Читать книгу Империя и ее соседи - Сборник статей, Андрей Владимрович Быстров, Анна Владимировна Климович - Страница 5

CAH – The Cambridge Ancient History.

RC – Welles Ch.B. The Royal Correspondence in the Hellenistic Period. New Haven: Yale University press. 1934.

The image of the Hellenistic king in the ancient historical tradition

Abstract. The article analyzes those works of ancient Greek and Roman historians that tell about the Roman conquest of Greece and the Hellenistic states, in which the image of the Hellenistic kings was created. The author of the article mentions three main approaches of ancient authors. Polybius and a few other authors very complimentarily characterized such important Roman allies as the kings of the Pergamon state Attalus I and Eumenes II. Criticism of this small group of kings was not expressed or sounded very restrained. The second group consisted of the most famous and dangerous opponents of Rome: Antiochus III, Philip V, Perseus, Mithridates VI Eupator and some other kings. Greek and Roman historians recognized the scale and greatness of these political figures: they are described as an outstanding statesmen, experienced commanders. At the same time, much was said about their shortcomings and vices. The victory over these kings was presented as a great achievement of the Roman state.

Finally, the third group – the most numerous – consisted of many kings of all Hellenistic dynasties, who were characterized exclusively negatively: their cruelty, treachery, tendency to drunkenness, debauchery, idleness, and the absence of any positive state activity on their part were emphasized. Among them were Antiochus IV Epiphanes, Attalus III Philometor and many others. This group of kings served as confirmation of the idea of a deep crisis of the Hellenistic world and the inevitability of its conquest by Rome.

Key words: Hellenism, Hellenistic state, ancient historical tradition, king’s power, image of the king.

Klimov Oleg Yuryevich, PhD, History, Professor, Professor of the Department of Ancient Greek and Roman History, Institute of History, St. Petersburg State University o.klimov@spbu.ru

olegklimov@mail.ru