The Hellenistic Age Podcast

Though the longest-lived and most wealthy of the Hellenistic "Big 3", the Ptolemaic rulers in Egypt have never really held the distinction as a major military player in the violent struggles of the Hellenistic period, instead often seen as decadent and lazy as per the writings of those like Polybius. Dr. Paul Johstono joins us to discuss his new book “The Army of Ptolemaic Egypt, 323-204 BC: An Institutional and Operational History”, which seeks to challenge this claim and reassert the role of the Ptolemaic kingdom as a significant military force in the Mediterranean, capable of meeting the demands of maintaining a large land and sea empire amidst powerful rivals and often inhospitable environments. Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2020/12/21/interview-on-the-army-of-ptolemaic-egypt-w-dr-paul-johstono/) "The Army of Ptolemaic Egypt, 323-204 BC: An Institutional and Operational History" Links: Pen & Sword (https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Army-of-Ptolemaic-Egypt-323-to-204-BC-Hardback/p/17980) Amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com/Army-Ptolemaic-Egypt-323-Institutional/dp/1473833833) Dr. Paul Johstono Links: Twitter (https://twitter.com/ProfPaul_J) Academia.edu (https://air-af.academia.edu/PaulJohstono) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

As the most prolific of city-founders, the Seleucids sought to dramatically reshape the lands of the Near East and most especially North Syria, which would become the dynasty's new imperial heartland and something of a stand-in for their ancestral homeland of Macedonia. We will cover the creation of these sites, but we'll also assess the impact of Seleucid rule and the response to Greek culture from the vast number of peoples of the empire, whether the native inhabitants of Babylonia and Jerusalem or the thousands of immigrant Greeks who now called these lands home. Title Theme: Seikilos Epitapth with the Lyre of Apollo, played by Lina Palera (https://soundcloud.com/user-994392473) Show Links Website/Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2020/11/26/055-the-seleucid-empire-syrian-nights-macedonian-dreams/) Episode 055 Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/055-the-seleucid-empire-syrian-nights-macedonian-dreams-transcript.pdf) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

The 1st and 2nd Illyrian Wars, fought between the Roman Republic and the peoples of Illyria (approximately modern Albania to Croatia) in 229-228 and 220-219 BC respectively, are often neglected in favor of the more famous 2nd Punic War. The conflicts with Teuta, the "Pirate Queen" of the Ardiaei, and the unscrupulous Demetrius of Pharos marked the first (and certainly not the last) time Roman legions marched upon Greek soil. Dr. Christopher Gribbin joins us to discuss the wars in greater detail, and emphasizes their role in sending the Roman Republic onto a collision course with the rest of the Hellenistic world. Title Theme: Seikilos Epitapth with the Lyre of Apollo, played by Lina Palera (https://soundcloud.com/user-994392473) Show Links Website/Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2020/11/08/interview-on-the-illyrian-wars-w-dr-christopher-gribbin/) Dr. Christopher Gribbin Twitter: (https://twitter.com/classicsmelb?lang=en) Website: (https://classicsmelb.wixsite.com/cgribbin) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

To rule over the largest and most diverse empire of the Hellenistic realms, the Seleucids needed to deal with serious logistical and administrative challenges. The identity of the Seleucid kings can be viewed through either a Macedonian-Greek, Near-Eastern, or Iranian lens. Its administrative system of satrapies and local power holders were kept in check by the peripatetic movement of the king and his court, on a never-ending journey to impose order on an unyielding political and cultural landscape. The Seleucid dynasty would even challenge the nature of time itself by instituting the revolutionary "Seleucid Era" model, which continues to influence down to the present day. Title Theme: Seikilos Epitapth with the Lyre of Apollo, played by Lina Palera (https://soundcloud.com/user-994392473) Show Links Website/Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2020/11/02/054-the-seleucid-empire-kingship-governance-in-the-arche-seleukia/) Episode 054 Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/054-kingship-governance-in-the-arche-seleukia-transcript.pdf) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

Straddling the Strait of Kerch in the Northern Black Sea, the Bosporan Kingdom provides an unusual case study within the Hellenistic period. Originally settled by Greeks during the 6th century BC, the Cimmerian Bosporus would become host to a powerful kingdom backed up economically by its massive grain exports to the Mediterranean. For most of its history the kingdom would be headed by the Spartocid Dynasty, a group of Hellenized Thracians who ruled as tyrants and kings until the early 1st century BC, and had close ties with the nomadic Scythian and Sarmatian tribes of the steppe as both enemies and trading partners. Title Theme: Seikilos Epitapth with the Lyre of Apollo, played by Lina Palera (https://soundcloud.com/user-994392473) Show Links Website/Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2020/10/18/053-the-bosporan-kingdom-greeks-of-the-crimea/) Episode 053 Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2020/10/053-bosporan-kingdom-transcript.pdf) Spartan History Podcast Website: (https://www.spartanhistorypodcast.com/) Twitter: (https://twitter.com/Spartan_History) Apple: (https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/spartan-history-podcast/id1489152895) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

