The Hellenistic Age Podcast

The Hellenistic Age Podcast episodes:

• 03.10.2024

  095: Ptolemaic Egypt - The Two Lands Restored

  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...

  
• 01.22.2024

  094: The Senate vs Scipio Africanus

  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...

  
• 12.05.2023

  093: The Seleucid Empire - The Peace of Apamea

  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...

  
• 11.27.2023

  092: The Seleucid Empire - Magnesia

  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...

  
• 10.15.2023

  091: The Fifth Syrian War

  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...

  
• 09.10.2023

  090: Freedom of the Greeks

  With the defeat of Philip V at Cynoscephalae, Flamininus was tasked with deciding the fate of Greece in the postwar period. At the Isthmian Games of 196, he declared the freedom and autonomy of the Greeks, but resistance from the...

  
• 08.24.2023

  089: Antigonid Macedon - Legion and Phalanx

  No longer tied up by Hannibal, the vengeful Romans give their undivided attention to Philip V in the Second Macedonian War (200-197 BC). The king manages to hold his own against the Republic until they send the ambitious young commander...

  
• 07.19.2023

  088: The Pact of the Kings

  With the unexpected death of Ptolemy IV and the Great Rebellion in full swing, Antiochus III and Philip V form a secret pact to destroy the Ptolemaic Kingdom, partitioning the territories for themselves. Their invasions of Coele Syria and Asia...

  
• 06.20.2023

  087: Ptolemaic Egypt - The Great Revolt

  The “Golden Age” of the Ptolemaic dynasty comes to an end as Ptolemy IV dies unexpectedly in 204. Greedy ministers looking to control the boy-king Ptolemy V leave Alexandria in a mess of schemes, murder, and rioting. Meanwhile, decades of...

  
• 05.20.2023

  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...

  
• 04.29.2023

  085 Antigonid Macedon - Storm Clouds In The West

  Emboldened by his success in the Social War, Philip's desire for world conquest leads him to ally with Hannibal Barca against the Roman Republic in 215. The so-called "First Macedonian War" (215-206 BC) is mainly a conflict between the various...

  
• 04.07.2023

  Interview: The Roman Republic at War with Dr. Bret Devereaux

  The Roman Republic went from a regional power ruling over Italy to master of a Mediterranean-wide empire in under 50 years, warring against powerful states like the Carthaginians and the Hellenistic kingdoms, yet always coming out on top. Dr. Bret...

  
• 03.16.2023

  084: Rome Arrives in the Hellenistic East

  During the Illyrian Wars of 229-228 and 219, the Roman Republic would intervene in the affairs of Greece for the first time. Their swift defeats of Queen Teuta and Demetrius of Pharos impressed the Greek communities, but would draw the...

  
• 03.04.2023

  083: Hellenistic Literature - Apollonius of Rhodes and the "Argonautica"

  The “Argonautica”, written by the third century poet Apollonius of Rhodes, is the only surviving epic poem from the Hellenistic period. Recounting the travels of the hero Jason and his crew of Argonauts as they searched for the Golden Fleece,...

  
• 01.27.2023

  082: Hellenistic Literature - Court Poetry and Propaganda

  The various dynasties that rose from the ashes of Alexander's empire proved to be a lucrative source of income for aspiring poets. Ptolemaic Alexandria hosted some of the influential artists of the day, such as Callimachus of Cyrene and Theocritus...

  
• 01.02.2023

  Bonus: The Antikythera Shipwreck

  In April 1900, a crew of Greek sponge divers found a 2,000 year old shipwreck at the bottom of the sea of the small island of Antikythera. A century of underwater expeditions has revealed many works of art such as...

  
• 12.10.2022

  081: Hellenistic Literature - Theocritus and Bucolic Poetry

  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...

  
• 11.25.2022

  080: Hellenistic Literature - Menander and New Comedy

  The playwright Menander of Athens (342/341 – 290 B.C.) was the most renowned comedic author of antiquity, surpassing even Aristophanes in popularity. As the father of the New Comedy, Menander moved away from biting satire to draw humor from the...

  
• 11.05.2022

  Bonus: Anchors Aweigh - The Seleucid Anchor and Imperial Iconography

  The anchor was the most recognizable image associated with the Seleucids, who used it as their dynastic seal to symbolize their royal authority. Its origins are interwoven into the stories of the dynasty’s founder, Seleucus I Nicator, as omens and...

  
• 10.27.2022

  Interview - The Kushan Empire with Dr. Lauren Morris

  The Kushans were the premier dynasty of the Yuezhi, a nomadic confederation that migrated and settled in northern Bactria during the mid-to-late second century BC. With a steady hand, their empire would eventually encompass most of Central Asia and Northwestern...

