The Hellenistic Dynasty

The Hellenistic dynasty of Selukos ruled over a vast territory stretching eastwards from modern day Iraq, through Persia, and Central Asia. The Ptolemaic rulers of Egypt spoke Greek, not Egyptian, and the famous library they founded at Alexandria was principally intended for storing Greek works and doing research in Greek. In due course, Neoplatonism would become the main philosophical school in late antiquity. For him this meant travelling to a place that retained dominance culturally despite its loss of political relevance.