Dr. Shirley's History Pages
Part 7 : Alexander & the Hellenistic Period
333 - 63 BC
Greek culture predominated throughout the Middle East. A form of the Greek language became the lingua franca for the whole region - the "Common Language" or the "Koine". Koine Greek is the language in which the New Testament was written. The land of Israel was in the path of the two main empires, Egypt and Persia, and became a pawn in the political struggles.
All dates are approximate.
356 BC - birth of Alexander
336 BC - Alexander succeeded to the throne of his father Philip II of Macedon
334 BC - Alexander began the conquest of the Persian Empire with 30,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry, no navy, and no money
333 BC - Alexander invades Israel
332 BC - Alexander takes Jerusalem and also founds the city of Alexandria in Egypt
331 BC - Alexander defeats Darius III of Persia
330 BC - Alexander enters Babylon
327 BC - Alexander invades India
326 BC - his troops refuse to go further, and his generals force him to turn back
323 BC - Alexander dies in Babylon
The empire was divided amongst his generals Seleucis, Ptolemy, Antigonus, and some others who were either killed or took smaller pieces of territory.
His mother, his wife and his posthumous son were killed in the struggle for power which ensued.
His general Ptolemy took his body to Egypt for burial.
Greek became the language of commerce throughout the Middle East
Persia and Palestine
Seleucid Dynasty 312-64 BC |
Egypt
Ptolemaic Dynasty 323-31 BC |
Elsewhere |
| Seleucis takes Persia and parts of Asia Minor, founds the Seleucid dynasty with Antioch as the capital city. The Seleucid dynasty was marked by internal strife and a weakening of the kingdom until it was taken by Tigranes of Armenia, 83 BC and annexed to the Roman Empire by Pompey in 64 BC |
Ptolemy Soter takes Egypt and Syro-Phoenicia (including Israel/Palestine), founds the dynasty of the Ptolemies (I - IX), Cleopatra Bernice, Ptolemies X - XII, ending with Cleopatra VII - the one who had a couple of children by Julius Caesar, married Marc Anthony, and committed suicide when defeated by Augustus in 31 BC |
Antigonus took Phrygia (in what is now Turkey), but was defeated by Ptolemy and Seleucis in the battle of Gaza (312 BC).
312-301 BC Antigonus I ruled Judah until he was killed at the Battle of the kings (Ipsus, 301 BC)
Palestine then reverted to Seleucid rule
Antipater and his son Cassander took Macedon and Greece |
| Ptolemies |
Seleucids |
|---|
| 323-283 BC - Ptolemy I, founder of the library of Alexandria |
312-280 BC - Seleucis I Nicator, founder of Antioch |
283-247 BC - Ptolemy II Philadelphus, murdered his brother, married his own sister, Arsinoe
Enlarged the Library at Alexandria; under his direction, the Hebrew Scriptures were translated into Greek - the Septuagint, "LXX", so called because of the tradition that 70, or 72, Jewish scholars worked on the translation |
280-261 BC - Antiochus I Soter
261-246 BC - Antiochus II Theos |
| 247-221 BC - Ptolemy III Euergetes (Benefactor) |
246-226 BC - Seleucis II Callinicus
226-223 BC - Seleucis III Keroneos |
221-203 BC - Ptolemy IV Philopater
203-181 BC - Ptolemy V Epiphanes |
222-187 BC - Antiochus III The Great |
| 198 BC - Antiochus III invaded Palestine, defeated Ptolemy V Epiphanes at the Battle of Paneas (Banyas). Antiochus was restrained from invasion of Egypt by Rome, which declared Egypt a Roman Protectorate. Antiochus and Ptolemy signed a treaty which transferred Palestine from Egypt to the Seleucid Empire; Ptolemy married the daughter of Antiochus |
| 180-146 BC - Ptolemy VI Philometor |
187-175 BC - Seleucis IV Philopator (murdered). Because he had to find money to pay tribute to
Rome, he attempted to plunder the Temple in Jerusalem, and raised taxes throughout the land
175-163 BC - Antiochus IV Epiphanes, brother of Seleucis IV. Because of the terrors of his rule his description was changed from "Epiphanes" ("shining out", a divine title, to "Epimanes", "the maniac"). He attempted to impose Greek and pagan worship and practices on the Jews, and sparked the Maccabean Revolt
