Episodes
The Mahabharata of the Hellenistic East
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the shadowy world of Hellenistic India, where Greek kings ruled in Bactria and the subcontinent long after Alexander's death. They trace the rise of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom, the dramatic campaigns of Demetrius I and Menander, and the surprising cultural fusion that produced Greco-Buddhist art and the idea of a 'Greek Buddha.' The conversation touches on the legacy of Ashoka's edicts, the Milinda Panha, and the mysterious end of these last Hellenes…
The Last of the Hellenes: Cleopatra's Egypt After Actium
In this two-hundredth episode, Lucas and Luna step back from the familiar story of Cleopatra and Rome to look at the final decades of Ptolemaic Egypt. How did a kingdom that once ruled the eastern Mediterranean shrink to a client state? What did the last Ptolemies actually do while Rome was swallowing the world? Lucas traces the slow unraveling from the Battle of Raphia in 217 BC, through the native revolts and dynastic murders, to the moment Cleopatra VII gambled everything at Actium. Along…
The Greek Kingdoms of Bactria: Hellenism at the Roof of the World
When Alexander's easternmost conquests broke away, a Greek dynasty ruled for two centuries in what is now Afghanistan and Central Asia — at the crossroads of the Silk Road. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Greco-Bactrian kingdom: its founding by the rebel satrap Diodotus, its expansion under Euthydemus and Demetrius, and its most famous king, Menander, who may have become a Buddhist. We talk about the city of Ai-Khanoum with its Greek theatre and gymnasium, the stiff resistance of…
The Nabataean Kingdom: Desert Traders Who Thrived
Before the Romans absorbed it in 106 CE, the Nabataean Kingdom of Petra was a powerhouse of desert trade, controlling the frankincense and spice routes across Arabia. This episode follows the rise of a people who began as nomadic herders and became masters of water engineering and commerce. Lucas and Luna dive into the reigns of Aretas III and Obodas I, the ingenious desert agriculture that made Petra bloom, the legendary Al-Khazneh treasury carved from rose-red stone, and the kingdom's…
The Seleucid Camel Corps: Desert Power After Alexander
In this episode, Lucas and Luna turn to one of the most overlooked branches of the Hellenistic military—the camel corps of the Seleucid Empire. How did a dynasty built on Macedonian phalanxes and Indian war elephants adapt to the arid expanses of Syria and Mesopotamia? We trace the Seleucid use of dromedaries from the reign of Seleucus I through Antiochus III, looking at camel-mounted archers, supply trains, and the strategic edge they gave in desert campaigns like the invasion of Parthia. We…
The Seleucid Elephant Corps: War Monsters of the East
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Seleucid Empire's use of war elephants, the Indian origins of these beasts, and the battles where they turned the tide. They discuss how Seleucus I acquired elephants from Chandragupta Maurya, the logistics of keeping them fed and trained, and their role at Ipsus and Magnesia. From the tower-mounted howdahs to the terrifying sound of trumpeting, this is the story of how an Indian import became the signature weapon of Hellenistic warfare. Listen as…
The Gymnasion: Hellenistic Education and Body Culture
In Episode 195 of The Hellenistic World, Lucas and Luna explore the gymnasion, the institution that shaped Greek identity across the Mediterranean after Alexander. From Athens to Ai Khanoum, the gymnasium was more than a place to exercise—it was a school of citizenship, philosophy, and culture. Lucas explains the origins of the gymnasion in Archaic Greece, its role in the polis, and its transformation under the Hellenistic kings, who funded these complexes as centers of Greekness in a…
Greek Science after Alexander: Experiments in Alexandria
In this episode of The Hellenistic World, Lucas and Luna leave the battlefields behind to explore the age of Greek science that followed Alexander's conquests. They follow the forgotten work of the 'lost' physician Erasistratus, whose experiments with digestion and the nervous system were centuries ahead of their time. They meet the engineer Ctesibius, who built a mechanical water clock and a pneumatic crossbow, and the astronomer Aristarchus, who proposed a sun-centered universe and calculated…
The Alexandria Library: Power, Knowledge, and Fire
