The
Hellenistic Period
Fig. 10: The ancient Greek world around 300 B.C.
Following the death of Alexander the Great, in 323 BC, his kingdom
was divided among his generals. The Antigonid dynasty maintained
control of mainland Greece. The Seleucids governed the entire Eastern
Empire. And the Ptolemies ruled ancient Egypt.
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The Hellenistic period was an international, cosmopolitan age. Commercial
contacts were widespread and peoples of many ethnic and religious
backgrounds merged in populous urban centers. Advances were made
in various fields of scientific inquiry, including engineering,
physics, astronomy and mathematics. Great libraries were founded
in Alexandria, Athens and the independent kingdom of Pergamum. Because
old beliefs in Olympian gods were infused with foreign elements,
especially from the east, Oriental cults became popular in the Hellenized
world.
The 3rd century BC saw the rise of ancient Rome. After securing
most of the Italian peninsula, Rome entered into a protracted conflict
with the Carthaginians for control of Sicily, Spain and the other
regions of Punic domination in the Punic Wars. The former empire
of Alexander was taken steadily and methodically into Roman hands.
The great city of Corinth was destroyed (146 BC), Athens captured
(86 BC), and Cleopatra and Mark Antony defeated at the Battle of
Actium (31 BC). Their defeat marks the end of the Hellenistic Age.
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Between the 3rd to 1st century BC the Island of Rhodes emerged as
the preeminent island in maritime commerce. Rhodes controlled most
of the sea trade in the eastern Mediterranean until the Romans eventually
rose to prominence. The bulk of the cargo discovered by Nauticos
is Koan amphoras from the isle of Kos, which is a tiny island close
to Rhodes. Kos was famous in ancient times for the excellent wine
that it produced and exported throughout the region.
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