086: The Attalid Kingdom of Pergamon

The Attalid dynasty that ruled over the city of Pergamon (modern Bergama) is the first Greek monarchy to arise outside of the Successor Kingdoms. Founded by a eunuch named Philetaerus in western Asia Minor, the Attalids went from small regional power to major player in under a generation, in part thanks to their alliance with the Roman Republic. Their smart fiscal policies and unusually stable family life allowed them to become extremely wealthy, sponsoring buildings and works of art that celebrated their role as the defenders of Greek civilization against the barbarians like the Galatians.

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086: The Attalid Kingdom of Pergamon (Transcript)Download

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References

Primary

Appian – The Syrian Wars
Athenaeus – Deipnosophistae
Callimachus – Hymns
Cassius Dio – The History of Rome
Cicero – De Lege Manilia
Diodorus Siculus – Library of History
Justin – Epitome
Livy – The History of Rome
Pausanias – The Guide to Greece
Pliny the Elder – Natural History
Plutarch – Life of Antony
Plutarch – Moralia
Polyaenus – Stratagems
Polybius – The Histories
Strabo – Geography
Vitruvius – On Architecture
Xenophon – Anabasis
Xenophon – Hellenika

Abbreviations
ANS (American Numismatic Society)
I. Delphi (Inscriptions from Delphi)
I. Pergamon (Inscriptions from Pergamon)
OGIS (Orientis Graeci Inscriptiones Selectae)
SEG (Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum)
SIG (Sylloge Inscriptionum Graecarum)

Secondary

Burstein, S.M. (1985) The Hellenistic Age from the battle of Ipsos to the death of Kleopatra VII
de Callataÿ, F. (2013) “The Coinages of the Attalids and their Neighbours: A Quantified Overview”, in Attalid Asia Minor: Money, International Relations, and the State, pgs. 207-244
Chrubasik, B. (2013) “The Attalids and the Seleukid Kings, 281-175 BCE”, in Attalid Asia Minor: Money, International Relations, and the State, pgs. 83-120
Chrubasik, B. (2016) Kings and Usurpers in the Seleukid Empire: The Men who would be King
Cohen, G.M. (1995) The Hellenistic Settlements in Europe, the Islands, and Asia Minor
Cunliffe, B. (2018) The Ancient Celts, second edition
Dignas, B. (2012) “Rituals and the Construction of Identity in Attalid Pergamon” in Historical and Religious Memory in the Ancient World
Eckstein, A.M. (2006) Mediterranean Anarchy, Interstate War, and the Rise of Rome
Evans, R. (2012) A History of Pergamum: Beyond Hellenistic Kingship
Grainger, J.D. (2014) The Rise of the Seleukid Empire (323-223 BC)
Grainger, J.D. (2015) The Seleukid Empire of Antiochus III (223-187 BC)
Grainger, J.D. (2017) Kings and Kingship in the Hellenistic World (350-30 BC)
Grainger, J.D. (2019) The Galatians: Celtic Invaders of Greece and Asia Minor
Gruen, E.S. (1984) The Hellenistic World and the Coming of Rome
Harper, D. (2022) “Parchment”, The Online Etymology Dictionary,                 https://www.etymonline.com/word/parchment, accessed 4/30/2023.
Kosmetatou, E. (2003) “The Attalids of Pergamon” in A Companion to the Hellenistic World, pgs. 159-174
Ma, J. (2013) “The Attalids: A Military History”, in Attalid Asia Minor: Money, International Relations, and the State, pgs. 49-82
Marek, C. (2018) In the Land of a Thousand Gods: A History of Asia Minor in the Ancient World
Mirón, D. (2020) “Royal mothers and dynastic power in Attalid Pergamon”, in The Routledge Companion to Women and Monarchy in the Ancient Mediterranean World
Meadows, A. (2013) “The Closed Currency System of the Attalid Kingdom” in Attalid Asia Minor: Money, International Relations, and the State, pgs. 149-206
Palagia, O. (2020) “The cult statues of the Ptolemies and the Attalids”, in The Materiality of Hellenistic Ruler Cults pgs. 65-82
Pollitt, J.J. (1986) Art in the Hellenistic Age
Stewart, A. (2014) Art in the Hellenistic World: An Introduction
Worthington, I. (2021) Athens After Empire: A History from Alexander the Great to the Emperor Hadrian

067: Rome and Carthage Between the Punic Wars

The period from the signing of the Treaty of Lutatius in 241 until the siege of Saguntum in 219 is often skipped by those learning about the Punic Wars, but it is integral to understanding how the Romans and Carthaginians went to battle once again. Rome fought to stem the tide of Celtic warbands invading from Northern Italy, whereas Carthage faced an existential crisis with the Mercenary War (241-237) before its rescue by Hamilcar Barca. Hamilcar and his clan then expanded into Spain, building a powerbase which enabled his son Hannibal to challenge the Romans for supremacy in one of the greatest conflicts in antiquity.

