Description
This course covers the period from Alexander to the formation of the Roman province of Asia in 129 BCE and offers an outlook to the fall of Cleopatra and the Ptolemaic Kingdom at the battle of Actium (31 BCE), often described as the ‘end’ of the Hellenistic period. It includes all areas of the Mediterranean and the Near East that were conquered by Alexander of Macedon (336-323 BCE), such as northern Africa, modern Iraq, Afghanistan, and parts of India. These areas formed part of a cultural milieu of great variety and complexity, but one that was to some degree united by the presence of Greek ideas, Greek institutions, and the Greek language. The course will cover the main outlines of the political history of the Hellenistic kingdoms, as well as their institutions, structures of power, economies, and cultural and religious systems. It will pay particular attention to major shifts and developments associated with the period: the changing nature of the polis, religious, artistic, and intellectual developments, acculturation and cultural conflict, and the interaction between Rome and the East.
Module deliveries for 2024/25 academic year
Last updated
This module description was last updated on 19th August 2024.
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