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The Seleucid Empire
I decided to write somethin on History section, in the end, I am Archaeologist and Historian, and I'm always on Anthropology section, so... It is time that I spend some time here
I got an idea to write somethin about Seleucid empire for start...
Seleucid Empire is very interesting and it is often when it comes about history in shadow of Greece, Hellenic Egypt and other Hellenic States after Alexander's death.
The problem of Seleucid empire was in a fact that it was the largest part of once Persian Empire, and largest part of Alexander's Empire after his conquest of Persia. That area was very hard to control after "fresh" conquest made by Alexander.
Seleucid empire was just one of the fractions/states/empire which emerged after Alexander died.
Even when Alexander was alive, control over large parts of what will later be called Seleucid Empire, was very difficult, due to a fact that hellenic control was not placed in every corner of that really large area, not even close...
But, then again, in those times after Alexander's death, and when new hellenic empires and states emerged from his empire, Seleukid Asia was privileged country in compare to Greece and Macedonia.
Because, new Hellenic Monarchy (Seleukids) was different from Persian because it allowed free comeback for all who has left persia, because of war or somethin else, and also Seleukids treasured all civilizations on that area of their empire as somethin which would help the empire/state, that was totally different politics than Persian, who wanted all that different civilizations to drown into Persian civilization, not allowing any different culture, society or religion which was different from Persian, so that was one of the main differences between Persians and Seleukids on that area, but also it was one of the main reasons why Seleukid Empire didn't last like Persian.
Seleukid monarchy favorited Babilonian influence and it's culture, and wanted to learn from babilonian science, culture and various techniques, also they revitalized babilonian religion in hope they will give to asian people alternative religion to persian zoroastrianism.
But they also preserved some of Persian state structure (because it was one of the most efficient state structures in all of anciet history) like Satrapies (persian provinces with one satrap = governor), they also preserved persian administration but "forced" to tolerate some deficiencies of that administration in terms that they had difficulties to control who is satrap of each Satrapies, because they didn't knew are they entirely loyal to hellenic seleukid govermont, and that was very dangerous, because those same satrapies had control over armies in their satrapies (provinces).
One of the biggest advantages of Seleukid Monarchy (Empire) were rich economical resources of Minor Asia, and great development of that resources under leadership of Seleukid Monarchy.
Economy of the empire was based on money main means of exchange, and gold, which was not very present in Minor Asia, was coming with caravanes from northest parts of Asia, or to be more precise, from present day Syberia.
But a large part of Seleukid money was made of silver and bronze, which constituted the basis and foundation of cash circulation in all eastern countries which seleukids managed to keep away from Egyptian influence.
In this picture we can see Seleukid coins (money) with obvious Babilonian influence (which I mentioned in my first post on this thread) printed on them, same influence Seleukids encouraged in Empire:
But even though Seleukids encouraged other cultures and civilizations inside of the Empire to flourish, Seleukid Monarchy Administration kept methods of Alexander the great more than any other Hellenic monarchy back than, and they continued to develop cities (like Alexander) in all regions of the empire as the method for control of that areas.
Cities were in the same time tools of govermont and means of Hellenization, support for better cultural and social development of society, and key element in financial organization of the empire, because cities vouched a paying for land from those who wanted to live from farming.
In picture we can see the remains of city Seleucia, which was founded 305 BC:
Even though, those newly founded cities by Seleukids were greek, the larger part of population was of asian origin. Hellenic/Seleukid community and asian community were divided from each other by law.
But, Seleukid administration was allowed to give a job to some asian individual to work in administration.
That privilieges for asian people were strong tool of spreading of hellenization on them, because to accept that duty, ment total hellenization.
It's important to add that Hellenization in it's core was not political idea, but it was result of certain Greek social cohabitation with autohtone people, as cultural symbiot, especially Greek large domination in almost entire Minor Asia (Anatolia), if you exclude babilonian region and Palestine where jewish influence was to strong.
Map of Seleucid Empire 270 BC with all larger cities:
That's all from me for now about Seleucids
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Originally Posted by Robocop
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