Very nice job on these videos. For the vast majority of Americans, such basic knowledge is not known. Thank you for your effort and charitable spirit in sharing them. My family and I have and will profit much from your efforts. God bless you and yours.

@RyanReevesM

8 жыл бұрын

+Richard Fisher // Thanks, Richard. I was one of those Americans when I was a kid. I think part of why I became a professor was to help people understand the past. I find most people like history when they see how the big picture works.

@jamesdragonforce

7 жыл бұрын

Agreed!

Hello Ryan, just wanted to thank you for putting all this great stuff on youtube. I've really been enjoying it. Just what the doctor ordered. Well done mate!

@RyanReevesM

9 жыл бұрын

Richard Carlton-Walker // Thanks, Richard! Appreciate you for encouraging me about these. :)

Wow. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I wasn't expecting to be blown away. Fantastic telling. Elegant, thorough, sparse. Wall to wall information delivery. Beautiful work. Thank you.

Thanks for sharing, I been binge watching your vids, I like history, thanks bro..

I think it might be useful to clear up the contradiction and confusion surrounding the Macedonians by describing them as Greeks who were frozen in a Homeric or Dark Age stage of development, preserving the king and kinship system of the earlier Greek states. Linguistic studies seem to indicated their language was a rough dialect of Northwest Greek, in fact. Also, I believe the "Hellenistic League" should be referred to as "Hellenic League". (not "like the Greeks league" but instead " Greekish league"). But in fact, "League of Corinth" is less vague if you ask me. Thank you for posting your very fascinating and entertaining lectures.

It seems the "Further Reading" section didn't get filled with any books? Can you make a popup or something?

Dr. Reeves, between to and Dr. Ehrman, I've learned so much and makes me want to learn so much more. Thank you.

great series, thanks

Professor Reeves, I LOVE how you used the concept of offensive vs. defensive linemen when describing combat between hoplite combatants (around 10:20).

man, fantastic work! your videos deserve a lot more attention! i think i learned a lot about history than i did at school by watching your videos which is f-ing sad (and the truth)

@RyanReevesM

8 жыл бұрын

+Stephen Stine // Thanks, Stephen. Very kind of you to say this. I think I got into teaching because I was such a bad student in a bad school system as a kid, so I've always wanted to help folks find history an amazing ride to take. :)

Great lecture. Thanks for posting!

Love all Reeves' stuff.

Great presentation...thx

wow! great work. well done. thank you so much!

your awesome Dr. Reeves...........love your lectures....thank you

Very good series of videos...that you for posting these 8)

An excellent lecture, thank you Dr. Reeves. I would point out that there are 4 books of Macabees. The EO include all 4 in their canon.

Just saw your I'm Back vid, so thought I would rewatch this lot again. Just hearing the first note at the start was cosy af.

Could you do a video on the Septuagint, and its significance in Church history? I'd love to see that.

THANKS Ryan! I AM GOING TO EAT THIS ALL UP...

really incredible and enjoyable videos. thank you so much

Thanks for sharing. This is very insightful. God bless you brother.

Dr. Ryan I love this, you are a true genius, if you have ever heard of David Bentley Hart (a orthodox) you are in his league for sure. I notice you are a teacher at a christian uni, may I ask if you are a believer in any religion, and also I do not mind if you are an atheist. If that is too personal I understand if you would like not to answer, it just might help me see where you are coming from a little better. Take care and Thank you Dr. Danielle

I think Hoplites are the men who composed the phalanx, greek skirmishers were Peltasts or Theoroi, if I'm not mistaken

@Elivasfq

8 жыл бұрын

+Gakgaming You are right. Even more apparent is that the Macedonian Phalanx was very different from the standard Greek one. They had way longer spears (sarissa) - they did tried to poke people "in the eye". The cavalry of Alexander the Great was very small. It was an elite unit of heavy shock troops. I've noticed that he had quickly went over it, I assume it is not his specialization.

@RyanReevesM

8 жыл бұрын

+Elivasfq // No for sure. One of the seriously funny times in teaching is when you're trying to sum up an element of military strategy that may 1) be temporary or 2) overly-general in order to give students a basic sense of what happened without getting into the details. Plenty of chances for people who spend a lot more time on these things to find it overly simple, but I always stress that historians always can sound foolish trying to run students through material at 30,000 feet. Thankful for you folks who always have greater detail to share! :)

@Bix12

8 жыл бұрын

+Ryan Reeves Always so gracious, Professor. Kudos.