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References
Primary
Appian – The Illyrian Wars
Appian – The Spanish Wars
Appian – The Punic Wars
Cassius Dio – The Histories
Cornelius Nepos – Lives of Eminent Commanders
Diodorus Siculus – Library of History
Justin – Epitome
Livy – The History of Rome
Livy – Periochae
Plutarch – Life of Fabius Maximus
Plutarch – Life of Marcellus
Polybius – The Histories
Strabo – Geography
Valerius Maximus – Memorable Deeds and Sayings

Secondary
Beck, H. (2011) The Reasons for the War in A Companion to the Punic Wars, Pgs. 225-240
Cunliffe, B. (2018) The Ancient Celts, Second Edition
Eckstein, A.M. (2006) Mediterranean Anarchy, Interstate War, and the Rise of Rome
Hoyos, D. (1997) Unplanned Wars: The Origins of the First and Second Punic Wars
Hoyos, D. (2003) Hannibal’s Dynasty: Power and politics in the western Mediterranean, 247-183 BC
Hoyos, D. (2007) Truceless War: Carthage’s Fight for Survival, 241 to 237 BC
Hunt, P.N. (2017) Hannibal
Goldsworthy, A. (2007) The Fall of Carthage: The Punic Wars 265-146 BC
Miles, R. (2010) Carthage Must Be Destroyed: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Civilization

061: Ptolemaic Egypt – Greeks in an Egyptian Land

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 now to called Egypt home: those such as the deeply religious devotee of Serapis named Ptolemaeus, or Kleon, the hard-pressed chief engineer of the Fayyum reclamaton project of Ptolemy II Philadelphus.

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Bibliography

Primary

Arrian – Anabasis of Alexander
Athenaeus – Deipnosophistae
Diodorus Siculus – Library of History
Herodotus – Histories
Josephus – Against Apion
Polybius – The Histories
Plutarch – Life of Alexander
Plutarch – Life of Demetrius
Strabo – Geography
Tacitus – Histories
C.Ord.Ptol.
P. Cair Zen.
P. Ent.
P. Hal.
P. Hamb.
P. Lond.
P. Petr.
P. Tebt
BGU
UPZ

Secondary
Bagnall, R.S. and Cribiore,R. (2006) Women’s Letters from Ancient Egypt, 300 BC-AD 800
Benaissa, A. and Remijsen, S. (2019) A Sound Body and Mind in A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt Pgs. 382-393
Boozer, A.L. (2019) Cultural Identity: Housing and Burial Practices in A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt Pgs. 361-379
Bonnechere, P. (2007) Divination in A Companion to Greek Religion Pgs. 145-159
Chauveau, M. (1997) Egypt in the Age of Cleopatra
Clarysse, W. (2019) Ethnic Identity: Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans in A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt Pgs. 299-313
Crawford, D.J. (1973) Garlic-growing and agricultural specialization in Graeco-Roman Egypt. Chronique d’Égypte 48: 350-363
Cribiore, R. (2001) Gymnastics of the Mind: Greek Education in Hellenistic and Roman Egypt
Daley, J. (2019) Egyptian Schoolboy’s 1,800-Year-Old Lesson to Go on Display, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/egyptian-schoolboys-1800-year-old-lesson-go-display-180971234/
David, R. (2003) Handbook to Life in Ancient Egypt, Revised Edition
Evans, J.A. (2008) Daily Life in the Hellenistic Age: From Alexander to Cleopatra
Fischer-Bovet, C. (2014) Army and Society in Ptolemaic Egypt
Fischer-Boet, C. and Sänger P. (2019) Security and Border Policy in A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt Pgs.
Fraser, P.M. (1972) Ptolemaic Alexandria
Honigman, S. (2003) ‘Politeumata’ and Ethnicity in Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt, Ancient Society, Vol. 33 Pgs. 64-67
Honigman, S. (2019) Ethnic Minority Groups in Vandorpe, K. A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt Pgs. 315-325
Jennes, G. (2019) Life Portraits: People in Worship in A Companion to Greeks Across the Ancient World, Pgs. 473-481
Lewis, N. (1986) Greeks in Ptolemaic Egypt
Manning, J.G. (2003) Land and Power in Ptolemaic Egypt: The Structure of Land Tenure
Manning, J.G. (2010) The Last Pharaohs: Egypt Under the Ptolemies, 305-30 BC
Manning, J.G. (2020) Egypt in A Companion to Greeks Across the Ancient World, Pgs. 363-383
Mertrens, B. (1985) A Letter to the Architecton Kleon: P. Petrie II 4,1+4,9 in Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik Bd. 59, pp. 61-66
Millar, F. (1987) The Problems of Hellenistic Syria in Hellenism in the East: The interaction of Greek and non-Greek civilizations from Syria to Central Asia after Alexander Pgs. 110-133
Monson, A. (2012) From the Ptolemies to the Romans: Political and Economic Change in Egypt
Naether, F. (2019) New Deities and New Habits in A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt Pgs. 439-447
Pfeiffer, S. (2008) The God Serapis, His Cult and the Beginnings of the Ruler Cult in Ptolemaic Egypt in Ptolemy II Philadelphus and his World, Pgs. 387-408
Pomeroy, S.B. (1984) Women in Hellenistic Egypt: From Alexander to Cleopatra
Redon, B. (2019) New Architectural Practices and Urbanism in A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt Pgs. 519-532
Reekmans, T. (1977) Archiv fur Papyrusforschung, 20, 17-24
Renberg, G.H. and Naether, F. (2010) “I Celebrated a Fine Day”. An Overlooked Egyptian Phrase in a Bilingual Letter Preserving a Dream Narrative, Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik, Bd. 175, pp. 49-71
Rowlandson, J. (1998) Women and society in Greek and Roman Egypt: A sourcebook
Rowlandson, J. and Lippert, S. (2019) Family and Life Cycle Transitions in A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt Pgs. 327-345
Schentuleit, M. (2019) Gender Issues: Women to the Fore in A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt Pgs. 347-360
Thompson, D.J. (2011) Slavery in the Hellenistic World in The Cambridge World History of Slavery, Volume I: The Ancient Mediterranean World Pgs. 194-213
Tovar, S.T. and Vierros, M. (2019) Languages, Scripts, Literature, and Bridges Between Cultures in Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt Pgs. 485-499
Vandorpe, K. (2019) Life Portraits: People at Work in A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt Pgs. 269-280

