Test notes

So today we discussed and talked about the test then decided that we will take the test the Monday after break. This way we can get more time to review and finish taking the rest of the notes on the spread of Hellenistic culture.

• Hellenistic culture is a blend of greek,egyptian,persian and Indian influence
• "Koine" was the common language spoken in Alexandria and other major cities during Hellenistic times. In greek it means common
• This language enabled educated people and traders from diverse backgrounds to communicate in cities throughout the Hellenistic world
• Alexandria the city named after Alexander the great became the foremost center of commerce and civilization 
• Trade ships came from all over the Mediterranean to Alexandria
• Both residents and visitors admired Alexandria's great beauty, Alexanders coffin, and the 350 ft  lighthouse called the pharos and the famous museum and library of Alexandria 
• The museum was a temple dedicated to the muses, greek goddesses of arts and sciences 
• The library had 500,000 papyrus scrolls
• Hellenistic scholars in Alexandria preserved greek and Egyptian learning in the sciences which provided most of the scientific knowledge available to the west 
• Aristarchus reached 2 scientific conclusions, the sun is 300 times larger than the sun and earth and other planets revolve around the sun
• Ptolemy disagrees and states the earth is in the center of the solar system which was taught for the next 14 centuries
• Eratosthenes, director of the Alexandria library, estimated the true size of the earth using geometry, between 28,000-29,000 miles he was also a poet and historian
• Euclid, highly regarded mathematician taught in Alexandria , wrote the book on geometry "Elements"
• Archimedes, estimated the value of PI, explained the law of the lever, invented the Archimedes screw which raised water from the ground, and the compound pulley to lift heavy objects