163-162 BC - Antiochus V Eupator
162-150 BC - Demetrius I
150 BC - Demetrius II vs. Alexander Balas
150-145 BC - Alexander Balas
|
| 145-117 BC - Ptolemy VII ( Euergetes II ) |
145-139 BC - Demtrius II
139-134 BC - Antiochus VII |
- 336 BC
- Zeno, Greek philosopher, founder of the Stoic school
- 335 BC
- Aristotle returns to Athens and founds the Peripatetic (walking-about) School of Philosophy
- 323 BC
- Euclid's "Elements" - fundamentals of geometry. Euclid was teaching in Alexandria
- 322 BC
- Death of Aristotle at age 63
- 307 BC
- Ptolemy Soter begins to build the Museum and Library of Alexandria
- 304 BC
- Ptolemy captures Jerusalem
- 300-270 BC
- Simon the Just - one of the last Men of the Great Assembly. Repaired Temple and fortified Jerusalem
- 287-212 BC
- Archimedes of Syracuse, Greek mathematician, studied in Alexandria
- 285 BC
- Ptolemy Soter abdicates in favor of his son
- 285-247 BC
- Ptolemy II Philadelphus, commissioned the translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek - the Septuagint (ca. 255 BC)
- 281 BC
- Seleucis wins controls of all of Alexander's Empire except Egypt
- 276-194 BC
- Eratosthenes, Greek mathematician, postulates a spherical earth which moves around the sun, and estimates the circumference of the earth
- 264-241 BC
- First Punic War (between Rome and Carthage) Carthage lost Sicily to Rome. ("Punic" comes from "Poeni" the Latin name for the Carthaginians, referring to their Phoenician origins)
- ca. 250 BC
- parchment produced at Pergamum
- 247-221 BC
- Ptolemy III Euergetes (Egypt)
- 247-182 BC
- Hannibal, Carthaginian general
- 246 BC
- Antiochus II Theos, killed by his wife, and succeeded by his son Seleucis II Callinicus
- 241 BC
- Orias II, High Priest in Jerusalem, stopped paying taxes to Ptolemy III, thinking that Ptolemy was about to lose a battle with Seleucis. Ptolemy won the battle and transfered the priesthood to the House of Tobias who hadsettled in Jerusalem from Transjordan. Tobiads were Hellenists; remained in power for a century
- 239 BC
- Rome seizes Sardinia and Corsica from Carthage.
Rome takes Sicily from Carthage
- 233-183 BC
- Scipio Africanus the Elder, Roman general
- 223-187 BC
- Antiochus III, wins the battles of Gaza (200 BC) and Banias (198 BC)
- 220 BC
- Antiochus III regains Israel from Ptolemies
- 218-201 BC
- Second Punic War. Hannibal crosses the Alps with his elephants, wins several major battles, but loses the war
- 215-146 BC
- Macedonian Wars between Philip V and Rome, end in the conquest of Greece
- 202 BC
- Scipio defeats Hannibal at Zama (Africa)
- ca. 200 BC
- Rosetta Stone inscription in Egyptian Hieroglyphics, Demotic, and Greek (its discovery in 1799 made it possible for Champollion to decipher Hieroglyphics in 1821)
- 200 BC-135 AD
- Essene Jewish community at Qumran
- 198 BC
- Antiochus III of Syria siezes Palestine and Judah from Egypt; submits to Rome, surrenders son Antiochus Epiphanes as hostage
- 191 BC
- combined Roman and Macedonian forces defeat Antiochus' army at Thermopylai
- 190 BC
- Battle of Magnesia - Antiochus III defeated by Scipio
- 189 BC
- Armenia breaks free from Seleucid rule
- 185-129 BC
- Scipio Africanus the Younger, Roman general (adopted grandson of Scipio Africanus the Elder), destroyer of Carthage
- 182 BC
- Hannibal commits suicide or is killed (he disappears in the Levant)
- 172-168 BC
- war between Macedon and Rome : Rome wins, puts Macedon under Roman governorship. Rome sets out to conquer the world
- 168 BC
- Antiochus IV Epiphanes prohibits Judaism, sells the appointment to the High Priesthod, and desecrates the Temple, thereby touching off the Maccabean Revolt
- 165 BC
- Judas Maccabaeus rededicates the Temple - commemorated ever since as Hannukah, the Festival of Lights
- 164 BC
- death of Antiochus IV Epiphanes; suceeded by his son Antiochus V Eupator
- 162 BC
- Demetrius I Soter (son of Seleucis IV) has Antiochus V killed
- 161 BC
- Judas Maccabaeus killed in battle
- 161-144 BC
- Jonathan Maccabaeus, brother of Judas, becomes leader, and is appointed as High Priest by Alexander Balas (contestant for the Seleucid throne). Murdered by Tryphon
