The court, the polis and Hellenistic intellectual culture

Hellenistic kings have long been recognised as patrons of the arts and sciences, but an over-emphasis on the king and his court can lead to a very incomplete picture of Hellenistic intellectual life. What is neglected is the part played by the polis. This paper argues that when Greeks came to the court they brought with them the interests and ideals of the polis. It was the willingness of the Greeks at court to accept and encourage the adoption of Greek intellectual culture in its varying forms that made the distinctive mix of the Hellenistic court possible.