Following the death of Alexander, the lands he conquered were divided among his generals. These nations, now no longer a part of the Greek Empire, eventually settled into 3 main dynasties: the Ptolemies (Egypt), the Seleucids (Syria/Persia), and the Antigonids (Macedonia).

Hellenistic rule over the former Persian Empire began in the late fourth century BCE, with the successful conquests of Alexander the Great. However, Hellenistic rule over Persia did not last long. The Parthian Empire (who would become longtime rivals to the Roman Empire) emerged and overthrew the Hellenistic rulers of Persia in the third century BCE.

In ancient Greece, an agora was an open space designated for use as a marketplace or as a place where public meetings could be carried out. Agoras were vital for the development of Athenian democracy and the spread of the notion of civic participation in Greek society.

The Ancient Greeks called Mercury by the name Hermes. Hermes was known as the "winged god" due to the wings on his sandals.

The Fates used thread to measure a life. One sister wove the thread, the second sister measured it, and the third sister cut it with shears, denoting the end of that individual's life. It is helpful to remember that the Fates used a material to measure life, and it is harder to measure a length of anything using music, sand, water, or fire. 

Prometheus made people stand upright and gave them the gift of fire because there were no other good qualities left over after Prometheus's brother gave them to the other creatures of the earth (flight, the ability to swim, speed, etc). Later, Prometheus continued to favor humans, protecting the race against other gods and re-giving them the gift of fire after Zeus took it away. 

Paris gave the Apple of Discord to Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Paris was asked to give the apple to the fairest of the goddesses, and when he couldn't decide they each offered him a bribe - Paris eventually picked Aphrodite, who offered him "the most beautiful woman in the world." The most beautiful woman in the world was Queen Helen of Sparta, whom Paris stole from her husband to start the Trojan War. 

Achilles was only able to be harmed on his heel. When he was born, his mother, Thetis, wanted to make him immortal and so dipped him in the River Styx, holding only his heel above the water. It is helpful to remember that the back of your heel is where the Achilles tendon is located. Doctors know Greek mythology too!

King Odysseus designed the Trojan Horse. King Odysseus was widely considered one of the smartest of the Greek kings, and it was through his ingenuity that the fake Trojan Horse was thought up and delivered to the Trojans, leading to their ultimate defeat at the hands of the Greeks.

Daedalus's son was Icarus. In order to keep the design of the Labyrinth a secret, King Minos had imprisoned Daedalus and his son in a high tower. Daedalus designed the wings for him and his son to escape the tower, cautioning his son not to fly too high or the wax would melt. Icarus didn't listen to his father's warnings, and died during the escape when he flew too close to the sun.