were separate Greek and Egyptian courts administering different law-codes, while the law of Alexandria itself was modeled in part on that of Athens.
The continuing coexistence of cultures is not an indication of liberal pluralism. Greek culture was dominant, even if kings did sometimes show respect for native cultures and were happy for their rule to be honoured in native
contexts (the Ptolemies, for example, were depicted like the Pharaoh in Egyptian temples). The only way to gain entry to the new system of power lay in the adoption of Greek culture. One of the key strategies was to claim
ancestral Greek connections. Thus about 200 B.C. a leading citizen of Sidon, an ancient Phoenician city, was able to compete in (and win) one of the 'Panhellenic' competitions in mainland Greece open only to Greeks; his
eligibility was proved by the 'fact' that Thebes in Boeotia was founded by the son of the first ruler of Sidon. When it was convenient the Greeks themselves employed the same strategy to integrate outsiders into the Greek world.
The city of Lampsacus in north-west Turkey appealed to the Romans for their help against the Seleucid king Antiochus III on the ground that they were kinsmen: Lampsacus was near the site of Troy, the home of Aeneas the
founder of Rome. Lampsacus could not foresee how momentous the subsequent involvement of Rome would be for the history of the Greek world.
Conflict over non-Greek communities' adoption of foreign ways did sometimes arise; the interaction of Judaism and Hellenism in the second century B.C. is the best-documented example. The leader of one faction of Jews in
Jerusalem succeeded in becoming High Priest with the backing of the Seleucid king Antiochus IV and immediately set up a gymnasion (174-171). To the horror of the rest of the Jews, the priests ceased to show any interest in the
divine services and hurried off to take part in the unlawful exercises on the training ground at the earliest opportunities. Some even gave up circumcision. Though the subsequent events are obscure (we are dependent almost
entirely on 'orthodox' Jewish sources, especially the first two Books of the Maccabees), opposition both to the Hellenizing party and to their backer Antiochus grew. This reached crisis point when Antiochus stripped the Temple
of its treasures and ordered the Jews to give up their distinctive ways, replacing Jewish with pagan cults. Open insurrection followed, which soon led to the restoration of Temple cult, but the conflict between the Jews and the
Seleucids continued until the Jews gained their independence in 141 B.C.
Head Of A Ptolemy In The Guise Of An Egyptian Pharaoh. The dichotomy in style between the official portraits of the Ptolemies, produced by Greek artists, and their portraits in Egyptian contexts, which continued the
Pharaonic tradition, reflects the dichotomy between Greek and native cultures in Hellenistic Egypt.
This affair illuminates the relationship between Hellenism and the power of the kings. The Greeks believed in their cultural superiority over 'barbarians', and for them this belief justified political dominance. We, however, need to
look further at the political function of Hellenism. The populations of the new cities were, at least initially, drawn largely from the old Greek world, and the culture of the cities remained resolutely Greek. The Greek inhabitants of
a new city on the shores of the Persian Gulf were tied to their king by both culture and self-interest, needing support from the king in an alien world. Through the cities the kings could control their territories without the need for a
substantial royal bureaucracy. Antiochus IV would naturally help the Hellenizing party in Jerusalem, especially as it probably intended to transform Jerusalem into a Greek city named after him. Active resistance to Hellenism
was strong only in three areas, Egypt, Persia, and Judaea; all three had firm traditions of indigenous monarchy, and all three formulated their resistance in religious terms. The Book of Daniel, composed at the time of Antiochus
IV, foresaw the further extension of his rule:
Yet he will come to his end - there will be no help for him. At that time Michael will stand up, the great prince who mounts guard over your people. There is going to be a time of great distress, unparalleled since nations first
came into existence. When that time comes, your own people will be spared, all those whose names are found written in the Book. (12:1)
Courtiers and Soldiers