Hellenistic =الهلنستية

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Hellenistic =الهلنستية

ONLINE ETYMOLOGY DICTIONARY

Hellenistic (adj.)

1706, "of or pertaining to Greece and its culture," from Hellen (see Hellenic) + -istic. Since late 19c., specifically of Greek culture in the few centuries after Alexander.

Hellenic (adj.)

"pertaining to Greece," 1640s, from Gk. Hellenikos, from Hellen "a Greek," of unknown origin. Earliest surviving use is by Homer in reference to a Thessalian tribe.

 

-istic

adjectival suffix, from Latin -isticus (often via French -istique), from Greek -istikos, which is adjective suffix -ikos (see -ic) added to noun suffix -istes (see -ist).

WIKIPEDIA

The Hellenistic period is the period of ancient Greek history between the death of Macedonian king Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of ancient Rome. During this time, Greek cultural influence and power was at its zenith in Europe and Asia, experiencing prosperity and progress in the decorative and visual arts, exploration, literature, sculpture, theatre, architecture, music, mathematics, and science. It is often considered a period of transition, sometimes even of decadence or degeneration,[1] compared to the brilliance of the Greek Classical era.

The word Hellenistic is a modern word and a 19th century concept; the idea of a Hellenistic period did not exist in Ancient Greece. In the mid-19th Century, J. G. Droysen coined the term Hellenistic to define the period when Greek culture spread in the non-Greek world after Alexander’s conquest. The major issue with the term Hellenistic lies in its convenience, as the spread of Greek culture was not the generalized phenomenon that the term implies. Some areas of the conquered world were more affected by Greek influences than others. The term Hellenistic also implies that the Greek populations were of majority in the areas in which they settled, while in many cases, the Greek settlers were actually the minority amongst the native populations. The Greek population and the native population did not mix; the Greeks moved and brought their own culture, but interaction did not always occur.