Before the lighthouse, before the museum, there was the Library of Alexandria—the most ambitious project in the ancient world. This episode of The Hellenistic World traces how the Ptolemies built a legendary repository of knowledge, attracting scholars from all over the Mediterranean. We look at the library's role in politics, its famous scholars like Eratosthenes and Callimachus, and the recurring fires and catastrophes that destroyed much of its collection. What did the library really…
The Ptolemaic Navy: Masters of the Mediterranean
In this episode of The Hellenistic World, Lucas and Luna dive into the Ptolemaic navy, the force that kept Alexandria rich and Rome at bay for three centuries. They explore the war galleys like the 'tessarakonteres', the massive forty-banked ship built by Ptolemy IV, and the smaller 'polyremes' that formed the backbone of the fleet. They discuss the great naval bases at Alexandria and Nea Paphos, the role of the 'nauarchos' as admiral, and the crucial Battle of Chios in 201 BC, where Philip V…
The Seleucid Empire's Fragile Peace: Antiochus II and the Laodicean War
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the turbulent reign of Antiochus II Theos, the Seleucid king whose disastrous marriages and a succession crisis plunged the empire into civil war. Set against the backdrop of the Third Syrian War, the episode traces Antiochus's fateful alliance with Ptolemy II, his repudiation of his first wife Laodice, and the murderous intrigues that followed. The narrative follows the bloody fallout: Laodice's revenge, the brief reign of her son Seleucus II, and the…
The Cinnamon Road: Spice Trade and the Ptolemaic Monopoly
Long before Rome's silk routes, the Hellenistic world was hooked on cinnamon — and the Ptolemies built a shipping empire to control it. In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace the spice road from the Red Sea to Alexandria, where cargoes of cassia and cinnamon were unloaded, guarded, and taxed by a dynasty that weaponized luxury. We meet the merchants who braved monsoons, the middlemen of the Arabian coast, the scribes of the Periplus Maris Erythraei, and the nameless sailors who made it all…
The Pharos of Alexandria: A Lighthouse That Shaped the World
Before the Colossus of Rhodes, before the Great Pyramid, there was the Pharos of Alexandria — a tower so famous its name became the word for lighthouse in several languages. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how the Ptolemies built one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, not just as a beacon for ships but as a statement of power. They trace the design of Sostratus of Cnidus, the mystery of its mirror, and the daily life of the keepers who tended its fire. They also consider the…
Pergamon's Great Altar: Hellenistic Art and Power
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the Great Altar of Pergamon, a monumental Hellenistic masterpiece built by King Eumenes II in the second century BC. They discuss the altar's famous Gigantomachy frieze, its political symbolism, and its rediscovery in the nineteenth century. The conversation also covers the Attalid dynasty's rise, their rivalry with the Galatians, and the cultural rivalry with Alexandria. Discover how this extraordinary monument embodied Hellenistic…
The Hellenistic World: Greek Power After Alexander
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the twilight of the Hellenistic era, focusing on the last decades of the Ptolemaic Kingdom before Rome's final takeover. They discuss the reign of Ptolemy XII Auletes, his daughter Cleopatra VII's rise, and the pivotal Battle of Actium in 31 BC. The conversation covers the cultural vibrancy of Alexandria, the political maneuvering of the Ptolemaic court, and the fatal entanglement with Rome that led to the end of the dynasty. Lucas also reflects on the…
Mithridates I of Parthia The King Who Crumbled the Seleucids
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the rise of the Parthian Empire under Mithridates I, the warrior-king who shattered Seleucid dominance in the East. They trace the origins of the Arsacid dynasty, the brutal campaigns that captured Media and Mesopotamia, and the capture of Seleucid king Demetrius II. Discover how Mithridates blended Greek and Persian traditions, minted coins bearing both titles, and built an empire that would rival Rome for centuries. From the plains of Nisa to the walls…
The Galatian Invasion Celts in Hellenistic Anatolia
In 278 BC, migrating Celtic warriors poured into Asia Minor, bringing terror to Greek cities and reshaping the political landscape. This episode traces the Galatian invasion from its origins—Brennus' sack of Delphi—to the fateful invitation by Nicomedes I of Bithynia. We explore the Battle of the Elephants where Antiochus I earned his title Soter, and the rise of the Attalids of Pergamon under Attalos I, who turned victory over the Gauls into a dynastic foundation myth. Along the way, we…