060: Ptolemaic Egypt – A Traveler’s Guide to Alexandria

A reimaging of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, painted by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach in 1721. Source: Wikimedia Commons

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 while playing host to an great body of scholars and artists. From the cosmopolitan makeup of its population to its legendary monuments like the Lighthouse of Pharos and the Library, I will be giving a sightseeing tour of Alexandria during its heyday under the reign of the Ptolemies.

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Maps

A rough layout of Alexandria shortly after Cleopatra’s death in 30 BC. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Bibliography

Primary

Aelian – On Animals
Appian – The Civil Wars
Ammianus Marcellinus – The Histories
Aristeas – Letter to Philocrates
Arrian – Anabasis of Alexander
Arrian – Events After Alexander (Fragments)
Athenaeus – Deipnosophistae
Aulus Gellius – Attic Nights
Cassius Dio – Roman History
Cicero – Tusculan Disputations
Diodorus Siculus – Library of History
Galen – Works
Geminus – Elements of Astrology
Ibn Battuta – Travels in Asia and Africa
Ibn Jubayr – Travels
Jerome – Chronological Tables
Josephus – Against Apion
Josephus – The Antiquities of the Jews
Julius Caesar – The Alexandrian War
Julius Caesar – The Civil War
Lucan – Pharsalia
Lucian – The Way to Write History
Pausanias – Guide to Greece
Philo – Against Flaccus
Philo – On the Embassy to Gaius
Philon – Pneumatics
Pliny – Natural History
Plutarch – Life of Alexander
Plutarch – Life of Antony
Plutarch – Life of Caesar
Plutarch – Moralia
Polybius – The Histories
Posidippus – Epigrams
Psuedo-Callisthenes – The Alexander Romance
Pseudo-Nicolaus –  Progymnasmata
Quintus Curtius Rufus – The History of Alexander
Socrates Scholasticus – Ecclesiastical History
Strabo – Geography
Suetonius – Life of the Divine Caesar
Suetonius – Life of the Divine Augustus
Suetonius – Life of Caligula
Syncellus – Chronographia
Tacitus – The Histories
Theocritus – Idylls
Timon – Fragments
Vitruvius – On Architecture
Zenobius – Proverbs

