Achaemenid and Greco-Macedonian inheritances in the semi-Hellenised kingdoms of eastern Asia Minor
The present thesis aims to analyse the manner in which the ethnically and culturally diverse environment of Eastern Anatolia during the Hellenistic era has influenced the royal houses of the Mithradatids, Ariarathids, Ariobarzanids and Commagenian Orontids. The focus of analysis will be represented by the contact and osmosis between two of the major cultural influences present in the area, namely the Iranian (more often than not Achaemenid Persian) and Greco-Macedonian, and the way in which they were engaged by the ruling houses, in their attempt to establish, preserve and legitimise their rule. This will be followed in a number of fields: dynastic policies and legitimacy conceptions, religion, army and administration. In each of these fields, discrete elements betraying the direct influence of one or the other cultural traditions will be followed and examined, both in isolation and in interaction with other elements, together with which they form a diverse, but nevertheless coherent whole. The eventual result of this analysis will be to demonstrate how the intersection of cultures and the willing appropriation by the ruling houses of what we might call, using a modern term, âmulticulturalismâ has created
Ghita, Cristian Emilian
Asia Minor ; Hellenistic History ; Pontus ; Cappadocia ; Commagene
Achaemenid and Greco-Macedonian inheritances in the semi-Hellenised kingdoms of eastern Asia Minor. The present thesis aims to analyse the manner in which the ethnically and culturally diverse environment of Eastern Anatolia during the Hellenistic era has influenced the royal houses of the Mithradatids, Ariarathids, Ariobarzanids and Commagenian Orontids. The focus of analysis will be represented by the contact and osmosis between two of the major cultural influences present in the area, namely the Iranian (more often than not Achaemenid Persian) and Greco-Macedonian, and the way in which they were engaged by the ruling houses, in their attempt to establish, preserve and legitimise their rule. This will be followed in a number of fields: dynastic policies and legitimacy conceptions, religion, army and administration. In each of these fields, discrete elements betraying the direct influence of one or the other cultural traditions will be followed and examined, both in isolation and in interaction with other elements, together with which they form a diverse, but nevertheless coherent whole. The eventual result of this analysis will be to demonstrate how the intersection of cultures and the willing appropriation by the ruling houses of what we might call, using a modern term, âmulticulturalismâ has created
achaemenid greco macedonian inheritance semi kingdom eastern asia_minor present aim_analyse manner ethnically culturally diverse environment eastern anatolia hellenistic era influence royal house focus analysis represent contact two_major cultural influence present area namely iranian often achaemenid persian greco macedonian way engage ruling house attempt_establish preserve legitimise rule follow number field dynastic policy legitimacy conception religion army administration field discrete element betray direct_influence cultural_tradition follow examine isolation interaction element together_form diverse nevertheless coherent_whole eventual analysis intersection culture willing appropriation ruling house might_call use modern term multiculturalism create