THE GREEKS:

    The Greeks were a very diverse group of people as their culture was heavily influenced by a number of different cultures and traditions including those of the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and India. Hellenization refers to the combination of a variety of different cultures in the Greek culture. Because of the unique nature of their culture, the Greeks heavily influenced ideas and works of art.

    Thanks to the military success of Alexander the Great, the Greeks enjoyed a vast amount of land that spread from Macedonia and Egypt in the west to present-day western India. Greek lifestyle placed a high value on education, especially in mathematics, rhetoric, philosophy, and physical fitness. Also, the Greek military was a vital part of the Greek Empire, and so most young men were required to serve in the military. While the success of Alexander the Great left a mark on many different aspects of society including the economy and the arts and sciences, for our sake one of the most important contributions Alexander the Great was that his military success would eventually set the stage for the spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire.

 

THE SELEUCIDS:

    Alexander the Great died in the year 323 B.C. There was no immediate successor in place and so his kingdom was divided among his generals. The Partition of Triparadisus divided the kingdom among his generals and it was general Seleucus who gained control of the land to become the Seleucian kingdom. This area spans the region between the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea and present-day Pakistan.

    The Seleucian civilization consisted of nine major cities and it was the Emperor Seleucus Nicator who was responsible for building these nine cities. Only 4 of these towns are mentioned in the Bible, and these four cities include Seleucia in Syria, Mesopotamia, Cilicia, and Palestine.

    The Seleucids were a people still very influenced by the effects of Alexander the Great's rule and were heavily immersed in the Hellenistic culture of the Greeks. Consequently, the Seleucids were a very diverse group. There were many traditions, philosophies, and religions in their culture.

    Trade was a vital aspect of the Seleucian lifestyle, and so almost all men worked in the trade industry in some way. The Seleucids prided themselves on their strong and advanced military. This was certainly one of the effects of Alexander the Great on their culture. Military service would have likely been required of all men.

    The fall of the Seleucids began when two rival kings, Phillip II and Antiochus XIII claim to be the ruler of the kingdom. Eventually a civil war breaks out, and the Seleucian kingdom is quickly conquered by the Roman general Pompey.

 

THE PTOLOMITES:

    The Partition of Triparadisus gave Ptolemy I, one of five Alexandrian generals granted a portion of the conquered land, rule over the area of present-day Egypt. Ptolomite culture was heavily Hellenistic, and Jews had a lot of influence in the Ptolemic kingdom. The Hellenized and pagan culture of the Ptolomites was often met with resistance by the Jews, who began to be punished for their beliefs under King Antiochus IV. In the book of Daniel, the Jews were punished by the Ptolomites for following Jewish traditions and for not giving into the pagan and Hellenize culture of the Ptolomites. One punishment of the Jews was to be trampled to death by elephants. The Ptolomites were the chief rival of the Seleucids. Located primarily in Egypt, the Ptolomites were constantly warring over Palestine and Syria because these areas were passageways in time of drought and bad harvests.

The fall of the Ptolomites can be seen in the books of Daniel and Maccabees and began with King Ptolemy IV, who was overly ambitious in his quest to conquer the Seleucids. Angers were directed towards the Jews, and eventually the Ptolemic kingdom became deeply divided and was no longer posed as a serious threat to the Seleucids.

 

THE ROMANS:

Even the Roman culture was heavily influenced by the Greeks as mathematics, philosophy, public speaking, and the military were important aspects of Roman culture. Slaves were very popular in Roman culture, and it is estimated that around 20% of the population were slaves. The Roman economy was fueled primarily by the export of wheat, grapes, and olives. Also, many Romans worked in gold, silver and tin mines. Pottery, leather, textiles, and glass among other exports important to the Roman economy.

Roman citizens were allowed to follow and worship any god they like so long as their beliefs did not interfere with one another. As a result, many different temples were built to the gods. In 313 Constantine permitted Christianity in the Roman Empire with the Edict of Milan, and in 381 A.D. his son, Theodosius declared Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire, although this lasted for some 70 years.

 

 

There are many theories as to why the Roman Empire fell, but many believe that the immense size of the empire was to blame. The distance and chains of communication often undermined the authority of the Caesar. Finally, in 476 A.D., Odoacer sacks Rome and eventually the entire Roman Empire falls to the Visigoths, Franks, Vandals, among some other groups.