<P> After Alexander the Great 's invasion of the Persian Empire in 330 BC and its disintegration shortly after , the Hellenistic kingdoms were established throughout south - west Asia ( Seleucid Empire , Kingdom of Pergamon ) , north - east Africa ( Ptolemaic Kingdom ) and South Asia ( Greco - Bactrian Kingdom , Indo - Greek Kingdom ) . The Hellenistic period was characterized by a new wave of Greek colonization which established Greek cities and kingdoms in Asia and Africa . This resulted in the export of Greek culture and language to these new realms , spanning as far as modern - day India . Equally , however , these new kingdoms were influenced by the indigenous cultures , adopting local practices where beneficial , necessary , or convenient . Hellenistic culture thus represents a fusion of the Ancient Greek world with that of the Near East , Middle East , and Southwest Asia . This mixture gave rise to a common Attic - based Greek dialect , known as Koine Greek , which became the lingua franca through the Hellenistic world . </P>
what four cultures make up the hellenistic culture
Ancient Greek Near East Middle East Southwest Asia