Hellenized Middle East

The Hellenized Middle East (Greek: Έλληνιστική Μέση Ανατολή) was an area of cultural syncretism between Greece and the Middle East (Ancient Egypt, Persia, India), creating international Hellenistic cultures.^[1] Greco-Egyptian, Greco-Persian, and Greco-Sanskrit religions, such as Mithraism and Greco-Buddhism, came from a fusion of deities and religious practices of African and Asian culture.^[2] Alexandria in Egypt, Persepolis in Persia, Bactra in Bactria (Afghanistan), and Sirkap in India became important cultural centers of Hellenistic culture.^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]

Hellenistic world[edit]

Then Hellenistic world began in June 323 BC with the Partition of Babylon, immediately after the conquests and death of Alexander the Great. The following is a list of the Hellenistic regions:

North Africa[edit]

The Nile mosaic of Palestrina, Ptolemaic Empire.

Egypt, Libya and Arabia: All sources agree that these regions ("Egypt and Libya, and of that part of Arabia that borders upon Egypt") were given to Ptolemy, son of Lagus.

Asia Minor[edit]

Greater Phrygia, Lesser/Hellespontine Phrygia, Cappadocia and Paphlagonia, Lydia and Cilicia: All sources agree on the distribution of these satrapies to, respectively, Antigonus, Leonnatus, Eumenes of Cardia, Menander and Philotas.
Caria: Diodorus has Asander as satrap, but Arrian and Justin have Cassander. Since Asander was definitely satrap of Caria after the Partition of Triparadisus, it is possible that both Arrian and Justin have mistaken Asander for the better-known Cassander (or that the name has changed during later copying/translation etc.).
Lycia and Pamphylia: Both Diodorus and Arrian have Antigonus receiving these satrapies in addition to Greater Phrygia, whereas Justin has Nearchus receiving both of them. This is possibly another mistake by Justin; Nearchus was satrap of Lycia and Pamphylia from 334 to 328 BC.^[7]^[8]

Western Asia[edit]

Syria, Mesopotamia: All sources agree that these regions were given to Laomedon of Mytilene and Arcesilaus respectively.

Babylonia: Since Diodorus is the more reliable text, and there seem to be mistakes here in both Justin and Dexippus, the probability is that Archon of Pella was satrap of Babylonia.
Persia: Since Diodorus and Dexippus both agree on Peucestas being satrap of Persia, this is probably the case.
Carmania: Tlepolemus was definitely satrap of Carmania after the second partition, and Diodorus places him as satrap at the first partition, so this was probably the case.
Hyrcania and Parthia: Diodorus allots these regions to Phrataphernes, and Dexippus also has (Ph)rataphernes as satrap of Hyrcania, so it was probably the case that these two adjacent regions were governed by this native Persian. Phrataphernes had been satrap of these regions during Alexander's lifetime,^[9] and therefore his retention of these satrapies corresponds with Arrian's statement that: "At the same time several provinces remained under their native rulers, according to the arrangement made by Alexander, and were not affected by the distribution."
Lesser Media: All sources agree that this was given to Atropates, who was also a native Persian, and satrap of Media under Alexander.^[10]
Greater Media: Diodorus and Dexippus allot this to Peithon. Justin says that: "Atropatus was set over the Greater Media; the father-in-law of Perdiccas over the Less(er)". However, Atropates was the father-in-law of Perdiccas,^[10] so Justin is clearly confused on this point. Since Peithon was definitely satrap of Greater Media after the second partition, it is likely he also was at the first.
Susiana: Neither Diodorus nor Arrian/Dexippus mention Susiana at the first partition, but both mention it at the second partition; it was therefore a real satrapy. Only Justin gives a name, Scynus, for this satrapy at the first partition, but this person is not apparently mentioned elsewhere.

Central Asia[edit]

Bactria and Sogdiana: Diodorus has Philip as satrap of both these regions; Dexippus also has Philip as Satrap of Sogdiana, but does not mention Bactria. Justin, however, names Amyntas and Scytheaus as satraps of Bactria and Sogdiana. This is the most problematic part of Justin's account, which is clearly completely at variance with the other accounts. Amyntas and Scythaeus are not apparent in other records of the period, and their presence here is not easy to explain.
Drangiana and Aria, Arachosia and Gedrosia: All accounts are consistent in naming Stasanor and Sibyrtius as respective satraps of these two double satrapies.
Paropamisia: Diodorus and Dexippus both have Alexander's father-in-law Oxyartes, a native Bactrian, as ruler of this region. Justin has "Extarches" which is presumably a corrupted version of Oxyartes. Oxyartes was another native ruler left in the position to which Alexander appointed him.