Though they viewed themselves as the civilized center of the world, the Greeks had always expressed a curiosity for what lay on the periphery. The conquests of Alexander the Great had thrown open the doors of Asia and Africa, lands that were only the stuff of legend and hearsay, to hordes of Greek explorers, scientists, and diplomats. Many would be bankrolled by the Hellenistic rulers, who looked to seize potential trading opportunities or to redefine the civilized world in order to fit their imperial vision. Those like Megasthenes would venture into the humid subtropics of eastern India, while others like Pytheas of Massalia would sail the frigid North Sea around the mysterious island of Thule. In this episode, we will discuss the developments that occurred within the Greek's conception of the "inhabited world", and learn more about the explorers who helped redraw the map during the Hellenistic period. Title Theme: Seikilos Epitapth with the Lyre of Apollo, played by Lina Palera (https://soundcloud.com/user-994392473) Show Links Website/Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2020/09/28/052-mapping-the-oikoumene-explorers-exploration-of-the-hellenistic-world/) Episode 052 Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2020/09/052-mapping-the-oikoumene-transcript.pdf) Casting Through Ancient Greece Podcast Website: (https://castingthroughancientgreece.com/) Twitter: (https://twitter.com/CastingGreece) Apple: (https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/casting-through-ancient-greece/id1495289354) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

The world of the nomads who lived upon the Eurasian Steppe would face a radical transformation between the 4th-2nd centuries BC. Originally dominated by the Scythians and Saka, the Pontic-Caspian and Central Asian Steppes saw the migration and invasion of new tribes, sending them on a collision course with the likes of the Seleucid Empire and Greco-Bactrians as they established their own empires, shaking the foundations of the Hellenistic world. In this episode, we will explore steppe society and its history, the relationship of the nomads with the sedentary Greeks, and look at the emergence of future great powers like the Parthians and the Kushans. Title Theme: Seikilos Epitapth with the Lyre of Apollo, played by Lina Palera (https://soundcloud.com/user-994392473) Show Links Website/Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2020/09/13/051-peoples-of-the-steppe-scythians-saka-to-parthians-yuezhi/) Episode 051 Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2020/09/051-peoples-of-the-steppe-transcript.pdf) The Timur Podcast Website: (https://timurpodcast.com/) iTunes: (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-timur-podcast/id1482938095) Twitter: (https://twitter.com/PodcastTimur) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

With 49 episodes published, I decided to celebrate by making episode 50 a question and answer session, where I respond to topics fielded by listeners of the show. We dive into discussions on favorite history books, how to get into podcasting, and more historical topics like "who was the greatest of Alexander's Successors?" and "who would win in a wrestling match between Socrates and Antigonus the One-Eyed?" Title Theme: Seikilos Epitapth with the Lyre of Apollo, played by Lina Palera (https://soundcloud.com/user-994392473) Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2020/08/21/050-a-qa-celebration/) History Books Mentioned: - “The Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithridates, Rome’s Deadliest Enemy” by Adrienne Mayor - “The Land of the Elephant Kings: Space, Territory, and Ideology in the Seleucid Empire” by Paul Kosmin” - “The Hellenistic Far East: Archaeology, Language, and Identity in Greek Central Asia” by Rachel Mairs” - “Caesar: Life of a Colossus” by Adrian Goldsworthy - “A World Undone: The Story of the Great War, 1914-1918” by G.J. Meyer - “The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease and the End of an Empire” by Kyle Harper - “Soldiers and Ghosts: A History of Battle in Classical Antiquity” by J.E. Lendon - “Alexander the Great” – by Robin Lane Fox Historical Comics/Graphic Novels/Artists: - Alexandra Filipek (https://alexandra.filipek.us/) - Matt Crotts (https://twitter.com/mattcrotts) - Reimena Yee (https://reimenayee.com/alexander-the-great/) -“Conquest: Julius Caesar’s Gallic War” (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1479842225/conquest-julius-caesars-gallic-wars) - "Historie" by Hitoshi Iwaaki Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

In this episode, we will be looking at two regions of Asia Minor and the Black Sea: the first is Galatia, home to the descendants of the Celtic tribes who marauded their way through Greece before being settled in central Anatolia, remaining an enclave of Celtic culture while serving as mercenaries (and foes) to the Hellenistic kingdoms. The second is the Odrysian Kingdom of Thrace, a formerly powerful entity along the Bosporus which, underneath the reign of the ambitious King Seuthes III (~330 – 300/295), would attempt to restore their previous greatness during the Wars of the Diadochi. Using these two case studies, we’ll explore the nature of self-identity, what it means to be a “barbarian”, and the successes and failures of Hellenization. Title Theme: Seikilos Epitapth with the Lyre of Apollo, played by Lina Palera (https://soundcloud.com/user-994392473) Show Links Website/Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2020/08/17/049-barbarians-of-the-black-sea-the-galatians-odrysian-thrace/) Episode 049 Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/049-barbarians-of-the-black-sea-transcript.pdf) Ancient History Hound Podcast Website: (http://www.ancientblogger.com/) Podcast: (https://ancientblogger.libsyn.com/) Twitter: (https://twitter.com/ancientblogger) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

The conquest of the Achaemenid Persian Empire by Alexander the Great and his Successors did not spell the end of Iranian civilization. During the early Hellenistic period, several Iranian dynasties manage to establish themselves as  independent rulers in their own right, propagating and transforming Iranian traditions and cultures in a changing environment. We will be covering such figures Mithridates I Ktistes, the founder of the Kingdom of Pontus, Orontes I, ruler of horse-rearing Armenia, and Amastris, the last Achaemenid princess and first Hellenistic queen. Title Theme: Seikilos Epitapth with the Lyre of Apollo, played by Lina Palera (https://soundcloud.com/user-994392473) Show Links Website/Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2020/08/02/048-persian-iranian-survival-in-a-hellenistic-world/) Episode 048 Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/048-persian-iranian-survival-transcript.pdf) King of Kings Podcast Website (https://anchor.fm/king-of-kings-podcast) iTunes (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/king-of-kings/id1511455491) Twitter (https://twitter.com/persiacast) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)