The Hellenistic Age: A Very Short IntroductionThe three centuries which followed the conquests of Alexander are perhaps the most thrilling of all periods of ancient history. This was an age of cultural globalization: in the third century BC, a single language carried you from the Rhone to the Indus. A Celt from the lower Danube could serve in the mercenary army of a Macedonian king ruling in Egypt, and a Greek philosopher from Cyprus could compare the religions of the Brahmins and the Jews on the basis of first-hand knowledge of both. Kings from Sicily to Tajikistan struggled to meet the challenges of ruling multi-ethnic states, and Greek city-states came together under the earliest federal governments known to history. The scientists of Ptolemaic Alexandria measured the circumference of the earth, while pioneering Greek Argonauts explored the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic coast of Africa. Drawing on inscriptions, papyri, coinage, poetry, art, and archaeology, in this Very Short Introduction Peter Thonemann opens up the history and culture of the vast Hellenistic world, from the death of Alexander the Great (323 BC) to the Roman conquest of the Ptolemaic kingdom (30 BC). ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. |
Contents
The idea of the Hellenistic | 1 |
From Alexander to Augustus | 15 |
Demetrius the Besieger and Hellenistic kingship | 40 |
Eratosthenes and the system of the world | 57 |
Encounters | 74 |
Priene | 93 |
Timeline | 113 |
Further reading | 117 |
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1st century BC 2nd century BC 3rd century 4th century Achaemenid Aegean Aetolian Ai Khanoum Alexander Alexander's Alexandria ANAERICAN ancient Antigonid Antikythera mechanism Antiochus Antiochus III antiquity Archimedes army Asia Minor Athenians Athens Attalid Bactrian battle bronze Cassander citizens city's civic Clearchus conquest cultural David death decree dedicated Demetrius the Besieger dynasts early Hellenistic East eastern Egyptian Eratosthenes Eudoxus Galatians Greek cities Greek world Hellenistic history Hellenistic kingdoms Hellenistic kings Hellenistic monarchs Hellenistic period Hellenistic Priene Hellenistic world honour India inscription Iran Iranian Italy John Khanoum Larichus Lysimachus Macedon Macedonian Maeander mainland Greece Mediterranean Mesopotamia Michael Mithradates modern Museum non-Greek Olbia Orophernes Oxus Papyri Pergamon Peter Philip PHILOSOPHY political Priene Prieneans Protogenes Ptolemaic Egypt Ptolemaic kingdom Ptolemy reigned Rome royal rule rulers Saitaphernes sanctuary Scythian Seleucid kingdom Seleucid kings Seleucus Short Introduction Soli status surviving Syria Teloneia temple territory treaty of Apamea Villa western Asia Minor