The Hellenistic period in Ancient Greece (323–146 BC) was the time period between the death of Alexander the Great when the generals of Alexander created their own empires and the Roman conquest of mainland Greece.

During this era: Greek culture, art and power expanded all over the Eastern Mediterranean (including Anatolia, Egypt, the Levant and the Balkans). Of all the Hellenistic empires that were established, the Seleucid Empire was the largest. The Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt is the most famous and the longest lasting due to its famous Library of Alexandria and members like Cleopatra VII.