Greco-Bactrian Kingdom[edit]

The Greco-Bactrian Kingdom was highly urbanized and considered one of the richest of the Orient (opulentissimum illud mille urbium Bactrianum imperium "The extremely prosperous Bactrian empire of the thousand cities", according to Justin^[11]), was to further grow in power and engage in territorial expansion to the east and the west:

The Greeks who caused Bactria to revolt grew so powerful on account of the fertility of the country that they became masters, not only of Ariana, but also of India, as Apollodorus of Artemita says: and more tribes were subdued by them than by Alexander… Their cities were Bactra (also called Zariaspa, through which flows a river bearing the same name and emptying into the Oxus), and Darapsa, and several others. Among these was Eucratidia,^[12] which was named after its ruler.^[13]

Indian subcontinent[edit]

Indus and Punjab: Diodorus and Dexippus name Porus and Taxiles as satraps of these regions respectively; these are two more native rulers left in the position given to them by Alexander. Justin concurs with Taxiles in Punjab, and does not mention Indus.
Other Indian Colonies: All sources agree that another Peithon, the son of Agenor was ruler of the rest of the Indian territory not given to Taxiles and Porus. Exactly where this was is somewhat uncertain. Diodorus describes it as: "To Pithon he gave the satrapy next to Taxiles and the other kings" whereas Dexippus has: "Porus and Taxilus were rulers of India, to Porus being allotted the country between the Indus and the Hydaspes, the rest to Taxilus. Pithon received the country of the neighbouring peoples, except the Paramisades", and Justin says: "To the colonies settled in India, Python, the son of Agenor, was sent."

Greco-Buddhism[edit]

The Greeks in India played an active role in the propagation of Buddhism, as some of the emissaries of Ashoka such as Dharmaraksita,^[14] or the teacher Mahadharmaraksita,^[15] are described in Pali sources as leading Greek ("Yona", i.e., Ionian) Buddhist monks, active in Buddhist proselytism (the Mahavamsa, XII).^[16] It is also thought that Greeks contributed to the sculptural work of the Pillars of Ashoka,^[17] and more generally to the blossoming of Mauryan art.^[18] Some Greeks (Yavanas) may have played an administrative role in the territories ruled by Ashoka: the Junagadh rock inscription of Rudradaman records that during the rule of Ashoka, a Yavana King/ Governor named Tushaspha was in charge in the area of Girnar, Gujarat, mentioning his role in the construction of a water reservoir.^[19]^[20]

References[edit]

^ Jamie Stokes (2009). Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Africa and the Middle East. Facts On File, Incorporated. p. 264.
^ Kurt Behrendt; Pia Brancaccio (2011). Gandharan Buddhism Archaeology, Art, and Texts. UBC Press. p. 10.
^ Paul Cartledge (2006). Thermopylae The Battle That Changed the World. ABRAMS, Incorporated. p. 5.
^ Rachel Mairs (2020). The Graeco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek World. Taylor & Francis. p. 225.
^ George Hinge; Jens A Krasilnikoff (2009). Alexandria A Cultural and Religious Melting Pot. Aarhus University Press. p. 140.
^ Siudmak, John (2013). The Hindu-Buddhist Sculpture of Ancient Kashmir and its Influences. BRILL. pp. 39–43. ISBN 978-90-04-24832-8.
^ Arrian. Anabasis Alexandri. III.6.
^ Lendering, Jona (2009). "Nearchus". livius.org. Archived from the original on 2015-11-08. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
^ Arrian, Anabasis Alexandri IV, 23)
^ ^a ^b Arrian, Anabasis Alexandri VII, 4)
^ "Justin XLI, paragraph 1". Archived from the original on 2019-11-10. Retrieved 2006-01-14.
^ Possibly present day Qarshi; Encyclopaedia Metropolitana: Or Universal Dictionary of Knowledge, Volume 23, ed. by Edward Smedley, Hugh James Rose, Henry John Rose, 1923, p. 260: "Eucratidia, named from its ruler, (Strabo, xi. p. 516.) was, according to Ptolemy, 2° North and 1° West of Bactra." As these coordinates are relative to, and close to, Bactra, it is reasonable to disregard the imprecision in Ptolemy's coordinates and accept them without adjustment. If the coordinates for Bactra are taken to be 36°45′N 66°55′E / 36.750°N 66.917°E / 36.750; 66.917, then the coordinates 38°45′N 65°55′E / 38.750°N 65.917°E / 38.750; 65.917 can be seen to be close to the modern day city of Qarshi.
^ "Strabo XI.XI.I". Archived from the original on 2008-04-19. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
^ "One of the most famous of these emissaries, Dharmaraksita, who was said to have converted thousands, was a Greek (Mhv.XII.5 and 34)", McEvilley, p. 370
^ "The Mahavamsa tells that "the celebrated Greek teacher Mahadharmaraksita in the second century BC led a delegation of 30,000 monks from Alexandria-of-the-Caucasus (Alexandra-of-the-Yonas, or of-the-Greeks, the Ceylonese text actually says) to the opening of the great Ruanvalli Stupa at Anuradhapura"", McEvilley, p. 370, quoting Woodcock, "The Greeks in India", p. 55
^ Full text of the Mahavamsa Click chapter XII
^ "The finest of the pillars were executed by Greek or Perso-Greek sculptors; others by local craftsmen, with or without foreign supervision" Marshall, "The Buddhist art of Gandhara", p4
^ "A number of foreign artisans, such as the Persians or even the Greeks, worked alongside the local craftsmen, and some of their skills were copied with avidity" Burjor Avari, "India, The ancient past", p. 118
^ Foreign Influence on Ancient India by Krishna Chandra Sagar p. 138
^ The Idea of Ancient India: Essays on Religion, Politics, and Archaeology by Upinder Singh p. 18

