diss. The University of Western Ontario, 2015. Print.
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