The Hellenistic Age Podcast

As the power couple of the Mediterranean, Ptolemy III and Berenice II Euergetes (Benefactor)would oversee the apogee of Hellenistic Egypt. Ptolemy's successful blitzkrieg against the Seleucid Empire during the Third Syrian War would see a near-total conquest of Syria and Mesopotamia, and brought their northern rivals to their knees. As one of the most formidable women in all of the ancient world,...

The conquest of Egypt by Alexander and establishment of the Ptolemaic dynasty differed from previous foreign invaders like the Hyksos or the Persians. While the Ptolemies would very much present themselves as traditional pharaohs, they would bring thousands of Greek immigrants, founded poleis, and imported Greek culture en masse. For the indigenous Egyptians, Ptolemaic rule required them to live w...

The Seleucid Empire's vast geographic spread made it the heir to a wide variety of cavalry traditions, with the fighting style of each region being incorporated into an army of Macedonian origin: units like armored cataphracts and horse archers from the steppes, scythed chariots from the Near East, and even war elephants acquired from distant India. Scholars have long viewed the cavalry of the Sel...

Drawn by the prospects of providing service to the Ptolemaic government in either the bureaucracy or the army, or perhaps seeking to settle and farm some of the most productive land in the world, tens of thousands of Greeks would immigrate to Egypt in pursuit of a better life. Thanks to the abundant papyrological record, we are able to get an intimate look into the lives and careers of those who n...

Alexandria, or Alexandria-by-Egypt as it was called, was the easily the greatest city of the Hellenistic Age. Founded by Alexander the Great in 332/331, it became the pet project of the Ptolemaic dynasty, who turned it into the capital of their mighty empire. Through the dynasty's direction and enormous amounts of money, the city was endowed with magnificent works of art and architecture, all the...

After facing decades of civil wars and invasions following the death of Alexander, peace was restored in Macedonia by the capable Antigonid king Antigonus II 'Gonatas', who strengthened the kingdom's hegemony over the Greek Peninsula in a reign that lasted an impressive 40 years. Despite this, we know very little about the man and his exploits. Author and independent scholar Robin Waterfield ("Div...

Herodotus described Egypt as the gift of the Nile River, and without a doubt the Ptolemaic rulers took full advantage of the land’s agricultural prosperity. In addition to their exploitation of the Nile’s annual inundation, the Ptolemies would introduce the most rigorously developed (or exploitative) taxation system ever seen in Egypt, and would enable them to become the wealthiest people in the w...

Throughout the three centuries of Ptolemaic control over Egypt, their dynasty can be best described as having a split identity. Ruling from Alexandria, the new intellectual and cultural capital of the Greek-speaking world, the Ptolemies were very much Hellenistic kings and queens. But Egypt was an ancient land, and they needed to come to terms with the pharaonic tradition that had dominated Egypti...

Among the many colorful characters of the Wars of the Diadochi, Demetrius I Poliorcetes ("the Besieger") stands out as one of its most prominent, portrayed by the likes of Plutarch as a skilled commander and larger-than-life personality. Dr. Charlotte Dunn, who recently co-authored a biography entitled "Demetrius the Besieger", joins the show to discuss her work on the early Hellenistic period. Fr...

The troubled reigns of Seleucus II Callinicus and Seleucus III marked over 20 years of instability for the empire. A 3rd Syrian War led by a vigorous Ptolemy III Euergetes would penetrate into Syria and Mesopotamia, Parthia saw the invasion of the nomadic Parni, and rebellious officials in places like Pergamon would test the limits of the Seleucid rulers to maintain their quickly fracturing realm....

Alexander the Great is easily one of the most popular subjects for writers and artists throughout antiquity. In addition to the many biographies that present wildly different views on the man, there are a dazzling number of depictions of the conqueror in coinage, statues, and various other works of art. Joining us is Meg Finlayson who discusses her research on the image and legacy of Alexander, br...

The relatively brief reign of Antiochus II Theos is noted for his conflict with Ptolemy II Philadelphus and his controversial marriage with Berenice Phernophoros (“the dowry-bringer”). But the true focus of this episode is the convoluted yet critically important events that took place in the eastern satrapies of Parthia and Bactria. The rebellions of governors-turned-kings like Andragoras and Diod...

