Synopses & Reviews
The Hellenistic era witnessed the overlap of antiquity’s two great Western civilizations, the Greek and the Roman. This was the epoch of Alexander’s vast expansion of the Greco-Macedonian world, the rise and fall of his successors’ major dynasties in Egypt and Asia, and, ultimately, the establishment of Rome as the first Mediterranean superpower.
The Hellenistic Age chronicles the years 336 to 30 BCE, from the days of Philip and Alexander of Macedon to the death of Cleopatra and the final triumph of Caesar’s heir, the young Augustus. Peter Green’s remarkably far-ranging study covers the prevalent themes and events of those centuries: the Hellenization of an immense swath of the known world–from Egypt to India–by Alexander’s conquests; the lengthy and chaotic partition of this empire by rival Macedonian marshals after Alexander’s death; the decline of the polis (city state) as the predominant political institution; and, finally, Rome’s moment of transition from republican to imperial rule.
Predictably, this is a story of war and power-politics, and of the developing fortunes of art, science, and statecraft in the areas where Alexander’s coming disseminated Hellenic culture. It is a rich narrative tapestry of warlords, libertines, philosophers, courtesans and courtiers, dramatists, historians, scientists, merchants, mercenaries, and provocateurs of every stripe, spun by an accomplished classicist with an uncanny knack for infusing life into the distant past, and applying fresh insights that make ancient history seem alarmingly relevant to our own times.
To consider the three centuries prior to the dawn of the common era in a single short volume demands a scholar with a great command of both subject and narrative line. The Hellenistic Age is that rare book that manages to coalesce a broad spectrum of events, persons, and themes into one brief, indispensable, and amazingly accessible survey.
From the Hardcover edition.
Synopsis
The Hellenistic Age chronicles the years 336 to 30 BCE, a period that witnessed the overlap of two of antiquitys great civilizations, the Greek and the Roman. Peter Greens remarkably far-ranging study covers the prevalent themes and events of those centuries: the Hellenization, by Alexanders conquests, of an immense swath of the known world; the lengthy and chaotic partition of this empire by rival Macedonian bands; the decline of the city-state as the predominant political institution; and, finally, Romes moment of transition from republican to imperial rule. It is a story of war and power-politics, and of the developing fortunes of art, science, and statecraft, spun by an accomplished classicist with an uncanny knack for infusing life into the distant past, and applying fresh insights that make ancient history seem alarmingly relevant to our own times.
“Spectacular . . . [filled with] Mr. Greens critical acumen.”
-The Wall Street Journal
“Green draws upon a lifetime of scholarship to brilliantly sum up the three-hundred-year Hellenistic age. . . . Happily, this books brevity-admirable in itself, and in its concision, elegance, and authority-isnt achieved at the expense of subtlety and complexity.”
-The Atlantic Monthly
“An interesting and well-written overview . . . Students of world history are in Greens debt.”
-The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Marvelous . . . splendid . . . a brilliant introduction to this crucial transitional period.”
-Publishers Weekly (starred review)
About the Author
Peter Green is the James R. Dougherty, Jr., Centennial Professor of Classics Emeritus at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of several books, including Alexander of Macedon and The Greco-Persian Wars. Currently he serves as adjunct professor of classics at the University of Iowa and editor of Syllecta Classica.