The Hellenistic Age Podcast

The troubled reigns of Seleucus II Callinicus and Seleucus III marked over 20 years of instability for the empire. A 3rd Syrian War led by a vigorous Ptolemy III Euergetes would penetrate into Syria and Mesopotamia, Parthia saw the invasion of the nomadic Parni, and rebellious officials in places like Pergamon would test the limits of the Seleucid rulers to maintain their quickly fracturing realm. Above all else would be the "War of the Brothers", as the usurper Antiochus Hierax ("the Hawk") would challenge his brother Seleucus II and help bring the dynasty to the point of extinction less than a century after its foundation. Show Links Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2021/01/31/057-the-seleucid-empire-my-brothers-keeper/) Episode 057 Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/057-the-seleucid-empire-my-brothers-keeper-episode-transcript.pdf) Family Tree - From Seleucus I to Seleucus III: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/from-seleucus-i-to-seleucus-iii-1.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)

Alexander the Great is easily one of the most popular subjects for writers and artists throughout antiquity. In addition to the many biographies that present wildly different views on the man, there are a dazzling number of depictions of the conqueror in coinage, statues, and various other works of art. Joining us is Meg Finlayson who discusses her research on the image and legacy of Alexander, breaking down the historiography of writers like Plutarch and Arrian while also extensively analyzing pieces such as the so-called "Alexander Sarcophagus". Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2021/01/22/interview-alexander-the-great-in-ancient-art-literature-w-meg-finlayson/) Meg Finlayson Links: Twitter: (https://twitter.com/agameganon) 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 relatively brief reign of Antiochus II Theos is noted for his conflict with Ptolemy II Philadelphus and his controversial marriage with Berenice Phernophoros (“the dowry-bringer”). But the true focus of this episode is the convoluted yet critically important events that took place in the eastern satrapies of Parthia and Bactria. The rebellions of governors-turned-kings like Andragoras and Diodotus was followed by an invasion of steppe peoples known as the Parni, led by their king Arsaces, which led to the creation of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom and the Parthian Empire. Title Theme: Seikilos Epitapth with the Lyre of Apollo, played by Lina Palera (https://soundcloud.com/user-994392473) Show Links Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2020/12/27/056-the-seleucid-empire-a-royal-wedding-a-bactrian-revolt-a-parthian-invasion/) Episode 056 Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/056-the-seleucid-empire-episode-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)

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)