Philobuzz

The ascent to an empire I believe you may be referring to the term "Hellenistic period," which refers to the period of ancient Greek history from the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE to the Roman conquest of Greece in 146 BCE. During this time, Greek culture and influence spread throughout the Mediterranean world, as Alexander's conquests brought Greek language, art, philosophy, and religion to the regions he conquered. The Hellenistic period saw the rise of powerful kingdoms such as the Seleucids in Syria and the Ptolemies in Egypt, which were influenced by Greek culture and adopted Greek as one of their official languages. These kingdoms were also characterized by a flourishing of arts and sciences, as well as a blending of Greek and local cultures. Some of the most famous figures of the Hellenistic period include the mathematician Euclid, the astronomer Hipparchus, and the philosopher Epicurus. The period also saw the development of new forms of art, such as the