Alexander the Great - Hellenistic History

Alexander the Great,alexander's campaigns,Ancient History,coin,coins,godesses,gods,greece,hellenistic,hellenistic asia,hellenistic cities,Hellenistic greece,Hellenistic kingdoms,hellenistic period,hellenistic successors,History,ptolemies,seleucids

Architects of the Hellenistic Age Part I: The Legacy of Alexander’s Companions

by Hellenistic Historyupdated on March 28, 2024March 26, 2024Leave a Comment

The conquests of Alexander the Great should be understated. From 336 to 323 BCE, Alexander would usher in a new era in world history. To aid him in this immense task were his “Companions”. These were Alexander’s closest friends and confidants. Some were childhood friends, others had fought with his father Philip II or gained …

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The Sogdian Revolt against Alexander the Great

by Hellenistic Historyupdated on December 20, 2022December 20, 2022Leave a Comment

As we near the end of the year, we continue our deep dive on different aspects of Alexander the Great’s life. Today’s guest post by Joshua Zapf looks at the troubles Alexander faced during his campaigns in Central Asia, a topic often overlooked public history. Alexander the Great’s military campaign is generally known for its …

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The Dark Side of Alexander The Great

by Hellenistic Historyupdated on September 24, 2022September 6, 2022Leave a Comment

When Alexander died in 323 in Babylon, his myth immediately spread throughout the known world. For centuries, the Macedonian king has fascinated rulers, leaders and-the everyday man. The rapidity of his conquests and his young age made him legendary. Many were inspired by him, and even today his personality continues to enchant. Ancient sources tell …

Alexander the Great,ancient greece,Ancient History,greece,hellenistic,Hellenistic greece,History

Hellenic vs. Hellenistic: a very big difference!

by Hellenistic Historyon July 6, 2022July 6, 2022Leave a Comment

A few weeks ago, I came across this BBC article which was talking about how the art and architecture of the ancient Greeks is currently influencing many modern designs: from our interior to the jewelry we are wearing. More and more people are turning to the Greeks for help decorating their homes. While I fully …

Alexander the Great,ancient greece,Ancient History,Archaeology,city,coin,coins,greek polis,greek politics,hellenistic,Hellenistic greece,Hellenistic kingdoms,hellenistic successors,History,ptolemies,seleucids

Myth and Polis XI: Hellenistic kings and kinship myth

by Hellenistic Historyon March 17, 2022March 17, 2022Leave a Comment

We have now reached the eleventh part of the series on the use of mythological kinship in Greek diplomatic interaction. Since most of the sources come from the epigraphic material of the Hellenistic period, we have already looked several times at how mythological kinship was used by cities in that period in their interactions with …

Alexander the Great,ancient greece,Ancient History,Archaeology,city,hellenistic,hellenistic cities,Hellenistic kingdoms,hellenistic successors,History,ptolemies,Uncategorized

Hellenistic cities III: Hybrid Worship in Alexandria

by Hellenistic Historyupdated on October 8, 2021October 8, 2021Leave a Comment

This is third part of our series on Hellenistic cities where we explore some very famous poleis such as Alexandria or Pergamon as well as some that are a little more obscure like Megalopolis. Each post tells us more about the general history, population or specific aspects of these Greek cities. In today’s post Shiro …

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Myth and polis VIII: Alexander’s use of myth during his campaigns

by Hellenistic Historyon September 25, 2021September 25, 2021Leave a Comment

We have already reached the eighth part of this series. In the last two contributions, I have paid extensive attention to the figure of Alexander the Great and we have looked at which mythological ancestors the Macedonian king had and how this descent can still be seen in material sources. In this last part on …

Alexander the Great,ancient greece,Ancient History,Archaeology,art,coin,coins,hellenistic,Hellenistic kingdoms,hellenistic successors,numismatics

Myth and Polis VII: Mythology and the depiction of Alexander the Great

by Hellenistic Historyon July 20, 2021July 20, 2021Leave a Comment

When I visit one of the great archaeological museums of Europe, I always look for two things: how many busts of Alexander the Great are there, and which Greek coins are on display? So when I was at the Altes Museum in Berlin last week, I noticed that whenever Alexander the Great is represented in …

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Hellenistic Cities I: the Settling of Alexandria

by Hellenistic Historyupdated on June 29, 2021June 29, 2021Leave a Comment

In this new series, we will be exploring the cities of the Hellenistic world. Each time we will explore a new city and discover a different aspect such as its history, social groups, political institutions or cultural festivals. This week we start with what is perhaps the most famous of the cities of the Hellenistic …

Alexander the Great,ancient greece,Ancient History,diplomatic relation,greek politics,hellenistic,Hellenistic greece,History,Uncategorized

Myth and Polis VI: Alexander the Great

by Hellenistic Historyupdated on June 21, 2021June 21, 2021Leave a Comment

Whichever way you look at it, when you talk about the Hellenistic world, most people immediately think of Alexander the Great. And how could they not? His deeds have captured the imagination for millennia. Whether it is his extremely fast march to India or the ease with which he inspired loyalty in his soldiers and loved …