Greece Against Rome: The Fall of the Hellenistic Kingdoms 250-31 Bc

by Philip Matyszak, Gareth Richards (Reader)

The acclaimed ancient world historian examines the centuries-long decline of Greek powers in the face of the growing Roman threat. Towards the middle of the third century BC, the Hellenistic kingdoms were near their peak. In terms of population, economy, and military power, each was vastly superior to Rome, not to mention in fields such as medicine, architecture, science, philosophy, and literature. But over the next two and a half centuries, Rome would eventually conquer these kingdoms while adopting so much of Hellenistic culture that the resultant hybrid is known as "Graeco-Roman." In Greece Against Rome , Philip Matyszak relates this epic tale from the Hellenistic perspective. At first, the Romans appear to be little more than another small state in the barbarian west as the Hellenistic powers are consumed by war amongst themselves. It is a time of assassinations, double crosses, dynastic incest, and warfare. By the time they turn their attention to Rome, it is already too late.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Ancient History, Greece, Audiobook, Military History, World History

Audio CD

First published October 19, 2020

About the author

Philip Matyszak is a British nonfiction author, primarily of historical works relating to ancient Rome. Matyszak has a doctorate in Roman history from St. John's College, Oxford. In addition to being a professional author, he also teaches ancient history for Madingley Hall Institute of Continuing Education, Cambridge University.

Reviews

[Read by Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written and engaging account of the rise of the Hellenistic kingdoms, their tumultuous aspirations, eventual fall, and the rise of Rome.

The author adds wit and humor to keep readers engaged, and you need this to get through all the generations of kings, queens, princes and princesses who are all named the same (yikes!).

If you are looking for a light hearted and jovial general history book this is a recommended read. If you are looking for something that does not make light of warring nations from the ancient world you may want to skip this one.

[Mairy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great brush-up on Greek History and a good reminder how smart and humble the Greek civilization was/is. Even though I read about Greek History before, this book was able to still introduce me to important Greek actors of that fascinating yet so intricate and rich historic period.

Pick this one up if you want to better understand that period.

Thank you Net Galley and Penn & Sword Military for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Mary Catelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

The subtitle is more accurate than the title. Greece was a backwater at this time, ruled by Macedon, suffering serious depopulation owing at all the Greeks who left it to form the city-based forces of the Hellenistic kings.

Hellenization was, in fact, a term that was used in the era, though it never went very deep.

Discussions of Rome, Carthage, and the Hellenistic Kingdoms out to Bactria. The various practices. The limited number of names for queens. The way treaties were between not Macedon and Egypt but Phillip and Ptolemy, and when either one died, the treaty was void; the successor had to make such a deal as he could. Most successions had revolts for that reason. King of Kings was a plain description of fact: you left a king on his throne only as your subordinate. You had to. Months of travel did not lend themselves to centralized rule. The aggressiveness of Rome because every consul had one year to win the victories and loot that would enable his continued political career -- and there were two every year.

Covers a number of battles in detail. Also intrigue, treaties, and other such issues.

[Ryan Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

If your looking for in depth analysis about particular events you will have to look elsewhere but this was a good overview of the relationships between Rome, Greece, and Egypt during the hellenistic period for the beginner historian. There was some repeat information but all in all the information was solid and digestible.

[Linniegayl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a number of negative reviews of this book by people complaining they expected it to be about Greece, and were dismayed to discover it wasn't about the Classic Age in Athens, but was instead about the Hellenistic Kingdoms! Clearly, reading the full title of the book is critical. While the title begins with "Greece Against Rome," after the colon it goes on to state "The Fall of the Hellenistic Kingdoms 250-31 BC," well after the Classic Age in Athens, and explicitly noting the Hellenistic Kingdoms.

This was definitely a confusing time in the history of the Mediterranean, made more difficult by so many Berenices, Ptolemys, and Cleopatras (and not just in Egypt by in the Seleucid Kingdom). The book is written with the author's usual humor, and is intended for a general audience. If you're hoping for numerous footnotes on each page this isn't the book for you!

