Conventional Values of the Hellenistic Greeks

The image of the Hellenistic world presented by modern scholarship is full of stereotypes. But what image did the Hellenistic Greeks themselves have of their world? This is the question addressed in this volume by an international group of scholars. Their perspectives range widely, and include archaeology, history, literature, religion and philosophy.The essays are based on presentations at a conference held in Copenhagen in 1995, at which basic issues concerning the mentality of the Hellenistic Greeks were discussed. These issues included the Greeks' sense of cultural identity, their general world view, their political and social ideas and their perceptions of the individual.Through their focus on a wide variety of source material, the essays illuminate the rich complexity of the Hellenistic mentality. Some broad conclusions emerge from this collection, conclusions which seriously bring into question the adequacy of the stereotypes presented in much modern research.