The Battle That Broke the Seleucids Magnesia 190 BC
In 190 BC, the Seleucid king Antiochus III Megas—fresh from his eastern anabasis and expansion into Thrace—faced the Roman Republic at Magnesia ad Sipylum. Lucas and Luna unpack the battle that reshaped the Hellenistic world: the role of Scipio Africanus and his brother Lucius Scipio, the disastrous performance of Antiochus's scythed chariots and war elephants, and the defection of Eumenes II of Pergamon at a crucial moment. They trace the treaty of Apamea that stripped the Seleucids of Asia…
The Siege of Rhodes and the Colossus: Hellenistic Engineering and Pride
In 305 BC, Demetrius Poliorcetes, the 'Besieger,' laid siege to the island city of Rhodes with one of the most formidable war machines of antiquity—the Helepolis, a nine-story siege tower. The Rhodians, determined to preserve their independence and commercial dominance, fought back with ingenuity and grit. Their victory gave rise to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: the Colossus of Rhodes, a bronze statue of the sun god Helios that straddled the harbor. This episode explores the…
Ptolemy VIII Physcon Egypt's Cruel King
In this episode of The Hellenistic World, Lucas and Luna turn to the tumultuous final century of Ptolemaic Egypt, focusing on one of its most infamous rulers: Ptolemy VIII Physcon. Nicknamed 'Potbelly' for his obesity, Physcon's reign was a bloody saga of civil war, familial murder, and brutal repression. The episode covers his struggle for power against his brother Ptolemy VI and his sister-wife Cleopatra II, his exile and return propped up by Rome, and the massacres that earned him a…
The Achaean League's Last Stand: Rome Destroys Corinth 146 BC
In 146 BC, the Roman general Lucius Mummius razed Corinth to the ground, selling its inhabitants into slavery and looting its treasuries. This episode tells the story of the Achaean League's final desperate war against Rome, the fall of the last independent Greek city-state, and the historian Polybius who witnessed it all. Hosts Lucas and Luna examine the political miscalculations of Critolaus and Diaios, the brutal Roman response, and the cultural devastation that marked the end of Hellenistic…
Cleomenes III: Sparta's Last Spartan King
In this episode, we explore the dramatic story of Cleomenes III, the last king of Sparta who attempted to revive the city-state's ancient glory through radical social reforms and military ambition. Set against the backdrop of the Hellenistic Peloponnese, Cleomenes redistributed land, abolished debt, and reformed the Spartan army to challenge the Achaean League and the Macedonian king Antigonus Doson. We follow his rise, his clashes with the Achaean leader Aratus of Sicyon, and his ultimate…
Archimedes The Mathematician Who Defied Rome
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the life and genius of Archimedes of Syracuse, the greatest mathematician and engineer of the Hellenistic world. They recount his early studies in Alexandria, his inventions like the screw and compound pulley, and his legendary role in the Siege of Syracuse (214–212 BC) where his war machines terrified Roman forces under Marcellus. The hosts discuss the historical debate over the burning mirrors, the tragic death of Archimedes at the hands of a Roman…
Stoics, Epicureans, and the Search for Happiness
After Alexander's empire fractured, the Greek world turned inward, searching for personal peace in turbulent times. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the major philosophical schools of the Hellenistic age: the Stoics, who taught virtue and reason; the Epicureans, who sought tranquility through simple pleasures; the Cynics, who rejected convention; and the Sceptics, who found calm in suspending judgment. They discuss key figures like Zeno of Citium, Epicurus, Diogenes of Sinope, and…
The Fall of Macedon: Battle of Pydna 168 BC
The Battle of Pydna in 168 BC ended the Antigonid kingdom of Macedon, the last great Hellenistic power in Europe. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Third Macedonian War: King Perseus's attempts to revive Macedon's fortunes, the Roman consul Aemilius Paullus's disciplined legions, and the fatal gap in the Macedonian phalanx that decided the day. They discuss the capture of Perseus, the dissolution of Macedon into four republics, and the final rebellion of Andriscus. Along the way, they…
The Battle of Ipsus: The Diadochi's Final Showdown