[jamiestokes-1] Jamie Stokes (2009). Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Africa and the Middle East. Facts On File, Incorporated. p. 264.

[gandharanbuddhism-2] Kurt Behrendt; Pia Brancaccio (2011). Gandharan Buddhism Archaeology, Art, and Texts. UBC Press. p. 10.

[paulcartledge-3] Paul Cartledge (2006). Thermopylae The Battle That Changed the World. ABRAMS, Incorporated. p. 5.

[rachelmairs-4] Rachel Mairs (2020). The Graeco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek World. Taylor & Francis. p. 225.

[alexandriaculturalmeltingpot-5] George Hinge; Jens A Krasilnikoff (2009). Alexandria A Cultural and Religious Melting Pot. Aarhus University Press. p. 140.

[JS39-6] Siudmak, John (2013). The Hindu-Buddhist Sculpture of Ancient Kashmir and its Influences. BRILL. pp. 39–43. ISBN 978-90-04-24832-8.

[7] Arrian. Anabasis Alexandri. III.6.

[8] Lendering, Jona (2009). "Nearchus". livius.org. Archived from the original on 2015-11-08. Retrieved 2020-03-26.

[9] Arrian, Anabasis Alexandri IV, 23)

[VII,_4-10] Arrian, Anabasis Alexandri VII, 4)

[11] "Justin XLI, paragraph 1". Archived from the original on 2019-11-10. Retrieved 2006-01-14.

[Eucratidia-12] Possibly present day Qarshi; Encyclopaedia Metropolitana: Or Universal Dictionary of Knowledge, Volume 23, ed. by Edward Smedley, Hugh James Rose, Henry John Rose, 1923, p. 260: "Eucratidia, named from its ruler, (Strabo, xi. p. 516.) was, according to Ptolemy, 2° North and 1° West of Bactra." As these coordinates are relative to, and close to, Bactra, it is reasonable to disregard the imprecision in Ptolemy's coordinates and accept them without adjustment. If the coordinates for Bactra are taken to be 36°45′N 66°55′E / 36.750°N 66.917°E / 36.750; 66.917, then the coordinates 38°45′N 65°55′E / 38.750°N 65.917°E / 38.750; 65.917 can be seen to be close to the modern day city of Qarshi.

[Strabo_XI.XI.I-13] "Strabo XI.XI.I". Archived from the original on 2008-04-19. Retrieved 2021-02-20.

[14] "One of the most famous of these emissaries, Dharmaraksita, who was said to have converted thousands, was a Greek (Mhv.XII.5 and 34)", McEvilley, p. 370

[15] "The Mahavamsa tells that "the celebrated Greek teacher Mahadharmaraksita in the second century BC led a delegation of 30,000 monks from Alexandria-of-the-Caucasus (Alexandra-of-the-Yonas, or of-the-Greeks, the Ceylonese text actually says) to the opening of the great Ruanvalli Stupa at Anuradhapura"", McEvilley, p. 370, quoting Woodcock, "The Greeks in India", p. 55

[16] Full text of the Mahavamsa Click chapter XII

[17] "The finest of the pillars were executed by Greek or Perso-Greek sculptors; others by local craftsmen, with or without foreign supervision" Marshall, "The Buddhist art of Gandhara", p4

[18] "A number of foreign artisans, such as the Persians or even the Greeks, worked alongside the local craftsmen, and some of their skills were copied with avidity" Burjor Avari, "India, The ancient past", p. 118

[19] Foreign Influence on Ancient India by Krishna Chandra Sagar p. 138

[20] The Idea of Ancient India: Essays on Religion, Politics, and Archaeology by Upinder Singh p. 18

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