Refers to the zenith of the Hellenistic period, from around 220 BCE to around 150 BCE. It was initiated by the Roman victory over Macedonian and Syrian attempts at hegemony, and the relocation of power and wealth from the eastern kingdoms to Rome. It is marked by major sculptural and architectural programs that typically incorporate nostalgic references to the glory and prosperity of the Classical period. In art and architecture it is characterized by neo-Classical style and compositional patterns that are re-worked with active poses and new emotive rhetoric, as typified in major, influential works, such as the Altar of Zeus at Pergamon, and the Ptolemaic court art at Alexandria.
