the Hellenistic Age: A Captivating Guide to an Era of Mediterranean History That Took Place Between Death Alexander Great and Rise Roman Empire

The alienation of the people from the government and society itself can be seen as a result of the Hellenistic transformation. It can also be seen within the art of the period. Scholars, artists, and philosophers began rejecting the collective ideals, and instead, they focused on the cult of the individual. Sculptures were no longer that of gods and ideals but of individuals, and philosophers cultivated the ideas of individual happiness and pleasure. Religious cults, such as the cult of Isis, formed around the same concepts, claiming to offer the secret of immortality and prosperity to those who sought it for themselves. The Hellenistic age brought a great deal of change in the ancient world. However, the era was destined to end in 31 BCE with the Battle of Actium. Octavian’s Roman forces defeated Mark Antony’s and Cleopatra’s Ptolemaic fleet, thus securing the rise of the Roman Empire. While the Hellenistic age lasted only for a brief period in humanity’s rich history, its influence on culture, science, and philosophy has resonated with the world ever since.