@billkillernic

7 жыл бұрын

Every time I see an english speaking video about Greeks I am like "oh boy...." How come most of you people that upload videos about greeks are so illiterate when it comes to their history and culture... Macedonia not being Greek? lol 1) They name Macedonia/Macedonic is greek and comes from the word (using latin characters to make it easier for you to read) Macednon (Μακεδνός) which means tall. 1b) In Greek mythology the mythical Macedon (who was the the supposed creator of macedonia somewhere near 800 B.C ) is the son of Aeolus (Greek god of wind) 2) They spoke Greek 3) They had Greek traditions 4) They participated in the Olympiad (which makes them greek) 5) They had the same Greek religion. 6) They wrote in Greek. 7) Alexander himself considered to be of the Lineage of Heracles... (which is a Greek historical hero but also mythological) Arguing about Macedonians being Greek or not is like arguing if the earth is spherical or flat... Also there is no grecoroman influence of the modern testament... you end up speaking about romans because you romanise Greek efforts and ideas.... there is very little roman that influences Christianity at least not in a positive way romans just use to prosecute and burn Christians... While Greek influence is profound and shaped the map of Christendom! So its only Greco.. and not so much roman. You end up talking about romans only because you feel related to them since you are a native english speaker.... For example the only reason we see the pope having any powers is because the idea of the Christian/papal institution as a religious head in rome was established by Constantine the Great (Half Greek who thought of himself as Greek) when after beating in battle the praetorians and the roman emperor set a Greek Archbishop (Christian) to be the religious head of rome Eusebius/Ευσέβιος (Which is a Greek name meaning something like "pious" ) and then left to create Constantinople (which is a Greek name and means City of Constantine) in Byzantium. And Hoplites were composing a phalanx... its not hard to know that and its not because the work is 30.000 pages long as you try to excuse yourself you just dont know much (if anything at all) related to Greek history and you should delete this video... I see so many fallacies and misinformation in it I could type a post quadruple the size of this one to talk about them... its nerving...

Great video indeed!! I see a lot of controversy in the discussion below weather Alexander was Greek or not. In my opinion, the issue is how someones defines nationality. I you define nationality as the blood line or in a geneological sense then Alexander is a half Greek through his mother. But my opinion is that, nationality doesn't come from the genes. Ethnic identity is an emotion that makes us feel as part of the same group. And definitely both Philip and Alexander culturarly FELT as part of the Hellenic Group. Even their names are clearly etymologigaly very Hellenic. Now weather the Pelloponisian or Attican Hellenes considered the Macedonians, Hellenic or not is a different story, that surely has to do with the political aspects of that era.

@RyanReevesM

7 жыл бұрын

Your point is mine, too. Which is why I haven't spent any energy taking one side or the other. Some define it one way, others the opposite way. But that won't start the Internet Outrage Brigade. :)

@VA505

7 жыл бұрын

Well, I believe that its time for people to understand that ethnic identity DOES NOT COME FROM THE GENES. Ethnic identity is an EMOTION that makes each individual FEEL as a part of a group. To give a more recent and striking example of this is George Washington. He was clearly geneologically English (or British I'm not sure). However he FELT AMERICAN and he created this new nation that we now call the US of America and a completely new Ethnic Identity

You tricked me into watching church history. Aaaand done.

@RyanReevesM

7 жыл бұрын

Mission accomplished. *cackles like an insane man

Did Phillip not introduce a longer spear that helped his army to defeat most of the other greeks, I believe I heard this some place. Danielle

16:04 is where i became a bit confused. You mentioned the other cultures wouldn't adapt to "Greek qualities " but from Alexzander's campaigns didn't he take scriptures, text , and teachings/adaptations from the lands he invaded and had them translated into what eventually became the library of Alexzandria ?

just be true to yourself..... its mere of affection of each individuals.

Thank you for all this information. Getting a great Biblical education by men like you.

