Introduction
Whereas there is a clash in the exact period that would be defined as Hellenistic period, there is abidance in the general knowledge that it is a period in the Mediterranean region that begins with the death of Alexander the Great and ends with the defeat of Cleopatra. This period is considered as a period of transition encompassed in both aspects decline and decadence in the original culture of Greek. This is because the death of Alexandria marked an important event in world history with respect to culture and civilization. The differentiating factor with this period is that “the centuries which followed the death of Alexander were so markedly different from the Golden Age of Greece that they cannot be accurately regarded as a continuation of it” (Derow and Bagnall, 2004).
Development of Science and Technology
The Hellenistic period played a critical role in the development of science and technology. This was especially in the growth of the center of scholarship that shifted away from Athens. According to Maloney (2006; 32) “Hellenistic scholars, particularly in Alexandria, succeeded brilliantly in preserving Greek and Egyptian learning in the sciences and until the scientific advances of the 16th and 17th centuries, scholars in Alexandria provided most of the scientific knowledge available to the West.”
The developments in sciences and technology during the Hellenistic period were dominant in astronomy, mathematics and physics. The importance in understanding nature influenced these cultures to pursue more knowledge in astronomy and physical sciences. The cultural museum of Alexander was equipped with astronomical instruments that were used by the ancient astronomers to study the solar system. Some notable astronomers during the Hellenistic period astronomers that include “Aristarchus of Samos, who reached two significant scientific conclusions; in one conclusion, estimated that the sun was at least 300 times larger than the earth and disputed that the sun was smaller than Greece. One of the greatest proposals made by Aristarchus was that the other planets revolved around the sun.
The second A.D witnessed the last renowned Alexander’s astronomer (Ptolemy) who made the incorrect judgment of placing the earth in the middle of the solar system. This period witnessed the estimation of the true size of the earth Eratosthenes was the director of the Alexandrian Library. His major contribution in mathematics involved the estimation of the earth’s circumference as 24, 860 miles which was in the error one percent of our modern calculations.
Development in Mathematics and Physics
In mathematics and physics, “Both Eratosthenes and Aristarchus used a geometry text compiled by Euclid which was a highly regarded mathematician who opened a school of geometry in Alexandria” (Maloney, 2006; 31). These developments in the field of mathematics and science were widely used in Muslim and European universities until the 1900. I addition to the above, Archimedes is regarded as the father of mathematics and physics during the Hellenistic period. His contribution to mathematics is illustrated by Maloney (2006; 34) in stating that “he accurately estimated the value of pi (π)—the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter and showed its value to be between 310⁄71 and 31⁄7.” Last, Archimedes principles in physics and geometry still remain relevant and accurate today.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Hellenistic period recorded some of the greatest cultural and scientific developments in the history of civilization. These were made possible by the ambitious nature of Alexander as well as his military and political conquests. Hellenistic period was the greatest culture and scientific period of time because a number of discoveries in art and science recorded in this period. Alexander had given financial support in the advancement of knowledge in science. The most outstanding was the support for intellectual inquiry the combination of Egyptian and Chaldean science with the background knowledge of Greek scientists. The fields of mathematic, astronomy and physics draw their historical efforts from the Hellenistic period.
References
Derow, P. and Bagnall, R.S. (2004). The Hellenistic Period: historical sources in translation. New York: Wiley-Blackwell.
Maloney, M. (2006). The Spread of Hellenistic Culture. Web.