The West in the World, 4th Edition (Sherman)

Chapter 3: The Poleis become Cosmopolitan

Critical Thinking Questions

  1. The Conquest of the Polis


  1. What problems Macedonian geography pose for rulers of the region?


  2. What were Philip II's main innovations in warfare?


  3. What preparations did Philip make before conquering the Greek city-states?


  4. What was Isocrates' opinion of Greek democracy? How did Demosthenes' position differ from that of Isocrates?


  5. What were Philip's personal relations like at the time of his murder?


  6. How was Alexander prepared and educated to rule?


  7. Describe the course of Alexander's campaigns against Persia and Egypt. What tactics did he use to succeed in these campaigns?


  8. What were some of the most important features of Alexander's legacy?


  1. The Successor Kingdoms, 323 - ca. 100 B.C.


  1. How did the Ptolemies rule Egypt? In what ways did they depart from their Egyptian predecessors?


  2. What compromises was Ptolemy V forced to make in order to preserve his rule?


  3. What kinds of cities did the Seleucids found? What was the significance of their locations?


  4. What was the role of colonists in the Seleucid lands?


  5. What changes took place in Macedonia after Alexander's reign? What changes took place in the Greek city-states?


  1. East Meets West in the Successor Kingdoms


  1. What kinds of changes resulted from the increase in trade in the Hellenistic kingdoms? How did rulers take advantage of this increase in trade?


  2. What changes in warfare took place under the Hellenistic kings?


  3. What was the impact of the changes in warfare on slavery in this period?


  4. What role did travelers play in the cultural intermingling that took place throughout the Hellenistic kingdoms?


  5. In what ways did the Hellenistic cities differ from their Greek counterparts, the city-states?


  6. What were some of the advantages of living in the Hellenistic cities? What were some of the disadvantages?


  7. How did art and the patronage of art change in the Hellenistic age?


  8. What was the Jewish experience under Hellenistic rule?


  9. What were the policies of Antiochus IV toward the Jews? What was the reaction of the Jews in Palestine to those policies?


  1. The Search for Truth: Hellenistic Thought, Religion, and Science


  1. Why did the Hellenistic kings support education?


  2. How were boys typically educated in the Hellenistic cities?


  3. What were the main themes of the New Comedy plays? Of the Hellenistic novel?


  4. What were the main concerns of cosmopolitan philosophy? Summarize the ideas of Diogenes, Epicurus, and the Stoics.


  5. How did syncretism appear in the mystery cults?


  6. How did the mystery cults differ from the older civic cults?


  7. What were the contributions of Herophilus to medicine?


  8. What was the significance of Euclid's geometry? How did later achievements build upon his work?


Sherman: The West in the World, Fourth Edition
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