Though the longest-lived and most wealthy of the Hellenistic "Big 3", the Ptolemaic rulers in Egypt have never really held the distinction as a major military player in the violent struggles of the Hellenistic period, instead often seen as decadent and lazy as per the writings of those like Polybius. Dr. Paul Johstono joins us to discuss his new book “The Army of Ptolemaic Egypt, 323-204 BC: An In...

As the most prolific of city-founders, the Seleucids sought to dramatically reshape the lands of the Near East and most especially North Syria, which would become the dynasty's new imperial heartland and something of a stand-in for their ancestral homeland of Macedonia. We will cover the creation of these sites, but we'll also assess the impact of Seleucid rule and the response to Greek culture fr...

The 1st and 2nd Illyrian Wars, fought between the Roman Republic and the peoples of Illyria (approximately modern Albania to Croatia) in 229-228 and 220-219 BC respectively, are often neglected in favor of the more famous 2nd Punic War. The conflicts with Teuta, the "Pirate Queen" of the Ardiaei, and the unscrupulous Demetrius of Pharos marked the first (and certainly not the last) time Roman legi...

To rule over the largest and most diverse empire of the Hellenistic realms, the Seleucids needed to deal with serious logistical and administrative challenges. The identity of the Seleucid kings can be viewed through either a Macedonian-Greek, Near-Eastern, or Iranian lens. Its administrative system of satrapies and local power holders were kept in check by the peripatetic movement of the king and...

Straddling the Strait of Kerch in the Northern Black Sea, the Bosporan Kingdom provides an unusual case study within the Hellenistic period. Originally settled by Greeks during the 6th century BC, the Cimmerian Bosporus would become host to a powerful kingdom backed up economically by its massive grain exports to the Mediterranean. For most of its history the kingdom would be headed by the Spartoc...

Though they viewed themselves as the civilized center of the world, the Greeks had always expressed a curiosity for what lay on the periphery. The conquests of Alexander the Great had thrown open the doors of Asia and Africa, lands that were only the stuff of legend and hearsay, to hordes of Greek explorers, scientists, and diplomats. Many would be bankrolled by the Hellenistic rulers, who looked...

The world of the nomads who lived upon the Eurasian Steppe would face a radical transformation between the 4th-2nd centuries BC. Originally dominated by the Scythians and Saka, the Pontic-Caspian and Central Asian Steppes saw the migration and invasion of new tribes, sending them on a collision course with the likes of the Seleucid Empire and Greco-Bactrians as they established their own empires,...

With 49 episodes published, I decided to celebrate by making episode 50 a question and answer session, where I respond to topics fielded by listeners of the show. We dive into discussions on favorite history books, how to get into podcasting, and more historical topics like "who was the greatest of Alexander's Successors?" and "who would win in a wrestling match between Socrates and Antigonus the...

In this episode, we will be looking at two regions of Asia Minor and the Black Sea: the first is Galatia, home to the descendants of the Celtic tribes who marauded their way through Greece before being settled in central Anatolia, remaining an enclave of Celtic culture while serving as mercenaries (and foes) to the Hellenistic kingdoms. The second is the Odrysian Kingdom of Thrace, a formerly powe...

The conquest of the Achaemenid Persian Empire by Alexander the Great and his Successors did not spell the end of Iranian civilization. During the early Hellenistic period, several Iranian dynasties manage to establish themselves as  independent rulers in their own right, propagating and transforming Iranian traditions and cultures in a changing environment. We will be covering such figures Mithrid...

Concluding our look at the philosophies of the Hellenistic Age, we take a round tour of three other important schools: the ascetic and often times crass Cynics, the hedonistic predecessors of the Epicureans known as the Cyrenaics, and the Peripatetics, the heirs of Aristotle and the Lyceum. Title Theme: Seikilos Epitapth with the Lyre of Apollo, played by Lina Palera (https://soundcloud.com/user-9...

Questions on the existence of true knowledge had plagued many Greek philosophers, but it was during the Hellenistic period when Skepticism, divided between two competing branches, emerged to openly cast doubt on the possibility of knowing anything at all. The disciples of Pyrrho of Elis, a contemporary of Alexander the Great, sought to achieve inner tranquility through indifference and lack of opi...

From the super galleys of the Hellenistic monarchs to the engagements of Cape Ecnomus and Drepana during the First Punic War, the Hellenistic Age was the epoch of naval warfare in the ancient world. Joining us is nautical archaeologist and PhD student Stephen DeCasien to talk about the intricacies and evolution of the navy during the period, the practicalities and philosophy of building the gargan...