Page:General History of Europe 1921.djvu/161

Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Age 107 they were unable to throw off the Macedonian yoke. In spite of the political feebleness of the Greeks in this age, their civilization maintained its high level under the successors of Alexander. II. THE CIVILIZATION OF THE HELLENISTIC AGE 167. The Hellenistic Age. 1 The three centuries following the death of Alexander are called the Hellenistic Age, meaning the RESTORATION OF THE PUBLIC BUILDINGS OF PERGAMUM, A HELLENISTIC CITY OF ASIA MINOR. (AFTER THIERSCH) Pergamum, on the west coast of Asia Minor, became a flourishing city- kingdom in the third century B.C. under the successors of Alexander the Great. The dwellings of the citizens were all lower down, in front of the group of buildings shown here. These public buildings stand on three terraces lower, middle, and upper. The large lower terrace (.4) was the main market place, adorned with a vast square marble altar of Zeus, having colonnades on three sides, beneath which was a long sculptured band (frieze) of warring gods and giants. On the middle terrace (B), behind the colonnades, was the famous library of Pergamum, where the stone bases of library shelves still survive. The upper terrace (C) once contained the palace of the king; the temple now there was built by the Roman emperor Trajan in the second century of the Christian Era period in which Greek civilization spread throughout the ancient world. The orientals now had Greek-speaking rulers and were constantly carrying on business with Greek merchants; they l For a fuller sketch of Hellenistic civilization see Ancient Times, 727-768.