Satrap Stelae
POxy 1241
P.Tebt 33

Secondary
Apherghis, G.G. “The Seleukid Royal Economy: The Finances and Financial Administration of the Seleukid Empire”
Behrens-Abouseif, D. “The Islamic History of the Lighthouse of Alexandria” Muqarnas, 200, 23(2006), Pgs. 1-14
Benjamin, C. “Empires of Ancient Eurasia: The First Silk Roads Era, 100 BCE-250 CE”
Bickermann, E.J. “The Jews in the Greek Age”
Bricault, L. and Versluys, M.J. “Isis on the Nile. Egyptian Gods in Hellenistic and Roman Egypt” Proceedings of the IVth International Conference of Isis Studies, Liège, November 27-29 2008,
Bursaelis, K., Stefanou, M. and Thompson, D.J. “The Ptolemies, the Sea and the Nile: Studies in Waterborne Power”
Chaveau, M. “Egypt in the Age of Cleopatra”
Clayman, D.L. “Berenice II and the Golden Age of Ptolemaic Egypt”
Christesen, P. and Kyle, D.G. “A Companion to Sport and Spectacle in Greek and Roman Antiquity”Cohen, G.M. “The Hellenistic Settlements in Syria, the Red Sea Basin, and North Africa”
Dix, T.K. ““Public Libraries” in Ancient Rome: Ideology and Reality” Libraries & Culture Vol. 29, No. 3 (Summer, 1994), pp. 282-296
El-Abbadi, M. and Fathallah, O.M. “What Happened to the Ancient Library of Alexandria?”
Erskine, A. “Culture and Power in Ptolemaic Egypt: The Museum and Library of Alexandria”, Greece & Rome, Vol XLII, 1, April 1995
Erskine, A. “Life after Death: Alexandria and the Body of Alexander”
Fraser, P.M. “Ptolemaic Alexandria”
Grainger, J.D. “Kings and Kingship in the Hellenistic World: 350-30 BC”
Harper, K. “The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, & the End of an Empire”
Hose, M. and Schenker, D. “A Companion to Greek Literature”
Hubbell, H.M. “Ptolemy’s Zoo”, The Classical Journal Vol. 31, No. 2 (Nov., 1935), pp. 68-76
Iossif, P.P. “Ptolemaia” in “The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, First Edition” Pgs. 5624-5625 
Kosmin, P.J. “The Land of the Elephant Kings: Space, Territory, and Ideology in the Seleucid Empire”
Krasilnikoff, J.A. “Alexandria: A Cultural and Religious Melting Pot”
Manning, J.G. “The Last Pharaohs: Egypt Under the Ptolemies, 305-30BC”
McKeghnie, P. and Guillame, P. “Ptolemy II Philadelphus and his World” 
McKenzie, J.S. and Reyes, A.T. “The Alexandrian Tychaion: a Pantheon?”, Journal of Roman Archaeology, Volume 26 , 2013 , pp. 36-52
McLaughlin, R. “The Roman Empire and the Indian Ocean: The Ancient World Economy & the Kingdoms of Africa, Arabia & India” 
McLeod, R. “The Library of Alexandria – Centre of Learning in the Ancient World”
Miles, M.M. “A Companion to Greek Architecture”
Monson, A. “From the Ptolemies to the Romans: Political and Economic Change in Egypt”
Pomeroy, S.B. “Women in Hellenistic Egypt: From Alexander to Cleopatra”
Stewart, A. “Faces of Power: Alexander’s Image and Hellenistic Politics”
Thonemann, P. “The Hellenistic World: Using Coins as Sources”
Vandorpe, K. “A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt” 
Vizard, F. “In Search of Cleopatra’s Palace.” Popular Science 05 1999: 78-81. ProQuest. 6 May 2021.
Woolf, G. “The Life and Death of Ancient Cities: A Natural History”

059: Ptolemaic Egypt – Kingdom of Gold, Kingdom of the Nile

A Pentadrachm minted under the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, who was arguably the most wealthy man in the world during the 3rd century BC. Source

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 management 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 world of the 3rd century BC. We will take a look at the administrative layout of Hellenistic Egypt in order to see how the Ptolemaic dynasty oversaw such a financial juggernaut, ranging from the day-to-day operations of their many officials to grand imperial projects such as the reclamation of the Fayyum Oasis.

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The Ozymandias Project
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Bibliography

Primary
Appian – The Civil Wars
Appian – Preface
Aristeas – Letter to Philocrates
Arrian – Anabasis
Athenaeus – Deipnosophistae
Diodorus Siculus – Library of History
Herodotus – Histories
Josephus – Antiquities of the Jews
Josephus – The Jewish War
Justin – Epitome
Plutarch – Life of Caesar
Plutarch – Life of Cleomenes
Plutarch – Life of Demetrius
Plutarch – Moralia
Polybius – Histories
Socrates Scholasticus – Ecclesiastical History
Strabo – Geography
Suetonius – Life of Tiberius
Berlin P 25 239
BM EA 24
P. Hib. I 54.1–32
P. Tebt. I 61b
P. Tebt. III.1 703
P. Tebt. III.1 802.1-20
UPZ I 14