In 301 BC, the fate of Alexander the Great's empire was decided on a battlefield in central Anatolia. This episode dives into the Battle of Ipsus, where the aging Antigonus Monophthalmus and his son Demetrius Poliorcetes faced a coalition of rival successors: Seleucus, Lysimachus, Cassander, and Ptolemy. We explore the strategies, the decisive use of war elephants by Seleucus, the death of Antigonus at eighty-one, and the aftermath that carved the Hellenistic world into stable kingdoms. Unlike…
The Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV vs Antiochus III
In 217 BCE, the armies of Ptolemy IV and Antiochus III met at Raphia in one of the largest Hellenistic battles ever fought. This episode dives into the clash that decided the fate of Coele-Syria—a strip of land fought over for generations. Lucas and Luna explore the innovative tactics, the role of native Egyptian soldiers in the Ptolemaic phalanx, and the political fallout that weakened the Ptolemaic dynasty. They discuss how Ptolemy IV's victory came at a cost: the empowerment of Egyptian…
The Seleucid-Ptolemaic Rivalry: Six Syrian Wars
After Alexander's empire shattered, two of his successor generals, Seleucus and Ptolemy, founded dynasties that would fight six wars over the course of a century for control of Syria. This episode explores the six Syrian Wars between the Seleucids and Ptolemies, focusing on key battles like Raphia (217 BCE) and Panium (200 BCE), the role of elephants and mercenaries, and the shifting borders that defined the Hellenistic Near East. We discuss how these wars drained both empires, allowed Rome to…
The Seleucid Elephant Corps: Indian War Elephants in Hellenistic Armies
In this episode of The Hellenistic World, Lucas and Luna explore the Seleucid Empire's strategic use of Indian war elephants, a legacy of Alexander's encounter with Porus. From the Seleucid-Mauryan treaty that secured Ptolemaic elephants to Antiochus III's hundred-strong corps at Raphia and Magnesia, they trace how these beasts shaped Hellenistic warfare. Along the way, they discuss the logistics of capturing and training elephants, the role of mahouts, and the cultural impact—from coinage to…
Antiochus IV Epiphanes: The Mad King Who Fought Rome and the Jews
In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the controversial reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Seleucid king who ruled from 175 to 164 BCE. Known for his erratic behavior, ambitious building projects, and disastrous war with Rome, Antiochus also sparked the Maccabean Revolt by imposing Hellenistic practices on the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. We explore his childhood as a hostage in Rome, his elevation of Zeus Olympios, the mystery of his sudden death, and the enduring legacy of his conflict…
Cleopatra Selene: Ptolemaic Queen of Mauretania
When Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony fell, their daughter Cleopatra Selene was marched through Rome in chains. But instead of fading into obscurity, she was married to a Numidian prince and became queen of Mauretania, ruling from the magnificent capital of Caesarea (modern Cherchell, Algeria). This episode follows Selene's improbable rise: her survival after Actium, her marriage to Juba II of Mauretania—a scholarly king raised in Rome—and how the two turned their client kingdom into a Hellenistic…
The Mauryan-Greek Encounter: Ashoka and the Hellenistic World
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the remarkable diplomatic and cultural exchange between the Mauryan Empire and the Hellenistic kingdoms after Alexander. They focus on the reign of Ashoka the Great (c. 268–232 BCE), whose rock edicts and pillars reveal a network of embassies sent to five Hellenistic rulers: Antiochus II Theos of the Seleucid Empire, Ptolemy II Philadelphus of Egypt, Antigonus Gonatas of Macedon, Magas of Cyrene, and Alexander of Epirus. Lucas explains how Ashoka, after…
The Indo-Greek Kingdoms: When Greeks Ruled India
After Alexander's retreat, Greek kings carved out kingdoms deep in the Indian subcontinent, blending Hellenistic culture with Buddhism. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the rise of the Indo-Greek kingdoms, focusing on the dynamic reign of Menander I Soter (c. 165–130 BCE), who embraced Buddhism and debated with sage Nāgasena in the famous Milinda Pañha. They discuss how Greek rulers like Demetrius I and Apollodotus I expanded into the Punjab and Sindh, issuing bilingual coins that fused…
The Greco-Bactrian Kingdom: Greek Buddhism and the Silk Road
