Classical Greek Civilization: The Hellenistic Age

1. The Stages of Hellenistic History (p. 89)
Connections > Greek 323-146 BCE > Timeline
http://www.mhhe.com/HumanitiesStudio/8/4.html
Click on the link above for a timeline of Greek civilization from 323 to 146 B.C.E. and review the cultural strands that constituted Hellenistic history. How would you relate historical facts to transformations in Greek art, religion and philosophy, architecture, literature and music, and science? Compare this timeline with the earlier one for Greek, 479-323 B.C.E. How does the Hellenic Age compare with and relate to the Hellenistic Age?

2. Hellenistic Drama and Literature (pp. 96-99)
Theater > Acting > Characterization
http://www.mhhe.com/HumanitiesStudio/7/4/1.html
In the Hellenistic era, authors like Menander created a popular form of theater known as New Comedy. Other playwrights like Theocritus wrote in a pastoral form. Review the excerpt from Theocritus’s Idylls (p. 97). How would you interpret this drama as an actor? Examine the explanation of characterization by clicking on the link above, thinking about how an actor could portray the moral, social, psychological and physical aspects of this play. How would you choose an acting style to express its themes and characters? Then, analyze--or actually perform--the scene, considering voice, body language, and emotional sensibilities for each character.