Secondary
Aperghis, G.G. “The Seleukid Royal Economy: The Finances and Financial Administration of the Seleukid Empire”
Bauschatz, J. “Law and Enforcement in Ptolemaic Egypt”
Bickerman, E.J. ”The Jews in the Greek Age”
Bursaelis, K., Stefanou, M. and Thompson, D.J. “The Ptolemies, the Sea and the Nile: Studies in Waterborne Power”
Cartledge, P., Garnsey, P. and Gruen, E. “Hellenistic Constructs: Essays in Culture, History & Historiography”
Chaveau, M. “Egypt in the Age of Cleopatra”
Evans, J.A. “Daily Life in the Hellenistic Age: From Alexander to Cleopatra”
Falivene, M.R. “Government, management, literacy: Aspects of Ptolemaic administration in the early Hellenistic period.” Ancient Society, 22: 203-227
Fischer-Bovet, C. “Army and Society in Ptolemaic Egypt”
Fraser, P.M. “Ptolemaic Alexandria”
Grainger, J.D. “Kings and Kingship in the Hellenistic World: 350-30 BC”
Harper, K. “The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire”
James, S. and Dillion, S. “A Companion to Women in the Ancient World”
Lloyd, A.M. “A Companion to Ancient Egypt”
Manning, J.G. “The Last Pharaohs: Egypt Under the Ptolemies, 305-30BC”
Manning, J.G. “Land and Power in Ptolemaic Egypt”
McKeghnie, P. and Cromwell, J. “Ptolemy I and the Transformation of Egypt”
Monson, A. “From the Ptolemies to the Romans: Political and Economic Change in Egypt”
Ruprecht, H.A. “Marriage Contract Regulations and Documentary Practice in the Greek Papyri” Scripta Classica Israelica vol. XVII 1998 pp. 60-76
Shaw, I. “The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt”
Thonemann, P. ”The Hellenistic World: Using Coins as Sources”
Vandorpe, K. “A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt”
Wilkinson, T. “The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt”

058: Ptolemaic Egypt – Two Lands, Two Peoples, One Ruler

A golden ring depicting Ptolemy VI Philometor. It is a fabulous example of the dual nature of the Ptolemaic monarchy, showing Ptolemy VI in typical Hellenistic realism while wearing the garb of an Egyptian pharaoh, the Pschent double-crown upon his head. Source

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 Egyptian life for the better part of 3,000 years. As the longest reigning dynasty in Egyptian history, the Ptolemies adopted the role and iconography of the pharaoh to great success. They were also capable of developing new ways to project their power, whether through the establishment and promotion of royal cults and new deities like Serapis, or incorporating the image of splendor and abundance as part of their propaganda. In this episode, we will see how the Ptolemies successfully legitimized their rule in the eyes of both Greeks and Egyptians alike.

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Pontifacts:
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Bibliography
Primary:
Appian – Syrian Wars 
Aristeas – Letter to Philocrates
Arrian – Anabasis of Alexander 
Athenaeus – Deipnosophistae 
Cassius Dio – Roman History 
Herodian – History of the Roman Empire 
Herodotus – The Histories 
Josephus – The Antiquities of the Jews
Lucius Apuleius – The Golden Ass
Pausanias – Guide to Greece 
Pliny – Natural History 
Plutarch – Life of Antony 
Plutarch – Life of Demetrius 
Plutarch – Moralia 
Polyaenus – Stratagems 
Polybius – The Histories 
Pseudo-Callisthenes – The Alexander Romance 
Strabo – Geography 
Suetonius – Lives of the Caesars 
Tacitus – The Histories 
OGIS 
 Secondary:
Ager, S.L. “The Power of Excess: Royal Incest and the Ptolemaic Dynasty” Anthropologica, 48 (2006), Pgs. 165-186 
Ashton, S.A. “Ptolemaic Royal Sculpture from Egypt: the Greek and Egyptian Traditions and their Interaction”,  (1999), King’s College London 
Bickerman, E.J. ”The Jews in the Greek Age” 
Burstein, S.M. “Ivory and Ptolemaic Exploration of the Red Sea, the Missing Factor”. Topoi 6 (1993), Fascicule2,  pp.799-807; 
Carney, E. “Arsinoe of Egypt and Macedon: A Royal Life” 
Cartledge, P., E.E. Cohen, and L. Foxhall. “Money, Labour and Land: Approaches to the economies of ancient  Greece.” 
Casson, L. “Ptolemy II and the Hunting of African Elephants” Transactions of the American Philological  Association (1974-2014), Vol. 123 pp. 247-260; 
Chaveau, M. “Egypt in the Age of Cleopatra” 
Clayman, D.L. “Berenice II and the Golden Age of Ptolemaic Egypt”  
Erskine, A. “A Companion to the Hellenistic World” 
Gkikaki, M. “The royal sibling marriage of Ptolemy II and Arsinoe II – incestuous and yet holy”  HEPHAISTOS (34) 
Grainger, J.D. ”Kings & Kingship in the Hellenistic World, 350-30 BC” 
Kampakoglou, A. “Danaus βουγενής: Greco-Egyptian Mythology and Ptolemaic Kingship” Greek, Roman, and  Byzantine Studies 56 (2016) Pgs. 111-139 
Jasnow, R. “The Greek Alexander Romance and Demotic Egyptian Literature”, Journal of Near Eastern Studies,  56(2), Pgs. 95-103 
Manning, J.G. “The Last Pharaohs: Egypt Under the Ptolemies, 305-30BC” 
McKeghnie, P. and Cromwell, J. “Ptolemy I and the Transformation of Egypt” 
McKeghnie, P. and Guillame, P. “Ptolemy II Philadelphus and his World” 
Murray, W. “The Age of Titans: The Rise and Fall of the Great Hellenistic Navies” 
Pomeroy, S.B. “Women in Hellenistic Egypt: From Alexander to Cleopatra” 
Roller, D.W. “Cleopatra: A Biography” 
Stewart, A. “Faces of Power: Alexander’s Image and Hellenistic Politics” 
Thonemann, P. ”The Hellenistic World: Using Coins as Sources” 
Tondriau, J. “La dynastie ptolémaïque et la religion dionysiaque,” ChrEg 50 (1950) Pgs. 283–316 
Vandorpe, K. “A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt” 
Wilkinson, T. “The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt” 

