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The Hellenistic period began after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC. After his death, the ruler’s empire was broken down into several different kingdoms. This fragmentation was symbolic of the diversity and multiplicity of artistic tendencies in the Hellenistic period. The main characteristic of Hellenistic painting, sculpture and architecture was exaggeration. Art during this time expressed pain, suffering, anguish, ecstasy and other emotions. Athletic youths and Greek Mythological figures were favorite subjects. The great art centers were no longer in mainland Greece but in the islands, such as Rhodes, and the cities in the eastern Mediterranean - Alexandria, Antioch, and Pergamon.
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