In this episode of The Hellenistic World, Lucas and Luna explore the remarkable Greco-Bactrian kingdom—the easternmost outpost of Hellenistic civilization that blended Greek culture with Buddhism and Persian traditions. They discuss how Diodotus I broke away from the Seleucid Empire around 250 BCE to found an independent Greek kingdom in what is now Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Lucas explains how the city of Ai Khanoum, already covered in episode 165, was part of this wider Greek realm. But the…
Pergamon Library: Alexandria's Rival in the Hellenistic World
When we think of ancient libraries, Alexandria dominates the story. But in the second century BCE, the Attalid kings of Pergamon built a library that rivaled the Ptolemies' institution, housing over 200,000 volumes and attracting scholars like the Stoic philosopher Crates of Mallus. This episode explores the competition between Pergamon and Alexandria—marked by espionage, an embargo on papyrus that led to the invention of parchment (from the Latin 'pergamena'), and the creation of the famous…
The Library of Alexandria: Scholarship and Loss
In this episode, Lucas and Luna delve into the legendary Library of Alexandria, exploring its foundation under Ptolemy I Soter and Ptolemy II Philadelphus, its role as a hub for Hellenistic scholarship, and the tragic circumstances of its decline. They discuss the library's ambitious collection efforts, including the famous story of ships being searched for books, and highlight key figures like Callimachus, Eratosthenes, and Zenodotus. The conversation examines the various theories about the…
Ai Khanoum: A Greek City at the Edge of the World
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the remarkable story of Ai Khanoum, a Hellenistic city founded in what is now northern Afghanistan, possibly by Alexander the Great himself. Discovered by a French archaeological mission in the 1960s, Ai Khanoum reveals a vibrant fusion of Greek and Central Asian cultures. The city boasted a gymnasium, a theater, and an acropolis, but also incorporated local architectural and religious elements. Lucas discusses the city's founder, likely the Seleucid…
The Seleucid Empire: Antiochus III and the Anabasis East
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the eastern anabasis of Antiochus III Megas, the Seleucid king who marched his army through Iran, Mesopotamia, and Bactria between 212 and 204 BCE. They discuss his campaign against the rebel Molon, the siege of Seleucia on the Tigris, his confrontation with Arsaces II of Parthia, and the dramatic submission of the Greco-Bactrian king Euthydemus I. The episode dives into Antiochus's use of war elephants, his diplomacy with the Mauryan court, and the…
The Seleucid Empire's Greek Cities in Iran and Mesopotamia
In this episode of The Hellenistic World, Lucas and Luna explore the Seleucid Empire's ambitious project of founding Greek cities deep in Iran and Mesopotamia. From Seleucia on the Tigris to the military colony of Dura-Europos, they examine how these urban centers spread Hellenistic culture while interacting with local populations. They discuss the Seleucid policy of military settlement, the role of the 'Greek polis' as a tool of control, and the eventual decline of these cities under Parthian…
The Siege of Rhodes: Hellenistic Warfare at Its Peak
In 305 BCE, Demetrios Poliorketes — the 'City-Besieger' — turned his massive siege train on the wealthy island republic of Rhodes. For a full year, the Rhodians held out against the largest artillery bombardment the ancient world had ever seen, including the famous helepolis, a nine-story siege tower on wheels. This episode follows the siege day by day: the naval blockade, the desperate counter-mining, the night sallies, and the diplomatic tightrope the Rhodians walked between Ptolemy and…
The Peace of Apamea: Rome Breaks the Seleucids
In 188 BCE, the Seleucid Empire signed the Treaty of Apamea, a peace that shattered Antiochus III's ambitions and redrew the map of the Hellenistic East. This episode explores the battle that led to it—Magnesia, where Roman legions and Eumenes II of Pergamon crushed the Seleucid phalanx and war elephants—and the punishing terms that followed: a crushing indemnity, the surrender of elephants and fleet, and the dissolution of Seleucid power in Anatolia. We discuss how the treaty created a power…
Eumenes of Cardia: The Secretary Who Almost Saved Alexander's Empire
In the chaotic decades after Alexander the Great's death, one unlikely figure rose from obscurity to challenge the most powerful generals of the age. Eumenes of Cardia was no Macedonian noble — he was a Greek secretary, a scholar, a diplomat who had never commanded an army before 323 BCE. Yet for over seven years, he outmaneuvered, outfoxed, and nearly defeated the Diadochi — Antipater, Antigonus Monophthalmus, Seleucus, and Ptolemy. This episode follows Eumenes from his childhood friendship…
