Kingship was probably the most important institution in the Hellenistic world. The enormous territories conquered by Alexander the Great were not organised as democratic republics or a Greek type of "tyranny", but as monarchies inspired by the Macedonian kingdom and the Persian Empire. In fact, the idea of kingship was, so to speak, contagious in the Hellenistic era, and the proclamation of a king was the simplest way of establishing sovereignty. This monarchical legacy was eventually taken over by the Roman Empire, from where it was transferred to mediaeval Europe. This volume focuses on the symbolic aspects of the Hellenistic monarchies: what were the values and ideals of these kingdoms? Were they identical, or were there regional differences?

Between c.350 BC and 30 BC the Mediterranean world was one in which kings ruled. The exceptions were the Greek cities and Roman Italy. But for most of that period neither of these republican areas was central to events. For the crucial centuries between Alexander the Great and the Roman conquest of Macedon, the political running was made by kings, and it is their work and loves and experience which is the subject here. Rome's expansion extinguished a series of monarchies and pushed back the area which was ruled by kings for a time, but the process of building a republican empire eventually rebounded on the city, and the Romans empire came to be ruled by an emperor who was in fact a facsimile of a Hellenistic king. Rather than attempting a narrative of the various kingdoms, John Grainger takes a thematic approach, considering various aspects of Hellenistic kingship in turn. This allows him to highlight the common features as well as the differences across the various dynasties. How did one become king? How was a smooth succession secured and what happened when it was not? What were the duties of a king, and what were the rewards and distractions? These are just a few of the interesting facets examined in this original and fascinating book.

Although shortlived, Lysimachus' Hellespontine empire foreshadowed those of Pergamum and Byzantium. Lund's book sets his actions significantly within the context of the volatile early Hellenistic world and views them as part of a continuum of imperial rule in Asia minor. She challenges the assumption that he was a vicious, but ultimately incompetent tyrant.

"The lively, serious, and informed discussions in this book provide impressive examples of the insights achieved when the Jewish evidence of the late Second Temple period is shown both to illuminate and to reflect the wider history of the Hellenistic world."—Martin Goodman, author of Rome and Jerusalem: The Clash of Ancient Civilizations "What sets this book apart is that it bears the fruits of a truly interdisciplinary investigation into the topic. The result sheds light not just on Hellenistic kings and how they were viewed by their Jewish subjects, but also on the early Greek Bible and, more generally, the meeting of, and cross-fertilization between, Jewish and Graeco-Roman culture that occurred in the centuries following Alexander's conquest."—Guido Schepens, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven "This wonderful collection of essays illuminates many facets of kingship in the Hellenistic world. The essays range over Hellenistic philosophy, Jewish fiction, the nuances of translation in the Greek Bible and archaeological evidence. Richly informative, and enjoyable reading besides!"—John J. Collins, author of Jewish Cult and Hellenistic Culture "This wide-ranging collection of essays brings together the too often separate perspectives of classical scholarship and Jewish studies. Jewish Perspectives on Hellenistic Rulers will be an indispensable reference work for anyone working on virtually any aspect of Hellenistic Jewish studies."—Sara Raup Johnson, author of Historical Fictions and Hellenistic Jewish Identity: Third Maccabees in its Cultural Context "This thought-provoking book presents a series of superb studies on Jewish-Greek views of hellenistic monarchy that together are suggestive of the rich interplay between Hellenistic Jewish intellectual traditions and their deep connections to the greater world of the Hellenistic monarchies. The volume will surely stimulate much more work on the subject, and will be required reading for all those whose interests touch on the subject of Hellenistic Judaism and Hellenistic history and culture more broadly."—J.G. Manning, author of Land and Power in Hellenistic Egypt: The Structure of Land Tenure

The social and political aspects of ancient kingship are examined in this historical study of the Hellenistic period. For the crucial centuries between Alexander the Great and the Roman conquest of Macedon, the Mediterranean world was overwhelmingly ruled by kings. This fascinating history examines the work, experience, and preoccupations of these monarchs. Rather than presenting a chronological narrative, John Grainger takes a thematic approach, highlighting the common features as well as the differences across the various dynasties. How did one become king? How was a smooth succession secured—and what happened when it was not? What were the duties of a king, and what were the rewards and pitfalls of rule? These are just a few of the topics examined in this original and fascinating book.

Although shortlived, Lysimachus' Hellespontine empire foreshadowed those of Pergamum and Byzantium. Lund's book sets his actions significantly within the context of the volatile early Hellenistic world and views them as part of a continuum of imperial rule in Asia minor. She challenges the assumption that he was a vicious, but ultimately incompetent tyrant.

"This essay attempts to suggest the prehistoric evolution of kingship as an institution, to describe divine kingship as found in the ancient Near East in its various shades and degrees, its ramifications and diffusions, and finally to demonstrate that the recurrence of this institution in the sophisticated culture of the Hellenistic world was a conscious adoption from the East of a convenient political form"--