This is the History of the World Podcast with me Chris Hasler

And you're listening to volume three, the classical world

episode 22

The Hellenistic Period. Oh, In the aftermath of the age of the diadaki, three main kingdoms emerged.

Ptolemaic Egypt, which was established by Ptolemy the first Sota, a companion of Alexander the Great,

the Salucid Empire, which was established by Salucus the first Nicator, a military general

of Alexander the Great.

Then Antigonid Macedonia ruled by the descendants of Antigonus the first

Monopt Thomas satrap of Frigia, and another military general of Alexander the Great.

Previously cities such as Athens were the envy of the Greek-speaking world, but now that

Macedonia had taken control of the Greek-speaking lands and extended its

influence over such a wide area, new cities were being

built across the conquered lands. These cities were much more modern and really served to put older cities like Athens in the past.

Alexander the Great himself was an instigator of city building and his cities and those built by

his various successors or Diadukei and their successors demonstrate the spread of something called the Hellenistic culture,

which refers to the diffusion of Greek traditions and culture throughout the known world.

The word Hellenistic is derived from the word Hellas, which is the name that Greek speakers used to refer to Greek culture, which we have to be careful

about describing because Greece was not in any way a country as we know it today.

Greek culture and Hellenistic culture derives from the similarities of culture and languages that the societies of the Aegean region shared.

The greatest city that is a legacy of the spread of Hellenism has to be the city that

Alexander the Great himself founded in Egypt, the coastal city of Alexandria.

The importance of Alexandria during the Hellenistic period cannot be overstated.

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