- 150 BC
- Demetrius I killed in battle
- 149-146 BC
- Third Punic War ends in the destruction of Carthage by Rome
- 146 BC
- Rome conquers Greece and destroys Corinth. Roman society becomes Hellenized - influenced by Greek culture and customs
- 144 BC
- Jonathan Maccabaeus assassinated
- 144-135 BC
- Simon Maccabaeus becomes leader of the Jews; drives the Syrians out of Jerusalem
- 142 BC
- Simon Maccabaeus gains independence from the Seleucids. Jerusalem becomes the capital, with three administrative regions : Judea, Galilee, and Transjordan
- 141 BC
- formation of the Sanhedrin to interpret and enforce the laws of Judaism. The Great Sanhedrin with 71 members met in Jerusalem. Other towns had local courts (small sanhedrin) with 23 members each
- 140 BC
- Simon Maccabeus takes the titles of High Priest, Commander-in-chief, and Ethnarch of the Jews
- 140-63 BC
- The Hasmonean Dynasty of ruling High Priests, founded by Simon Maccabaeus
- ca. 139 BC
- Jews in Rome erect public altars to God, hoping to spread their religion
- 134 BC
- assassination of Simon Maccabaeus and his sons Mattathias and Judas, by Simon's son-in-law, Ptolemy
- 134-104 BC
- John Hyrcanus, son of Simon Maccabaeus, rules for 30 years as Jewish High Priest; forcibly converts the Idumeans (descendents of the Edomites) to Judaism; destroys the Samaritan Temple on Mount Gerizim. Pharisees and Sadducees emerge as distinct parties, disagree with one another. John Hyrcanus sides with the Sadducees, Joshua Perachyah, head of the Sanhedrin, flees to Egypt
- 133 BC
- Attalos II bequeaths Pergamos in Asia minor to Rome. Romans start to settle in Pergamos. Romans start to take over other Greek city states
- 123 BC
- Carthage rebuilt
- ca 120 BC
- Babylonian has developed as a secondary center of Judaism. Jews lived in large settlements, governed by Exilarchs, chosen from the House of David, who remained in Babylon after the return of the Exiles
Parthians control trade routes from the Middle East to China (the Silk Road)
- 112-105 BC
- African wars between Rome and Jugurtha of Numidia
- 106-43 BC
- Cicero, Roman orator and politician
Pompey
- 105 BC
- Sulla and Marius defeat Jugurtha of Numidia
- 104-103 BC
- Aristobulus I succeeds his father John Hyrcanus, kills one brother, imprisons three other brothers, allows his mother to starve to death in prison. Marries Alexandra Salome, conquers Galilee
- 103 BC
- Aristobulus I dies. His widow, Alexandra Salome, frees his brothers, marries his brother Alexander Jannai and appoints him king and high priest. This offends traditionalist Pharisees. Shimon Shetach, a Pharisee scribe, strengthens Pharisee control of Sanhedrin
- 103-76 BC
- Alexander Jannai quarrels with Pharisees and provokes 6-year civil war
- 102 BC
- Germanic tribes from Scandinavia settle near the Rhine
- 100-44 BC
- Julius Caesar
- 96 BC
- Tigrames, King of Armenia
- 90 BC
- civil war in Rome, Marius vs. Sulla. Sulla wins
- 89-88 BC
- King Mithriades VI Eupator of Pontos massacres 80,000 Romans in Asia minor and frees most of southern Greece from Roman rule
- 87-86 BC
- Roman general Sulla defeats Mithridates, burns Athens, strips Greek shrines and
demands reparations for rebellion
- 82 BC
- Sulla defeats Marius the Younger, and is made "Dictator for life" (resigns in 79 BC
- ca 79 BC
- Lucullus imports the first cherry trees from Asia Minor to Rome
- 76-66 BC
- Alexandra Salome, widow of Alexander Jannai, succeeds him as ruler and appoints her son Hyrcanus II as high priest. She reinstates the Pharisees' ordinances, and their control of Temple practices and calendar
- 72 BC
- Germanic tribes invade Gaul
- 71 BC
- revolt of slaves and gladiators in Rome, led by Spartacus, put down by Pompey and Crassus
- 70-19 BC
- Virgil, Roman poet
- 66 BC
- death of Alexandra Salome. Her sons were Aristobulus II and Hyrcanus II. They commenced a struggle for power, which involved Antipater (also called Antipas, the militray commander of Idumea) and the Romans. That was a mistake - Rome takes all
- 66-63 BC
- Aristobulus II, younger son of Salome, wrests kingship and high priesthood from his brother Hyrcanus II: allies with Sadducees
