Passage One
Questions 1 to 5 are based on the following passage.
One of the most important periods in Greek history was the Hellenistic Age which began after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C., and lasted almost 200 years. It was during this time in history that Greek ideas and Greek culture spread into Egypt and throughout the Near East. During the Hellenistic Age, there were great advances made in such areas as philosophy, science, religion, art and social justice. Important discoveries were made in the sciences. Social reformers attempted to abolish debt and institute a program of land redistribution among the poor but met with little success. Women achieved a better social standing and among the middle class education became widespread.
Peace of mind was the great concern of the philosophers of the Hellenistic Age. The Stoics insisted that happiness could be achieved when man learned to accept the events which were beyond his control and, at the same time, did his duty. The Epicureans advocated the idea that moderation in pleasure and the avoidance of pain produced the desired result. The Cynics turned away from all desires and maintained a pursuit of virtue.
During the Hellenistic Age, the area of Greek influence included such political powers as the Ptolemies of Egypt, the Seleucids of Syria, and the Antigonids of Macedon, and it was fighting against each other and among themselves that made the way for the aggressive Romans to conquer Greece and most of the Hellenistic world in the 100's B.C.
(16) The golden age ended with the advent of World War I.