I especially liked some of the short Epilogue, including: "We also forget that the glory days of ancient Greece were long gone before the Romans took over. While the Roman Empire became so pervaded with Greek culture that today historians refer to a Graeco-Roman civilization, this culture was imported wholesale, not from Greece but from Syracuse, Asia Minor and Alexandria." (p. 193). This is a good reminder to me to focus on the impact of the various post-Alexander "Greek" Kingdoms rather than Athens as the influence on Rome.

[Lynnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good summary of a complicated and harried part of history. However, it is a summary, so those who are less familiar with key military players in the conflicts and/or who are looking for a deep dive that walks the reader through the nuances of political circumstances (both apply to me), you may be left wanting for a little more.

But it’s not a bad primer and I liked the almost conversational tone the author uses, especially for an intro text. I found him pretty funny frankly. This was worth the listen—it was my audio read for the week.

[Ethan Weissel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️
Really good Intro into the history of Greece and its interactions with Rome.a little too much emphasis on battles and wars and less on the cultural aspects of the Hellenistic societies but for a shorter book a lot was crammed in here (in a good way)

[Edoardo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice overview, needs a reviser

[David Samuels · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title is somewhat misleading. It's a history of the Hellenistic Kingdoms with a minor emphasis on interactions with Rome. I was hoping for more social/societal contexts and less overarching politics, but I can't blame the author for not meeting my own preconceived expectations. A worthy read overall, with some nice trivia sprinkled in.

[Nosemonkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good introduction to a period I don’t know that well - one of those gaps in my historical knowledge that I’ve somehow never got around to filling. Effectively a take on the rise of the Roman Empire from the perspective of the people being conquered - showing how it was largely down to political division and military incompetence / bad luck among the heirs to Alexander the Great - this was extremely helpful to contextualise shifts I knew had happened, but not exactly why.

Ancient Greece? I’m no expert, but have a grasp - have read Thucydides, Herodotus, a bunch of the classic philosophical texts. But the period post-Alexander had been a bit of a blank spot. One moment Athens is the birthplace of the Western intellectual tradition and Hellenic armies are conquering the known world, then… Oh, the Roman Empire’s taken over everything, somehow…

Ancient Rome? Similar story. I’ve read chunks of Livy, several more recent books on Rome, and am even still halfway through Gibbon (I must go back to that) - but it’s mostly been from Caesar onwards. The Republic and the rise of the empire before the emperors - bar a bit of knowledge about the Punic Wars? I couldn’t previously have told you.

Given almost everyone involved has the same name - Seleucus, Ptolemy, Cleopatra, Antiochus, Antigonus, Phillip - it can be tricky to keep track of who’s who, but it does at least make it easy to keep track of which part of the world is being discussed. “Reading” this as an audiobook while walking the dog also meant I didn’t have the ability to check maps and chronologies and dynastic tables, which would have been handy.

But this was still a remarkably clear introduction to a pretty confusing period. Liked it.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book, providing a chronological history of the political, military, economic, and cultural interactions between the Greek world and Rome. The author, historian Philip Matyszak, explains the long and deep connection between the two cultural spheres, tracing their development from the earliest days to their final melding in the Byzantine period. The book details the rise of a pan-Hellenic culture, Rome’s military conquests of the Hellenic states, and the subsequent Greco-Roman culture that emerged within the Roman Empire. Matyszak consistently references the cultural and economic integration alongside the political and military conflicts, highlighting the dynamic exchange between these civilizations. His narrative illustrates how cultural spheres interact and evolve over extended periods, shaping the broader historical landscape. A great book for understanding the complexities of cultural integration in historical contexts. Highly recommended for those interested in classical history, the interplay of civilizations, and the enduring influence of Greece and Rome.

[Ashley Chitwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative, but the author writes in such a way that the history itself is also very engaging. There are (surprisingly) ample amounts of humor throughout, and while there is so much information packed into one book, which can at times be difficult to keep track of, that is just an unfortunate consequence of a complicated period of history. I found myself needing to frequently look up names and locations, though that is more of a result of my own history education being twelve years of the same US history rehashed (🙄) than a fault on the author or the book. I would definitely recommend to anyone who feels as if their own world history is lacking or anyone who enjoys learning about petty conflicts of the ancient world.