I love history, don't care about theology but still love this channel. Very rare for someone to "turn me on" to something new, but you did it. Good stuff man, good stuff. Please do more

wow so wrong Alexander was Greek. Why because Macedonians are of the Doric tribe the same tribe as the Spartans the tribe that replaced the Myceneans in bronze age. His mother Olympia was from region of Epirus. They are treated differently only because they are a Kingdom where southern parts of Greece were city-states. Alexander himself thought he was the blood line of Achilles. The greatest warrior of the Iliad basically the bible of the Greeks from the Bronze age. He participated in the Olympics which only Greeks could. Plus his revenge towards the Persians was because of his father's death but also because of when the Persians with Xerxes invaded Greece way before his time and burnt Athens and its temple to the ground. He spread Greek culture and language hence the Hellenistic age. Why do people mix this up? It's like saying then Ionian Greeks living in coastal Turkey now were not Greeks nor of the Ionian tribe like the Athenians.

Thanks, i'd forgotten what hannukah was for (friend of Linus)...

Pleasure and pain

Tim Challies lead me here 😀

People who are complaining about the scope of detail in this video: keep in mind you are watching this in a series of religious and Church history videos..if you want more detail and accuracy then why not visit ancient Greek history lectures.. God knows theres probably no end to them..I'm guessing most of the people complaining are atheists

@davemojarra2666

7 жыл бұрын

Andy Holcroft Only the 'true'(AKA my) religion is worthy of respect.

@acolytes777

7 жыл бұрын

"no need to bring the religious views of others into this as slander. " Unfortunately, the harshest critics (and may I say ignorant?) of Christianity like Atheists are always doing this.

I've always thought that the Hellenistic footprint on the new testament is very heavy, with a lot of semi-platonistic thinking in John's Gospel,and many of Paul's letters, and indeed, Paul's Christology seems to have been heavily influenced by Philo of Alexandria's conception of Logos, that the first creation of God is his "son", the Logos, Truth, that comes before the rest of the universe and is the means through which God created the rest, like first God invented Maths and Physics as abstractions, like Plato's Ideas, and then used then to create the physical, and the same for the spiritual and the moral. And I read Saul's conversion as the story of a Hellenistically educated Jew from the Diaspora who has come to Judaea to become a true Jew, to learn and properly adopt the Judaean Judaism of the Sadducees and Pharisees, who is then scandalised by the Christians presenting a Judaism that is more like the universalism of the Hellenistic Jewish diaspora, and who then is forced to reverse himself, who is twisting on this philosophical and theological division between the two identities within himself, and trying to suppress one of them by volunteering for the Sanhedrin's persecution commission, until he is struck blind by the realisation that both are reconciled in the heart of God as demonstrated in Jesus, that the Christians have had the answer he's been imagining and wishing for and believing to be impossible, all along.

if you think about it I highly doubt during a battle they would push each other with their shields, to do that you would need one line of men which was very uncommon (minimum of 2/3 rows deep) the men at the front would be crushed also the men behind assuming the front row was playing tug of war wouldn't of just watched they would have been using their Spears killing the enemy.

Ελληνικη και Ελλαδα. are the original words.

No Further Reading at the end there despite the notice for it. :/

@RyanReevesM

9 жыл бұрын

Yeah this was, I think, either the first or second video I ever made. Had a glitch or two like that in there. :)

Watching your videos has sparked an interest in me to study further into Christian history. I'm looking at getting the book "A History of Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years" by Diarmaid MacCulloch to get me started. Do you, or anyone else reading this comment, have any thoughts on this text?

Dan carlin got me pronouncing Macedonian with the hard c

Dr. Reeves, I've heard some people claim that the "Hanukkah" oil story is just that: a nice embroidery. Can you help point me in a direction to find out if it's fact or fiction?

@citizenghosttown

8 жыл бұрын

+Jenna Caruthers, Can I take a crack at this? The basic events of the Maccabean revolt were chronicled in various historical sources including the Book of Maccabees, written about 100 years after the events they describe but there's no mention of the miracle involving the oil in any of these accounts. The oil story appears many years later in the Hebrew Talmud and its also mentioned in a document called the Scroll of Antiochus. Historians aren't sure when that Scroll was written (some estimate 2nd century AD or, about 300 years or so after the Hanukkah story) but historians generally agree that this scroll does not present an accurate or reliable history. What seems most likely is that there was a Jewish tradition of celebrating the victorious revolt and the rededication of the temple by lighting the menorah, but that the particular story of the "miracle" involving the oil developed later and subsequently became part of the Jewish tradition.