  
• 10.22.2022

  Interview: Globalization in the Ancient Mediterranean and Indian Ocean with Dr. Serena Autiero

  The period from the first century B.C. through the third century A.D. saw a time of unprecedented economic contact between the Mediterranean world (under the dominion of the Roman Empire) and the political entities bordering along the Western Indian Ocean....

  
• 09.27.2022

  079: The Indo-Greeks - Homer on the Indus

  Following the death of Menander I Soter, the Indo-Greeks would decline in power over the next 150 years as the newly arrived Indo-Scythians/Indo-Saka seized the Punjab, and with the last king disappearing by 10 A.D, Greek rule in Central Asia...

  
• 09.03.2022

  Interview: Greco-Indian and Buddhist Art of Gandhara with Dr. Osmund Bopearachchi

  It has been argued that the most influential contribution of Gandhara (modern Pakistan and southern Afghanistan) was its role in the creation of several works of art centered around Buddhist themes, including the first known depictions of the Buddha in...

  
• 08.25.2022

  Interview: Greco-Buddhism in Central Asia and India with Lee Clarke

  In the wake of Alexander the Great, the traditions of Hellenism and Buddhism thought came into close contact in Central Asia and India. Lee Clarke, a PhD student in cross-cultural philosophy at Nottingham Trent University, joins the show to discuss...

  
• 08.12.2022

  078: The Indo-Greeks - Heracles, Menander, and the Buddha

  In antiquity, Gandhara was one of the most deeply-rooted hubs of Buddhism, and scholars have attempted to search for any possible encounters between Buddhists and the Greeks who settled in Central Asia and India. Fascinating pieces of evidence hint at...

  
• 07.28.2022

  077: The Indo-Greeks - Invasion of the Yavanarajas

  With the collapse of the Mauryan Empire, the rulers of Greco-Bactria would seize the opportunity to invade India in approximately 185 B.C. Famous conquerors like Demetrius and Menander would campaign throughout the subcontinent, seizing the lands of Arachosia and Gandhara...

  
• 07.21.2022

  076: Greco-Bactria - Han China and the War of the Heavenly Horses

  In 128 B.C., an explorer and diplomat named Zhang Qian had arrived in the Ferghana Valley in modern Uzbekistan. As the first known Chinese visitor in Central Asia, he was originally tasked by the Han Emperor Wudi to seek an...

  
• 07.07.2022

  Interview: Ai Khanoum and Identity in Hellenistic Bactria with Dr. Rachel Mairs

  With the discovery of the city of Ai Khanoum in northeastern Afghanistan, the idea of a strong Greek presence in the makeup of Hellenistic Bactria was reinforced. At the same time, they also demonstrate a reliance on local Bactrian traditions...

  
• 07.01.2022

  075: Greco-Bactria - Alexandria Eschate to Ai Khanoum

  The conquests of Alexander the Great resulted in tens of thousands of Greek colonists settling in Central Asia. While excavations of places like the city ruins of Ai Khanoum hint at a flourishing Hellenic culture, local Bactrian and Sogdian traditions...

  
• 06.17.2022

  Interview: Coinage and Numismatics in Greek Central Asia with Dr. Frank Lee Holt

  Coins are the most enduring symbols of the Greco-Bactrian and the Indo-Greek kingdoms, considered to be invaluable tools in reconstructing their chronologies in absence of a written history. Joining our series is numismatist Dr. Frank Lee Holt, author of books...

  
• 06.11.2022

  074: Greco-Bactria - Land of a Thousand Cities

  In the first of several episodes on the "Hellenistic Far East", we will cover the history of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom, which controlled the lands of Central Asia stretching from Afghanistan to Kazakhstan during the third and second centuries B.C. As...

  
• 06.04.2022

  073: The Seleucid Empire - The Anabasis of Antiochus the Great

  Despite the defeat at Raphia, Antiochus III was not discouraged from further conquests. After dealing with his final rival Achaeus in 213, the Seleucid king would lead a massive expeditionary force into Asia, an anabasis, intending to assert his authority...

  
• 05.21.2022

  072: The Fourth Syrian War - The Battle of Raphia

  Only a few short years after his coronation, Antiochus III would invade the kingdom of Ptolemy IV in 219 B.C., intent on reclaiming the lands of Coele Syria as part of his birthright. To stem the tide, the Ptolemaic government...

