Greece Against Rome: The Fall of the Hellenistic Kingdoms 250-31 BC

by Philip Matyszak

Overview

Towards the middle of the third century BC, the Hellenistic kingdoms (the fragments of Alexander the Great’s short-lived empire) were near their peak. In terms of population, economy, and military power each individual kingdom was vastly superior to Rome, not to mention in fields such as medicine, architecture, science, philosophy, and literature.

Philip Matyszak relates how, over the next two-and-a half centuries, Rome conquered and took over these kingdoms while adopting so much of Hellenistic culture that the resultant hybrid is known as ‘Graeco-Roman’.

Refreshingly, the story is largely told from the viewpoint of the Hellenistic kingdoms. At the outset, the Romans are little more than another small state in the barbarian west, and less of a consideration than the Scythians or Jews. Much of the narrative therefore focuses on the ‘game of thrones’ between the Hellenistic powers, a tale of assassinations, double crosses, dynastic incest, and warfare. As the Roman threat grows, however, it belatedly becomes the primary concern of the kingdoms as the legions destroy them one by one.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781399000123
Publisher:	Pen and Sword
Publication date:	11/05/2021
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	1,085,726
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

PHILIP ‘MATY’ MATYSZAK holds a doctorate in Ancient History from St John’s College, Oxford University, and has been studying, teaching and writing on the subject for over twenty years. He specializes in the history of Classical Greece and of the Late Republic and Early Imperial periods of Rome. Maty has personal military experience both as a conscript in Rhodesia and with the Territorial Army in Britain. These days he splits his time between writing in his home in Canada’s Monashee Mountains and providing e-learning courses for Cambridge University’s Institute of Continuing Education.

Table of Contents

List of Plates vi

Maps viii

Introduction: Three Rivals Unalike xii

Chapter 1 The Limits of Hellenism 1

Chapter 2 Rome and the Greek World in 250BC 10

Chapter 3 Peak Hellenism 24

Chapter 4 A World at War 39

Chapter 5 Kings at Work 217-199BC 60

Chapter 6 Philip V Against Rome 75

Chapter 7 Rome and Antiochus III 92

Chapter 8 The Romans Go East 103

Chapter 9 The Fall of Greece 117

Chapter 10 Concurrent Wars 130

Chapter 11 The Decline of the Seleucids and the Fail of Greece 147

Chapter 12 Things Fall Apart 161

Chapter 13 Sleeping with the Enemy - Cleopatra VII and the Fall of Egypt 176

Epilogue 192

Select Further Reading 195

Index 196