1 ) This period was shaped by the Greco-Persian Wars, the Peloponnesian War, and the Rise of Macedon. Following the Classical period was the Hellenistic period (323–146 BC), during which Greek culture and power expanded into the Near and Middle East from the death of Alexander until the Roman conquest.
2 ) The Greeks spread their ideas and culture throughout the Mediterranean by establishing new colonies in the region and by trading with the various peoples in the region.