Interview: On Demetrius I Poliorcetes w/ Dr. Charlotte Dunn

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. From our sources on the city-taker to his abilities as a king and general, Dr. Dunn helps illuminate one of the main players caught in the struggle for Alexander’s empire.

Episode Links:
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“Demetrius the Besieger“
Oxford University Press | Dr. Charlotte Dunn Profile (University of Tasmania Australia)

051: Peoples of the Steppe – Scythians & Saka to Parthians & Yuezhi

A depiction of a Scythian archery on Attic pottery. Source

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, shaking the foundations of the Hellenistic world. In this episode, we will explore steppe society and its history, the relationship of the nomads with the sedentary Greeks, and look at the emergence of future great powers like the Parthians and the Kushans.

051: Peoples of the Steppe TranscriptDownload

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List of Important Steppe Nomad Tribes
Scythians/Saka: The dominant culture of the steppes from 8th-2nd century BC, “Scythian” being the Greek name and “Saka” the Persian name (alternatively called the “European” and “Asian” Scythians respectively). The Scythians eventually settled, or were absorbed into the Sarmatian tribes, while the Saka were driven south to India.
Sarmatians/Sauromatae(?): Originally bordered the Scythians, but migrated into the Pontic-Caspian Steppe and Hungarian Plains during the 3rd century, eventually overtaking the Scythians as the preeminent tribe in that region.
Dahae Confederacy: Translated from “robbers”, this group included the future Parni and lived west of the Massagetae.
Massagetae: Dwelled between the Jaxartes and Oxus rivers, famed for Queen Tomyris who allegedly killed Cyrus the Great in battle.
Parni/Parthians: Not originally from Parthia, but would invade the region during the mid-3rd century BC, and establish a powerful empire under the Arsacid dynasty that would stretch across the Iranian Plateau.
Yuezhi: Tocharian-speakers living in the Gansu Corridor, were driven into Central Asia by the encroaching Xiongnu during the mid-2nd century BC and contributed to the downfall of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom. One of the tribes would move into modern Pakistan and Afghanistan, and establish the Kushan Empire in the 1st century AD.
Xiongnu: Initially a minor tribe on the Mongolian Steppe, a talented chieftain named Modu Chanyu would rise to power in the late 3rd century BC and make the Xiognu a great power, nearly bringing the Qin and Han Chinese to their knees.

Helpful Images

Map

A map showing the Eurasian Steppes. Image source: Encyclopedia Britannia

A Przewalski’s horse, one of the last wild equine species, and the closest relative to the first horses domesticated along the steppes. Source

The Solokha Kurgan, one of many dotting the steppe that act as the tombs for higher-ranking Scythians, providing an excellent source of artifacts. Source

Steppe Nomad Material Culture/Appearance

A Persian depiction of Saka tribesmen with their iconic felt caps, located on a relief adorning Persepolis.

Reconstruction of ornate/ceremonial horse gear dating to the Scythians, recovered from the Bukhtarma valley in Kurgan 11. Source: Ancient Civilizations from Scythia to Siberia 23, 2 (2017) ; 10.1163/15700577-12341320

Steppe Warfare

Parthian mounted archer, the iconic represenation of nomadic military power, wielding a composite bow that grants extraordinary shooting potential. Source

Graffiti from Dura-Europos picturing a cataphract, a innovation of Steppe warfare that was used to great effect by the Parthians, and was summarily adopted by the Seleucids and Romans.

