Activity 1

During the Hellenistic period Greek art underwent significant changes. For example, sculptors began experimenting with both subject matter and ways of representing and positioning the body. To refresh your memory of earlier classical sculpture, take a look at the Discobolos (discus thrower), Zeus. Now examine the following examples of Hellenistic sculpture: Apoxyomenos (a young athlete removing dirt and sweat with a scraper), Seated Boxer, veiled dancer, Eros (or Cupid) Sleeping, and two of the most famous Hellenistic statues, Laocoön and the Nike of Samothrace. How do the Hellenistic sculptures resemble and differ from their classical precursors? How do you think Hellenistic sculptors envisioned the relationship between the sculpture and the space it occupies? What do these sculptors suggests about the changing concerns and tastes of the Hellenistic Age?

Activity 2

As you know, one of the many Greek scientific achievements was the advancement of medicine. One of the pioneering figures of this enterprise was Hippocrates, famous for, among other things, the Hippocratic Oath. Read more about Hippocrates and early Greek medicine: who was Hippocrates and what did he and his school accomplish? What values does the Hippocratic Oath articulate? During the Hellenistic Period, Alexandria became the center of medicine as it became the center of every other form of cultural activity. Learn more about the achievements of Alexandrian medicine: how did Alexandrian physicians build upon and move beyond Hippocrates? Who were the leading physicians of Alexandria, and what did they accomplish? Finally, take a look at some alternatives to rational Greek medicine. Consider as well the role of women and ancient gynecology. What role did myth and ritual continue to play in Greek medicine even after it was rationalized? What role did women play in ancient medicine, and how did ancient physicians conceive of the female body and its relationship to the male body?