@jenna2431

8 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@Mr._Anderpson

7 жыл бұрын

Be careful when attempting to divine (pun intended) fact from fiction in ancient accounts which some now consider to be histories. Since it seems miracle stories like the one in the Maccabean revolt are spurious additions made to popularize the story after the fact, it seems much more likely the miracles attributed in other books, like the Bible, share a similar origin.

Very nice presentation but a little misleading because the first part seems to be from agreed upon historical facts and the last on the Bible/Torah. Greeks knew of Palestine and the tribes of Israel, but the contemporary nation-state of Israel did not exist until relatively recently. Maybe Greek texts would be a good way to supplement some of the interpretations. It is a confusing time because the Greeks were not in agreement over Paganism; always so many struggles.

@VickiNikolaidis

8 жыл бұрын

+Vicki Nikolaidis Oh, finally I see these are theological discussions. Onto reformation . . .

@tiggergolah

8 жыл бұрын

+Vicki Nikolaidis That's okay. You're welcome here, too. To err is human, to forgive is divine.

@tiggergolah

8 жыл бұрын

+Vicki Nikolaidis Your comment stirs my curiousity. Nowhere does he dispute that the modern nation-state of Israel came into existence recently, in 1948. What part of his outline do you take issue with?

@VickiNikolaidis

8 жыл бұрын

Hi, I'll relisten when I can. I don't remember where I started wondering.

10:12 should've been cavalry and not Calvary, right? Nonetheless I have thoroughly enjoyed the whole playlist thus far (given that I've watched other videos, considering this is the first video in the playlist haha).

@RyanReevesM

8 жыл бұрын

+Marcus Chua // Yeah I blame autocorrect...or sleepy editing. This is at least a funny typo. :)

@KapiteinKrentebol

7 жыл бұрын

A calamari army would have been cool too. :^P

@RyanReevesM

7 жыл бұрын

Mmmmm, calamari army. *drool

@Bix12

7 жыл бұрын

Lol!

@richardirvine1997

7 жыл бұрын

And not the only spelling slip. There were a couple more.

lots of folks on this thread just wish they were Greek. Pontic Greeks RULE. yah sas patriotee! next time, we will ask for copy rights.

Is there a history of Church in Slavonic countries?

Further reading . . . ?

@myagapetos3451

8 жыл бұрын

+Max LaFave 'Further reading' may refer to see the next lecture in this series... which is Roman World. #2 out of 54 playlist titled 'Early & Medieval Church History.

@RyanReevesM

8 жыл бұрын

+Max LaFave Yes sorry. This was maybe the second or third video I made (early in my learning curve), so it was a typo I missed to meet a deadline! :)

@LaFaveBros

8 жыл бұрын

+Ryan Reeves Well it's a great video regardless. I took 3 pages of notes while watching it lol.

@RyanReevesM

8 жыл бұрын

+Max LaFave // That's awesome. You're like me with notes and things. Makes me listen better and have something to take away.

@myagapetos3451

8 жыл бұрын

Ryan Reeves Hey thanks for the clarification, and for the resources! And I too take copious notes for the same reasons Max LaFave

do you mind if I share this?

@RyanReevesM

9 жыл бұрын

Not at all. I put them out for free for anyone who cares to watch, so glad you feel they are worth sharing! :)

@tannardarr

9 жыл бұрын

Sure. They are great overviews I think. I learned new things in the first two and while not a scholar probably knew more than 90 of the laymen would. I take it you are a teacher ....... if you ever get hindering for a soteriological debate..... I will buy you dinner if you give me a ring!

Very informative and accurate videos on Church history. However, your knowledge of ancient Greek ethnological/political history is off the mark. Macedonians were 100% ethnically Greek. Only Greeks were allowed to take part in the Olympic games. Alexander I in 460 BC comes second in running in the 93rd Games; in 408 BC King Archelaos Perdikas wins in his event in the 80th Games. I will not go into the numerous other proofs that contradict your view on whether the Macedonians were Greeks or not. They considered themselves to be the ancestors of the Dorians. Athens, and specifically Demosthenes, basically abhorred the type of governance the Macedonians had and used all means at his disposal to slander the Macedonians. But that was politics, nothing more. Most historians and ancient sources disagree with you. Continue with your Church history series, which is extremely deep and detailed. Thank you.