[Tom Pinch · Rating 5 out of 5]

The chapter on Philip V (chapter five? second macedonian war) had me in stiches. then i read it to wife and she doubled up laughing.

"in republics, elites have the masses vote until the voting produces the desired result."

"the people of abydos decided to kill their wives and kids and then kill themselves and Philip was happy to let them do it."

"the clue to getting things done, said Philip, was to start LATE, because the only way these greek windbags will agree a deal is if they realize that further debate will cut into dinnertime."

thummsupp dr maty

[Luke Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent overview of the fall of the Hellenistic kingdoms though probably better suited for someone who’s looking for a quick read through of that time period. Many colossal names of the ancient world were quickly explained then passed over for the sake of brevity. Matyszak does provide some helpful commentary on the fact even though the Hellenistic era came to an end, Greco-Roman culture never faded and still carried great weight in the development of the known world.

[Gilbert Stack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Matystak takes the reader through a detailed account of the clashes that the three empires that resulted from Alexander the Great's conquest engaged in with Rome. It's a fascinating book and made me wonder if one of the reasons for Rome's success is that they elected their consuls and thus avoided the problem of a great ruler's son not being as capable as dad was. If you're interested in the expansion of Rome or Alexander's successor states, this is a worthwhile book.

[Imanol Faya]

Roma es básicamente lo que pasa si le das una espada a un chimpance. Pero ahora, en vez de un chimpance, hay que pensar en cientos de miles, cada uno con una espada propia. No importa las alturas alcanzadas por tu cultura en materia civilizatoria, en las ciencias, en las artes, o en lo que sea. No existe imperio que resista al poder imparable de un chimpance con una espada, y mucha, pero mucha, sed de sangre.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great overview of the different Hellenistic Kingdoms. I did not know a lot about the Seleucid Empire and Ptolemaic Egypt. This book did a great job at doing a cursory look at these regimes and their battles with each other. I did not realize how Macedon was one of the first Greek Kingdoms to fall. Sometimes when you are reading a history book, you want the book to get on with it, this book I wish they had more information.

[Carl Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Greece against Rome knits together several parallel narratives that follow the turbulent politics of the various Hellenistic kingdoms and the emergence of Rome as the new dominant power throughout the Mediterranean. There seem to be few modern narrative histories that covers this formative period, and this one has a few well-turned phrases: "There matters rested, until Philippus took charge of the army in Greece and made a determined effort to lose the war once and for all. This took careful planning, effort and dedication but the new consul was up to the task."

[William Barlow · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has a few bright spots, but not many. I was greatly disappointed in the amateurish writing style and the utter lack of editing. I can't even begin to remember how many simple grammar mistakes I spotted while reading. I've never read a book from Pen and Sword Military Books before, and I don't plan to read a book from this publishing house again.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a well researched and well written book, informative and entertaining at the same time.
I liked the style of writing and how the book is organised.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

[Zee Monodee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit heavy and slow to slog through (you really gotta remember who's who and what's what throughout!), but it is definitely a good history book about the period, going into lots of detail and providing a good commentary about the happenings throughout.

[Michael Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Romans v Everyone except Greece !!!!!

It tells the story of the Ancient Greek country of Syria, and the history of the famous Greek Queen Cleopatra !!!!! But nothing about Athens or Sparta ??????

[David Hollywood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an extraordinarily well put together history of a maze of facts and explanations about a kaleidoscope of personalities and nations and peoples while remaining easy to read and entertaining while always informative. For me its the best account of the period I have read.

[Alberto · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book objectively probably merits only ****, but I had to give him the fifth star for the rare gems of wisdom found sporadically throughout this book that I have not found anywhere else despite extensive reading about this period.

[Will Skinner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fills in knowledge of an important and to me it very well understood historical period. Rise of Rome from the Hellenistic perspective.

Great read for a classiphile

[Dronvir Sirohi · Rating 3 out of 5]

q

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not all of it was interesting, but some of it was, so that’s a win.

[Scipio Africanus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining and informative history of the fall of Alexander's empire against a growing Rome.

[Jeff J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Analysis of how Rome overcame the Hellenistic kingdoms.

[Mads Floyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly interesting.