- 65-8 BC
- Horace, Roman poet
- 63 BC
- Roman occupation of Palestine
Pompey invades Judea, makes Palestine part of the Roman province of Syria; Temple Mount besieged and captured
Pompey decides in favor of Hyrcanus II, but deposes him from kingship and appoints him High Priest. End of the Hasmonean dynasty
Aristobulus II and others were marched as captives in triumph through Rome, then became part of Rome's growing Jewish community
- 63-40 BC
- Hyrcanus II, High Priest at Jerusalem
- 63 BC - AD 14
- Gaius Octavius (becomes the Emperor Augustus)
- 59 BC
- first Triumvirate of Rome (Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey)
- 58 BC
- Caesar conquers Gaul
- 55 BC
- Caesar leads the Roman invasion of Britain
- 51 BC
- Caesar writes "De bello Gallico" (account of the Gallic War")
- 51-31 BC
- Cleopatra VII, last ruler of the Ptolemeic dynasty
- 49 BC
- Caesar wins battle against Pompey near Thermopylai in Greece
Caesar brings his army across the Rubicon river, into Rome. "Crossing the Rubicon" equivalent to declaring war on Rome. Caesar's statement "Alea jacta est" - the die is thrown
- 48 BC
- birth of a son, Caesarion, to Julius Caesar of Rome and Cleopatra VII of Egypt. They set up house together in Rome, although Caesar already has a Roman wife
- 47 BC
- As a reward for support of his Egypt campaign, Caesar appoints Hyrcanus as Ethnarch of Jews, and Antipater as procurator of Judea
Cleopatra of Egypt has Pompey murdered. She later tried to persuade Mark Antony to have Herod assassinated, so that she could take Judea, but Mark Antony refused
Library of Alexandria burned (by accident ?)
Herod made governor of Galilee
- 46 BC
- the Julian Calendar - leap years introduced
- 45 BC
- Caesar adoapts his nephew Gaius Octavius (Octavian) as his heir
- 44 BC
- Julius Caesar assassinated in Rome, March 15 ("the Ides of March"). The assassins were led by Cassius and Brutus. Caesar's last words were "Et tu, Brute?" (you too, Brutus?)
- 43 BC
- Founding of the Roman town of Lundinium (London) on the site of earlier settlements at fords across the River Thames
- 43 BC - AD 18
- Ovid, Roman poet
- 42 BC
- Caesar's adopted son Octavian joins with Mark Antony to defeat Cassius and Brutus in Macedonia. Cassius and Brutus commit suicide. Mark Antony takes control of the eastern regions, and makes Athens his capital
- 40 BC
- Herod (the Great), son of Antipater and friend of Mark Antony, goes to Rome and gets himself appointed as a vassal king under Roman authority, called "King of the Jews" although he himself was of Edomite descent
- 40-37 BC
- Antigonus II (son of Aristobulus II) power struggle with Herod the Great; gets helps from Parthians and rules until he is executed by the Romans on behalf of Herod
- 37 BC
- Herod the Great captures Jerusalem, has Antigonus II executed
- 40-4 BC
- Rule of Herod I (Herod the Great). Marries Mariamne I (a Hasmonean princess, granddaughter of both Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II), and styles himself "King of the Jews". Eventually kills Mariamne and the sons he had by her. Romans joke "I would rather be Herod's pig than his son" (Herod passed himself off as a Jew, and would not eat pork)
- 38 BC
- Mark Antony returns to Egypt (and Cleopatra)
- 32 BC
- Mark Antony and Cleopatra invade Italy to fight Octavian
- 31 BC
- Battle of Actium (in Greece) : Mark Anthony and Cleopatra are defeated by Octavian and commit suicide. This is the end of the Ptolemaic dynasty. Egypt is made a Roman province
- 30 BC - AD 14
- Octavian takes the name Augustus and founds the Roman Empire
construction of the system of straight Roman roads to facilitate movement of the army throughout the Empire begins
- 20 BC
- Herod the Great starts to rebuild and extend the Temple in Jerusalem. The project continued until AD 62
Main Sources : Simsothian Timelines of Ancient History, The Timetables of History (Bernard Grun)
Go here for Geography Pages
Copyright © 1999 Shirley J. Rollinson, all Rights Reserved
Dr. Rollinson
Department of Religion
ENMU
Portales, NM 88130
Last Updated: January 1, 2007