@RyanReevesM

8 жыл бұрын

+rocco flavioni // Hey rocco. Btw, love the History Channel hair dude in your avatar....:) Yeah there seems to be a live debate with some about the ethnicity of the Macedonians. The issue on my end--or at least a better way to maybe put it--is the Macedonians were not seen in THIS time as being truly Greek ethnically. Certainly there is a bit of propaganda going on here between Greeks and Macedonians, but among the main complains by native Greeks in their day was the charge that these 'foreigners' had taken over Greek culture. That really is more the point I am trying to make. Your points here are certainly valid and worth weighing when I teach this live, as far as how to communicate it with students.

@rocoreb

8 жыл бұрын

+Ryan Reeves Yes, he is quite the character. Thanks for your reply. My point is that you, as historians, must strive to to cut through the propaganda, which does not necessarily means going down the middle road just to seem objective. Sometimes, more often than not nowadays, i think, many scholars seem to offer equal weight to differing views in fear of being called biased. As if the ridiculous notion 'the truth lies in the middle' can be applied 'carte blanche' to everything and at all times, and always be valid. In many cases the truth about something is solely on one side of the debate. Finally, the danger of adopting the 'middle road path' approach is offering credibility to views where there is none. In any case, you are doing great work and it was nice chatting. cheers.

@Rizon1985

8 жыл бұрын

+rocco flavioni Mycenaean bloodline likes his power. Sees democratic city states popping up around him. Is not stronger but likes being dictator. Migrates 400 km and conquers land from tribes that didn't know pain of iron sword entering flesh. 300 years Macedonian kings happy. Knock knock. Who's there? Greek city-states. Greek city-states who? Greek city-states who didn't care for you leaving but now we need your wood, ores and we also need you to stop being an Autobahn for Persian armies so give us what we desperately need to survive and we will be nice. 150 years mingling go by. Knock knock. Who's there? Hellans. We know who we are but who are you? Hellans. Oh it's the Macedonians having a laugh. No it's the guys that fatted ourselves on your coin, let you fight our wars, copied your armies equipment in bigger size onto our own and after patiently waiting until you were drained we are now all going to be Hellans for realsies this time. Macedonians were never Hellans. Thessalians lived closer and even had legit Mycenaean history but they were also never Hellans. Macedonians had what the dying Greek city-states needed and they were at the right time to rewrite history after the dust settled. Taking your own example of Alexander I his acceptance into the Olympic games. Doesn't it tell you enough that other participants didn't see them him as a Hellan but the officials decided that everything was ok and Alexander I was totally a Hellan? That's called politics and 2000 years later every sport organisation is still legalized political corruption.

@rocoreb

8 жыл бұрын

Rizon1985 of course mycenaeans were never greek. the greeks were a fabrication of historians in the modern era. in fact, there is not even a country called greece. it is an optical illusion....you are free to believe what you will. history disagrees with you, however. by the way, what is a 'hellan'?

@susanmcdonald6879

7 жыл бұрын

"Greeks" to the Greeks was, basically, anyone who spoke the Greek language; all others babbled or were barbarians because they babbled, but I affirm your statements...

Olympia the mother of Alexander the great was from the Molosian tribe which was located in the region of Epir (Epirus) which is a Illyrian territory

I am enjoying your course, thank you; I do, however, disagree with what I am noticing is a pagan dislikability bias. the Athens/Jerusalem question is affected by this bias; I am hopeful for the greek mystery cults, Dionysian muths, all the rich pagan culture that definitely added to the formation of the gentile sect of a Hellenized Palestine.... Also, a theological degree is not quite a historical one and history is a mighty, complex, often subjective Herculean task; nevertheless, I am sharing your course because I believe you have much to add to the discussion.... :)

@RyanReevesM

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks. Though I'm not sure the point about degrees. My degree is in history from Cambridge. Perhaps you're thinking anyone who happens to teach in a theological world is less trained?