Scythian Art

A golden plaque of Scythian origin, circa 400 BC. This is representative of the “animal style” that was prevalent throughout the Scythian period. Source

A Scythian comb, ~4th century BC and currently located in the St. Petersburg State Hermitage Museum. It is a blend of Greek and Scythian traditions, as the Scythian horseman wears a linothorax and Corinthian helmet. Source: Sergey Lukyashko

References:

Primary
Against Ctesiphon – Aeschines
On the Embassy – Aeschines
Lysistrata – Aristophanes
On Marvelous Things Heard – Aristotle
Anabasis of Alexander – Arrian
Array Against the Alans – Arrian
Library of History – Diodorus Siculus
Lives of the Eminent Philosophers – Diogenes Laertius
The Histories – Herodotus
Epitome – Justin
Natural History – Pliny the Elder
Life of Crassus – Plutarch
Onomasticon – Julius Pollux
Histories – Polybius
History of Alexander – Quintus Curtius Rufus
Records of the Grand Historian – Sima Qian
Geography – Strabo
Taxila Copper Scroll, Inscription 346
Behistun Inscription

Secondary
“The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World” – D.W. Anthony
“Empires of the Silk Road: A History of Central Eurasia from the Bronze Age to the Present” – C.I. Beckwith
“Empires of Ancient Eurasia: The First Silk Roads Era, 100 BCE – 250 CE” – C. Benjamin
“The Scythians: Nomad Warriors of the Steppe” – B. Cunliffe
“Thundering Zeus: The Making of Hellenistic Bactria” – F.L. Holt
“Into the Land of Bones: Alexander the Great in Afghanistan” – F.L. Holt
“Land of the Elephant Kings: Space, Territory, and Ideology in the Seleucid Empire” – P.J. Kosmin
“The Hellenistic Far East: Archaeology, Language, and Identity in Greek Central Asia” – R. Mairs
“In Search of the Indo-Europeans: Language, Archaeology, and Myth” – J.P. Mallory
“The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women Across the Ancient World” – A. Mayor
“Late Prehistoric Exploitation of the Eurasian Steppe” – Edited by M. Levniem et al.
“The Early Chinese Empires: Qin and Han” – M.E. Lewis
“Reign of Arrows: The Rise of the Parthian Empire in the Hellenistic Middle East” – N.L. Overtoom
“The Cambridge History of Inner Asia” – Edited by D. Sinor
Encyclopedia Iranica

Anderson, A.W. “Alexander at the Caspian Gates” Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association, Vol. 59, pgs. 130-163
Molev, E.A.” Скифы в политической истории Боспора VI-II вв. до н.э. (Skify v polititcheskoy istorii Bospora VI-II vv. do n.e.), in:VDI, n. 3. 155-165
Námerová, A. “Relations Between Greeks and Scythians in Black Sea Area”, Anodos Studies of the Ancient World, 10 (2010)
Niksen, D. “Cimmerians and Scythians, Herodotus reconsidered” in Ancient World Magazine.                 https://www.ancientworldmagazine.com/articles/cimmerians-scythians-herodotus-reconsidered/
Olbrycht, M.J. “Arsacid Iran and the Nomads of Central Asia – Ways of Cultural Transfer” in Complexity of Interaction along the Eurasian Steppe Zone in the First Millenium CE, Edited by Bemmann, J. and Schmauder, M. pp. 369 -377
Potts, D.T. “Cataphractus and kamāndār: Some Thoughts on the Dynamic Evolution of Heavy Cavalry and Mounted Archers in Iran and Central Asia”, Bulletin of the Asia Institute, 2007, New Series, Vol. 21 (2007), pp. 149-158
Wigman, A.M. “Linguistic and Archaeological Insights on the Migration of the Proto-Tocharians”, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, August 2016

048: Persian & Iranian Survival in a Hellenistic World

Coinage of Queen Amastris, minted sometime circa 285 B.C. Note the star of Mithra emblazoned on the Persian cap with a Hellenistic wreath, on the reverse a depiction of Aphrodite/Anahita with the greek inscription “AMASTRION”. This is one of the earliest and best preserved coins showing blended Persian and Greek iconography. Source

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 Mithridates I Ktistes, the founder of the Kingdom of Pontus, Orontes I, ruler of horse-rearing Armenia, and Amastris, the last Achaemenid princess and first Hellenistic queen.

