The Hellenistic period is part of Greek History which starts with the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and ends with Cleopatra and Marc Anthony’s defeat at the battle of Actium in 31 BC, when the Romans conquered the last of the areas once controlled by the Macedonian king.
The word Hellenistic orginated from the German hellenistisch which was created by the German historian J. G. Droysen in the 19th century. This to refer to the period in which Greek culture spread through the non-Greek world after Alexander’s conquests. While the term is easy to use, it is important to point out that this is a modern concept and for the ancient Greeks there was no such thing like the Hellenistic period. Even more, the use of the term Hellenistic implies that Greek culture was successfully spread throughout Alexander’s empire, which definitely was not the case.
In 2017 I started an Instagram account dedicated to Hellenistic History. I wanted to share some of my own research on the period through pictures I had taken during my many museum visits and trips to Greece. Fast forward six years and I have completed my PhD and the account has evolved into a website and blog which also deals with Greek and Roman history.
The website is meant as an online resource for the study of the Hellenistic period of ancient Greek history and provides a variety of resources for students and the general public interested in learning more about the Hellenistic period. The website includes a timeline of major events, a glossary of terms, a bibliography of suggested readings, and a list of links to other online resources related to the Hellenistic period. Additionally, it also offers a blog which is regularly updated by me, the creator of the website. Interested in collaborating, feel free to get in touch via contact@hellenistichistory.com!
