After Alexander the Great 's invasion of the Persian Empire in 330 BC and its disintegration shortly after, the Hellenistic kingdoms were established throughout south - west Asia (Seleucid Empire, Kingdom of Pergamon), north - east Africa (Ptolemaic Kingdom) and South Asia (Greco - Bactrian Kingdom, Indo - Greek Kingdom). The Hellenistic period was characterized by a new wave of Greek colonization which established Greek cities and kingdoms in Asia and Africa. This resulted in the export of Greek culture and language to these new realms, spanning as far as modern - day India. Equally, however, these new kingdoms were influenced by the indigenous cultures, adopting local practices where beneficial, necessary, or convenient. Hellenistic culture thus represents a fusion of the Ancient Greek world with that of the Near East, Middle East, and Southwest Asia. This mixture gave rise to a common Attic - based Greek dialect, known as Koine Greek, which became the lingua franca through the Hellenistic world.
what four cultures make up the hellenistic culture
Ancient Greek Near East Middle East Southwest Asia