Decline and Fall of Ancient Greece

Decline and Fall of Ancient Greece

Learn about the emergence of Alexander the Great, Hellenistic Greece, the rise of Rome, the Battle of Corinth, main causes, and other facts related to the Decline and fall of Ancient Greece.

Decline and Fall of Ancient Greece

For hundreds of years, ancient Greece dominated both the Mediterranean and the rest of the world. However, like other civilizations, Ancient Greece eventually experienced a collapse and was subjugated by the Romans, a young and emerging superpower.

Alexander the Great

The once-dominant Greek city-states of Sparta, Athens, Thebes, and Corinth were weakened for years by internal conflicts. After ascending to power, Philip II of Macedon (northern Greece) rode south in 338 BC and overthrew the cities of Thebes and Athens, unifying the majority of Greece under his control.

After Philip II passed away, Alexander the Great took over. Alexander excelled as a general. He then went on to conquer Egypt and every other country between Greece and India.

Greece Divided

There was a large power vacuum after the passing of Alexander the Great. Each of Alexander’s generals received a portion of the empire. These fresh divisions quickly got into combat. Despite having a significant global influence, Greek culture was politically divided.

Hellenistic Greece

The period of Ancient Greece after Alexander the Great is called Hellenistic Greece. During this time, the city-states of Greece fell into decline. The real centers of Greek culture moved to other areas in the world including the cities of Alexandria (Egypt), Antioch (Turkey), and Ephesus (Turkey).

The Rise of Rome

While the Greeks were in decline, a new civilization in Italy (the Romans) rose to power. As Rome grew more powerful, the Greeks started to see Rome as a threat. In 215 BC, parts of Greece allied with Carthage against Rome. Rome declared war on Macedonia (northern Greece). They defeated Macedonia at the Battle of Cynoscephalae in 197 BC and then again at the Battle of Pydna in 168 BC.

Battle of Corinth

Rome continued its conquest of Greece. The Greeks were finally defeated at the Battle of Corinth in 146 BC. Rome completely destroyed and plundered the city of Corinth as an example to other Greek cities. From this point on Greece was ruled by Rome. Despite being ruled by Rome, much of the Greek culture remained the same and had a heavy influence on Roman culture.

Primary Causes

There were many factors that went into the decline and fall of Ancient Greece. Here are some of the primary causes:

• Greece was divided into city-states. Constant warring between the city states weakened Greece and made it difficult to unite against a common enemy like Rome.
• The poorer classes in Greece began to rebel against the aristocracy and the wealthy.
• The city-states of Ancient Greece had different governments and were constantly changing alliances.
• Greek colonies had a similar culture, but were not strong allies to Greece or any of the Greek city-states.
• Rome rose to power and became stronger than the individual city-states of Greece.

Facts About the Decline and Fall of Ancient Greece

• The Romans used a new type of fighting formation called the “maniple.” It was more flexible than the Greek military formation called the “phalanx.”
• Although the Romans conquered the Greek peninsula in 146 BC, they did not take control of Egypt until 31 BC. Some historians consider this to be the end of the Hellenistic Period.
• The Greek language continued to be the main language used in the eastern part of the Roman Empire for hundreds of years.
• Life in Greece continued much the same under Roman rule.

Read also : Peloponnesian War History & Facts

For more information read this book : The Decline and Fall of Ancient Greece (Turning Points in World History)