Rather than writing tales of gods and heroes or flattering court panegyrics,  the poet Theocritus of Syracuse (early second century B.C.) chose to focus on the simple life. As the founder of "Bucolic" or pastoral poetry, Theocritus cast the humble shepherd as the main subject, using idyllic scenes from the ancient countryside to illuminate his poems in a fashion that would be emulated by later artists such as Virgil.

Episode Notes:
(https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2022/12/10/081-hellenistic-literature-theocritus-and-bucolic-poetry/)
Episode Transcript:
(https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/081-hellenistic-literature-theocritus-and-bucolic-poetry.pdf)

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081: Hellenistic Literature - Theocritus and Bucolic Poetry

History

Society & Culture

Twenty years of chaos in the Ptolemaic kingdom come to an end during the reign of Ptolemy V Epiphanes (204-180). His marriage to the Seleucid princess Cleopatra I Syra confirmed the loss of Coele Syria to Antiochus III, yet she proved to be a good match and helped secure the future of the dynasty. Haronnophoris and the Great Revolt are finally put down in 186, but the Alexandrian government is forced to give concessions to the Egyptians, as the Ptolemies must now come to terms with their new status as a second-class power in the Mediterranean. We also delve into the history of the Rosetta Stone, the Hellenistic period's most famous document, and its role in the decipherment of Ancient Egyptian.

Episode Notes:
(https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2024/03/10/095-ptolemaic-egypt-the-two-lands-restored/)

Episode Transcript:
(https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/095-ptolemaic-egypt-the-two-lands-restored-transcript.pdf)

Ptolemy V Family Tree:
(https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/reign-of-ptolemy-v.pdf)

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095: Ptolemaic Egypt - The Two Lands Restored

Rome hoped that the Peace of Apamea would instill some sort of order over the eastern Mediterranean, allowing them to return to Italy after decades of warfare. Yet the vacuum of power left behind in a post-Seleucid Asia Minor would lead to fierce competition, with those like Eumenes II of Pergamon and Pharnaces I of Pontus waging war against their neighbors. The desire of the Achaean League to dominate the Peloponnese would lead to the end of an independent Sparta and the butting of heads with the Republic. While this was happening abroad, the consequences of Rome’s new role as hegemon over the Mediterranean would begin to rear its ugly head on the Senate floor, and the final years of the 180s would see the departure of three key figures of the day: Hannibal Barca, Philopoemen of Megalopolis, and Scipio Africanus.

Episode Notes:
(https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2024/01/22/094-the-senate-vs-scipio-africanus/)

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(https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/094-the-senate-vs-scipio-africanus-transcript.pdf)


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094: The Senate vs Scipio Africanus

The defeat at the Battle of Magnesia brings the war between Antiochus III and the Roman Republic to a close. Forced to evacuate all territory north of the Taurus Mountains and saddled with an enormous indemnity, Antiochus' career comes to an abrupt end in Elymais after an unprecedented 35 years on the throne, leaving the Seleucid Empire at a crossroads for the coming generations.

Episode Notes:
(https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2023/12/05/093-the-seleucid-empire-the-peace-of-apamea/)

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(https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/093-the-seleucid-empire-the-peace-of-apamea-transcript.pdf)

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(https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/reign-of-antiochus-iii-part-2.pdf)

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093: The Seleucid Empire - The Peace of Apamea

On invitation from the Aetolian League, Antiochus III invades the Greek mainland in September 192 and declares war against the Roman Republic. Though he held many victories under his belt, Rome proved to be a fiercer opponent than anticipated, forcing Antiochus to go on the defensive and take the fight back to Asia. A final confrontation on the plains of Magnesia (modern Manisa) would determine who was to be the dominant power of the Hellenistic world.

Episode Notes:
(https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2023/11/27/092-the-seleucid-empire-magnesia/)

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(https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/092-the-seleucid-empire-magnesia-transcript.pdf)


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092: The Seleucid Empire - Magnesia

The crisis in Egypt enabled Antiochus III to launch another invasion south into Ptolemaic territory, kickstarting the Fifth Syrian War (202-195) that finally delivered Coele Syria into Seleucid hands after almost a century of conflict. Antiochus' ambition to claim the territories of Seleucus I leads him to campaign in Europe, placing him on a collision course with the Roman Republic.

Episode Notes:
(https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2023/10/15/091-the-fifth-syrian-war/)

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(https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2023/10/091-the-fifth-syrian-war-transcript.pdf)


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081: Hellenistic Literature - Theocritus and Bucolic Poetry

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