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048: Persian & Iranian Survival in a Hellenistic World Transcript

King of Kings Podcast
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List of Dynasts Covered:
– Mithridates I Ktistes (the Founder): Kingdom of Pontus
– Orontes I: Kingdom of Armenia
– Ariarathes I: Kingdom of Cappadocia
– Amastris: Queen in Paphlagonia
– Atropates I: Kingdom of Media Atropatene

Map:

A map of the Hellenistic Kingdoms, circa later 3rd century B.C. While this map has its problems, it does a good job giving the approximate areas of the Iranian kingdoms we covered (Pontus, Cappadocia, Armenia, Media Atropatene) and the ones which will show up later in the show (Persis, Elymais, and Parthia). Source

Helpful Images

A coin of King Tigranes II of Artaxid Armenia, prominently depicting the Persian Kidaris headress. Source

 

A coin of Mithridates VI Eupator of Pontus, displaying the Hellenistic-styled diadem. Source

References:
Primary
The Syrian Wars – Appian
The Mithridatic Wars – Appian
Anabasis of Alexander – Arrian
Events After Alexander – Arrian
Library of History – Diodorus Siculus
Chronicles – Eusebius
Histories – Herodotus
Epitome – Justin
History of Heraclea – Memnon
Stratagems – Polyaenus
Histories – Polybius
Life of Artaxerxes – Plutarch
Life of Alexander – Plutarch
Life of Eumenes – Plutarch
Life of Demetrius – Plutarch
History of Alexander – Quintus Curtius Rufus
Geography – Strabo
Annals – Tacitus

Secondary
“After Alexander: The Time of the Diadochi (323-281 BC)” – Edited by V.A. Troncoso and E.M. Anson
“Who’s Who in the Age of Alexander the Great” – W. Heckel
“The History of the Argeads: New Perspectives” – Edited by Sabine Müller et al
“From Cyrus to Alexander: A History of the Persian Empire” – P. Briant
“Empire of the Black Sea: The Rise and Fall of the Mithridatic World” – D.W. Roller
“The Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithradates, Rome’s Deadliest Enemy” – A. Mayor
“The Kingdom of Armenia: A history” – M. Chahin
“The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times Volume 1 – The Dynastic Periods: From Antiquity to the Fourteenth Century” – Edited by R.G. Hovannisian
“Persianism in Antiquity” – Edited by R. Strootman and M.J. Vershays
“Arsinoe of Egypt and Macedon – A Royal Life” – E. Carney
“Women and Monarchy in Macedonia “ – E. Carney
“Thundering Zeus:  The Making of Hellenistic Bactria” – F.L. Holt
“The Rise of the Seleukid Empire, 323-223 BC” – J.D. Grainger
Van Oppen de Ruiter, B.F. “Amastris: The First Hellenistic Queen”. Historia, 2020/1,  69
Callataÿ, F. “Le premier monnayage de la cité d’Amastris (Paphlagonie)” 2004. SNR 83: 57–86.
Breglia Pulci Doria, L. “Diodoro e Ariarate V. Conflitti dinastici, tradizione e propaganda politica nella Cappadocia  del II secolo a.C.,” La Parola del Passato 33,  Pgs. 104–129.
Ghiţă, C.E. “Achaemenid and Greco-Macedonian Inheritances in the Semi-Hellenised Kingdoms of Eastern Asia Minor”. Thesis from University of Exeter
McGing, B. “Iranian Kings in Greek Dress? Cultural Identity in the Mithradatid Kingdom of Pontus”, in  Bekker- Nielsen, T.  Space, Place and Identity in Northern Anatolia, Stuttgart, Pgs 21-37
Livius (https://www.Livius.org/)
Encyclopedia Iranica Online (https://www.iranicaonline.org/)
Ancient History Encyclopedia (https://www.ancient.eu/)

 

047: Hellenistic Philosophy – Cynics, Cyrenaics, & Peripatetics

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.

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047: Cynics, Peripatetics, and Cyreanaics – Transcript

The Delicious Legacy Podcast
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Sources Used:
Primary
Historical Miscellany – Aelian
Deipnosophistae – Athenaeus
Nicomachean Ethics – Aristotle
Politics – Aristotle
Attic Nights – Aulus Gellius
On the Nature of the Gods – Cicero
Tusculan Disputations – Cicero
De Oratore – Cicero
Library of History – Diodorus Siculus
Lives of the Eminent Philosophers – Diogenes Laertius
Against Jovian – Jerome
Symposium – Plato
Phaedo – Plato
Life of Alexander – Plutarch
Life of Sulla – Plutarch
Moralia – Plutarch
Against the Mathematicians – Sextus Empiricus
Florilegium – Stobaeus
Oration – Themistius
The Characters – Theophrastus
Gnomologium Vaticanum
Memorabilia – Xenophon
Symposium – Xenophon

Secondary
The Cynics (Ancient Philosophies) – William Desmond
The Greek Praise of Poverty: Origins of Ancient Cynicism – William Desmond
The Cynics: The Cynic Movement in Antiquity and its Legacy – R. Bracht Branham and Marie-Odile Goule-Caze
The Cyrenaics – Ugo Zilioli
The Birth of Hedonism: The Cyrenaic Philosophers and Pleasure as a Way of Life – Kurt Lampe
The Epistemology of the Cyrenaic School – Voula Tsoula
The Peripatetics: Aristotle’s Heirs, 322 BCE-200CE – Han Baltussen
The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle
The Cambridge History of Hellenistic Philosophy