The deaths of Aristotle and Alexander the Great more or less coincided with the beginning of the end of Greek prominence in world affairs. Alexander the Great, a Macedonian ruler and a former student of Aristotle, conquered most of the known world before his early death. While invaders overran the Greek world, the Greek culture and philosophical tradition survived, courtesy of Alexander's education and immersion in the Greek classics.

After Alexander's death, political chaos and plagues crippled this once thriving civilization. When the dust settled, the Roman Empire was now the predominant power in the Mediterranean. Though the Greeks were reduced to second-class citizenry in the global village, Greek philosophy, mythology, and culture influenced the Roman world. The Roman gods are simply the Greek gods with new names.