Is inaccurate as your interpretation of the history has a modern view - all the cities in ancient Greece were city states, with local independent governments. Alexander the great was Greek, mentored by Aristoteles the great philosopher, linguistically was using only the ancient greek language and he was worshiping the ancient greek gods. Athenians and mainly the rest of the southern Greek cities, seen Alexander the great as a threat to their power. However, Alexander was the first Greek king who united all the cities under one purpose. The fact that some people question the greek nationality of the Macedonians is dangerous and give us results such us the FYROM - Yugoslavia who claim they are the continuity of Macedonians / ancient greek civilization, The early Slavic tribes arrived the 6th century AC in the geographic area known as Byzantine empire.The contemporary nation knows as ''Macedonians'' aren't able to read not even one line from an ancient manuscript in Vergina, Greek population from the other side can read any ancient greek manuscript even, as we use the same alphabet and language since the neolithic / bronze period - and we live in the same geographic region since then. All the rest are just stories for newly appeared nations trying to create a fictional relationship with Alexander the Great. It is sad

I know this is History but you did say Church History why did you not explain that the Greek empire was split between over 10 generals down to four just like its states in Daniel. You did not have to go into the Prophecy aspect but you could have brought it up it is true history.

Every time I see an english speaking video about Greeks I am like "oh boy...." How come most of you people that upload videos about greeks are so illiterate when it comes to their history and culture... Macedonia not being Greek? lol 1) They name Macedonia/Macedonic is greek and comes from the word (using latin characters to make it easier for you to read) Macednon (Μακεδνός) which means tall. 1b) In Greek mythology the mythical Macedon (who was the the supposed creator of macedonia somewhere near 800 B.C ) is the son of Aeolus (Greek god of wind) 2) They spoke Greek 3) They had Greek traditions 4) They participated in the Olympiad (which makes them greek) 5) They had the same Greek religion. 6) They wrote in Greek. 7) Alexander himself considered to be of the Lineage of Heracles... (which is a Greek historical hero but also mythological) Arguing about Macedonians being Greek or not is like arguing if the earth is spherical or flat... Also there is no grecoroman influence of the modern testament... you end up speaking about romans because you romanise Greek efforts and ideas.... there is very little roman that influences Christianity at least not in a positive way romans just use to prosecute and burn Christians... While Greek influence is profound and shaped the map of Christendom! So its only Greco.. and not so much roman. You end up talking about romans only because you feel related to them since you are a native english speaker.... For example the only reason we see the pope having any powers is because the idea of the Christian/papal institution as a religious head in rome was established by Constantine the Great (Half Greek who thought of himself as Greek) when after beating in battle the praetorians and the roman emperor set a Greek Archbishop (Christian) to be the religious head of rome Eusebius/Ευσέβιος (Which is a Greek name meaning something like "pious" ) and then left to create Constantinople (which is a Greek name and means City of Constantine) in Byzantium.

Funny story.

All people should know that Macedonia is not Greece and the Macedonians are not Greeks in the Holy Bible: Acts 20:1-2 King James Version (KJV) 20 And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go into Macedonia. 2 And when he had gone over those parts, and had given them much exhortation, he came into Greece, ΠΡΑΞΕΙΣ ΤΩΝ ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΩΝ - 20 1 Μετὰ δὲ τὸ παύσασθαι τὸν θόρυβον προσκαλεσάμενος ὁ Παῦλος τοὺς μαθητὰς καὶ ἀσπασάμενος ἐξῆλθε πορευθῆναι εἰς Μακεδονίαν. 2 διελθὼν δὲ τὰ μέρη ἐκεῖνα καὶ παρακαλέσας αὐτοὺς λόγῳ πολλῷ ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν ῾Ελλάδα· Acts 27:2 King James Version (KJV) 2 And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. ΠΡΑΞΕΙΣ ΤΩΝ ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΩΝ - 27 2 ἐπιβάντες δὲ πλοίῳ Ἀδραμυττηνῷ μέλλοντες πλεῖν τοὺς κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν τόπους ἀνήχθημεν, ὄντος σὺν ἡμῖν Ἀριστάρχου Μακεδόνος Θεσσαλονικέως,

the word greek and Greece are gypsi derogatory words.

You haven't mentioned anything for "Further Reading". I really want to know more about the Hellenistic empires.