  
• 05.06.2022

  071: The Fourth Syrian War - A Tale of Two Kingdoms

  In 222 B.C., two of the world's most powerful kingdoms saw the coronation of two young monarchs: Antiochus III of the Seleucid Empire, and Ptolemy IV Philopator of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt. As Antiochus tries to keep his realm...

  
• 04.25.2022

  070: The Second Punic War - To the Victors...

  In this episode, we bring the Second Punic War to a close as Hannibal tries to conquer southern Italy, while the Scipio and Barcid families clash over control of the Iberian Peninsula. During the Spanish campaigns, Publius Scipio (the future...

  
• 03.12.2022

  069: The Second Punic War - Hannibal at the Gates

  After the losses at Trebia and Trasimene, the strategies of Fabius Maximus Cuncutator ("the Delayer") manages to give the Republic some valuable breathing room. Despite Fabius' best efforts, Hannibal manages to deliver Rome its most devastating defeat on the plains...

  
• 02.27.2022

  068: The Second Punic War - Over the Mountains

  With the destruction of the Celtiberian city of Saguntum in 219, much of the Mediterranean world was plunged into a state of warfare for nearly two decades, as the Roman Republic would once again battle Carthage for dominance, and face...

  
• 01.26.2022

  Interview: "Alexander's Successors at War: The Perdiccas Years" w/ Tristan Hughes

  Fellow history podcaster Tristan Hughes (The Ancients Podcast) joins the show to discuss his new book, "Alexander's Successors at War: The Perdiccas Years, 323-320 BC", which covers the first tumultuous years of the Wars of the Successors. Though framed around...

  
• 12.13.2021

  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 passed over by those learning about the Punic Wars, but it is integral to understanding how the Romans and...

  
• 11.29.2021

  Interview: Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the Jewish Tradition w/ Dr. Joseph Scales

  Thanks to his role in the Maccabean Revolt, Antiochus IV Epiphanes of the Seleucid Empire played an important part in the history of Judaism. From the prophecies of Daniel to the histories of Josephus, Dr. Joseph Scales joins the show...

  
• 11.11.2021

  066: Antigonid Macedon - Philip V and the Social War

  At only 18 years of age, Philip V was crowned with the diadem following the death of his uncle Antigonus III Doson in 221. Many believed that the boy was going to be a pushover, easy prey for the machinations...

  
• 10.10.2021

  065: Antigonid Macedon - The Last March of the Spartans

  Despite the failure of Agis IV to reform a weakened Sparta, a more politically astute (and ruthless) successor could be found in the rival Agiad house, Cleomenes III. Under his reign, Sparta would be restored to a level of power...

  
• 09.12.2021

  064: Antigonid Macedon - Of Revolutions and Reforms

  It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, and the 240s and 230s saw several shakeups in the political order of Greece. Macedonia under Demetrius II Aetolicus struggled to deal with an onslaught of Greek Leagues,...

  
• 08.29.2021

  Interview: On Hellenistic Federalism w/ Dr. Elke Close (Hellenistic History)

  The proliferation of the Greek Federal states, those such as Achaean and Aetolian Leagues, was a major political development in the Greek Peninsula during the 3rd century. Despite being in an age of kings, several poleis were able to present...

  
• 08.15.2021

  063: Ptolemaic Egypt - Berenice's Lock and the Gates of Babylon

  As the power couple of the Mediterranean, Ptolemy III and Berenice II Euergetes (Benefactor)would oversee the apogee of Hellenistic Egypt. Ptolemy's successful blitzkrieg against the Seleucid Empire during the Third Syrian War would see a near-total conquest of Syria and...

  
• 08.01.2021

  062: Ptolemaic Egypt - Egyptians in a Greek Land

  The conquest of Egypt by Alexander and establishment of the Ptolemaic dynasty differed from previous foreign invaders like the Hyksos or the Persians. While the Ptolemies would very much present themselves as traditional pharaohs, they would bring thousands of Greek...

  
• 07.18.2021

  Interview: On the Cavalry of the Seleucid Empire w/ Dr. Silvannen Gerrard

  The Seleucid Empire's vast geographic spread made it the heir to a wide variety of cavalry traditions, with the fighting style of each region being incorporated into an army of Macedonian origin: units like armored cataphracts and horse archers from...

  
• 07.04.2021

  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...

  
• 05.14.2021

  060: Ptolemaic Egypt - A Traveler's Guide to Alexandria

  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...

  
• 04.18.2021

  Interview: On Antigonus II Gonatas w/ Robin Waterfield

  After facing decades of civil wars and invasions following the death of Alexander, peace was restored in Macedonia by the capable Antigonid king Antigonus II 'Gonatas', who strengthened the kingdom's hegemony over the Greek Peninsula in a reign that lasted...