Schriften zur politischen Kommunikation. Bithynien, Pontos und Kappadokien in hellenistischer Zeit

The kingdoms of Bithynia, Pontus and Cappadocia lay at the borders of the ancient Hellenistic world. In contrast to the larger kingdoms of that time, they were not under the dominance of the Macedonian, but rather of indigenous dynasties. This situation allows us to take a new look at the oft-discussed question of how the spread of Hellenism took place. This study considers the conditions under which cultural contacts occurred in this region. The central emphasis lies in the role of the indigenous kings, who, it is said, purposefully spread Greek culture in their own empires. Although certain aspects of the representation of the kings to a public shaped by Greek norms and values may be considered philhellenism, it must still be pointed out that these kings were only reacting to an already existing system of representing authority. To deduce from that an intentional Hellenistic assimilation toward their indigenous subjects remains problematic. This is a German text.