What Makes Greeks so Memorable?

The Development of Medicine in Greece

700 BCE

Greek Medicine is the traditional, indigenous holistic healing system of Western civilization. It was first codified and systematized by the Greek philosopher - physician Hippocrates in the 4th century B.C.E.

The Invention of Chemistry

450 BCE

The Ancient Greeks promoted the use of symbols in the study of the elements. The ancient Greek philosophers defined the four elements as air, earth, fire and water.

Alexander the Great

336 BCE

Alexander the Great's legacy is both far reaching and profound. First, his father was able to unite the Greek city-states, and Alexander destroyed the Persian Empire forever. More importantly, Alexander's conquests spread Greek culture across his empire.

The Rise of Alexandrian Poetry

330 BCE

The people looked at the Greek poetic tradition with awe mingled with despair; they were spellbound by the rich and beautiful language, the perfection of form and the grandeur of the classical creative imagination from Homer to Menander.

The Death of Alexander the Great

323 BCE

The people looked at the Greek poetic tradition with awe mingled with despair; they were spellbound by the rich and beautiful language, the perfection of form and the grandeur of the classical creative imagination from Homer to Menander.

The Division of Alexander's Empire

323 BCE

Several factors caused the sudden collapse of the Empire that Alexander built. These include the early and the somewhat unexpected death of the great king, absence of a capable successor, rebellious generals, and the size of the territories Alexander had invaded.

The Philosophies of Stoicism, Epicureanism, and Pyrrhonism

307 BCE

The Stoics cared about virtuous behavior and living according to nature, while the Epicureans were all about avoiding pain and seeking natural and necessary pleasures. Most sources agree that the primary goal of Pyrrho's philosophy was the achievement of a state of ataraxia, or freedom from mental perturbation.

The Septuagint

300 BCE

An ancient tradition says that 70 Jewish scholars were in a different room when they translated the Torah from Hebrew into Greek, yet they all wrote down exactly the same text. People thought this was a miracle. It is the first translation in the history of the Bible. It also, for all its oddities of language and translation style, became the central literary work of Hellenistic Judaism and early Christianity.

The Library of Alexandria

283 BCE

The library became the center of Hellenistic literature and literary life. This place is often described as the world's first major seat of learning.To successive generations it has become a symbol of the arts, with its destruction serving as a warning of the fragility of literature.

The Spread of Greek Culture

242 BCE

Alexander spread Greek culture throughout the Persian Empire, including parts of Asia and Africa. Alexander respected the local cultures he conquered, and allowed their customs to continue. This ensured that his empire was able to grow easily while assimilating the people from different nations that he conquered.