Hellenistic Queens: The Women Who Ruled After Alexander
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the powerful queens of the Hellenistic world who wielded real political and military authority. They focus on three remarkable figures: Phila, daughter of Antipater and wife of Demetrios Poliorketes, known for her diplomacy and loyalty; Arsinoe II, the Ptolemaic queen who co-ruled Egypt with her brother Ptolemy II and was deified as a goddess; and Agathoclea, the mistress of Ptolemy IV who effectively ran Egypt during his reign. The hosts discuss how…
The Nika Revolt: When Chariot Racing Shook Constantinople
In 532 AD, the Byzantine Empire nearly fell — not to barbarians or Persians, but to its own people. The Nika Revolt, named after the racing chant 'Nika!' (Conquer!), began as a riot between the Blue and Green circus factions in Constantinople and escalated into a full-scale rebellion that threatened to topple Emperor Justinian. This episode unpacks the complex world of late Roman chariot racing, the political power of the demes, the role of Empress Theodora in rallying the court, and the brutal…
The Galatian Invasion: Celts vs Greeks in Asia Minor
In the third century BCE, Asia Minor faced an unexpected threat: migrating Celtic tribes known as the Galatians. This episode traces their invasion from the Balkans through Greece into Anatolia, where they terrorized Greek cities and carved out a kingdom in the center of the Hellenistic world. We explore the Battle of Thermopylae in 279 BCE, where the Greeks tried to stop them, the sack of Delphi, and the eventual settlement of the Galatians in what became Galatia. Lucas and Luna discuss the…
Pyrrhus of Epirus: The King Who Won Too Well
In this episode of The Hellenistic World, Lucas and Luna explore the life and campaigns of Pyrrhus of Epirus, the Greek king whose costly victories against Rome gave us the term 'Pyrrhic victory.' They trace his early life as a hostage in Ptolemaic Egypt, his brief rule in Macedon, and his famous invasion of southern Italy at the invitation of Tarentum. Learn about his use of war elephants and the epic battles of Heraclea (280 BCE) and Asculum (279 BCE), where his heavy losses led to his rueful…
The Aetolian League: Greek Federalism Against the Successors
When Alexander's empire fragmented, Greek city-states had to navigate between the ambitions of Antigonid Macedon, Ptolemaic Egypt, and the Seleucid behemoth. Many turned to federal leagues for security and autonomy. This episode zeroes in on the Aetolian League, arguably the most innovative federal experiment of the Hellenistic world. Initially a loose tribal confederation in west-central Greece, the Aetolians built a remarkably democratic structure with a primary assembly open to all citizens…
Ptolemaic Alexandria: The Lighthouse That Shaped the World
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Pharos of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. They discuss its construction under Ptolemy I Soter and Ptolemy II Philadelphus, the engineering genius of Sostratus of Cnidus, and how the lighthouse functioned as both a practical navigational aid and a symbol of Ptolemaic power. The conversation covers the lighthouse's height (estimates range from 100 to 130 meters), its three-tiered design with a square base, octagonal…
The Antikythera Mechanism: Hellenistic Science and Mystery
Long before the first computer, a Greek craftsman built a bronze device of astonishing complexity. The Antikythera mechanism, recovered from a Roman shipwreck off the Greek island of Antikythera in 1901, has been called the world's oldest analog computer. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how this intricate gearwork predicted solar and lunar eclipses, tracked the cycles of the Olympic Games, and even calculated the irregular orbit of the Moon. They discuss its likely origin in the…
The Antigonid Navy: How Macedon Ruled the Aegean
In this episode of The Hellenistic World, Lucas and Luna explore the Antigonid navy, the fleet that kept Macedon a major power in the Aegean for generations after Alexander. They dive into the shipbuilding program of Antigonus II Gonatas, the brutal Battle of Kos against Ptolemaic Egypt, and the ingenious siege craft of Demetrios Poliorketes that paved the way. They also discuss the shadowy Ptolemaic naval bases at Itanos and the role of the Nesiotic League, the island federation that shifted…
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