Modelli di regalità in epoca ellenistica. Riflessioni attorno a due esempi dall’Asia Minore

The kingdoms of Bithynia and Pontos rose in the period after Alexander’s death and became major powers in Northern Anatolia throughout the Hellenistic age. The dynasties ruling these kingdoms had different origins: the Kings of Bithynia belonged to the Thraco-Bithynian population of the Propontic peninsula, while the Kings of Pontos were descended from the Persian aristocracy. This explains why Thracian and Iranian elements survive in the Bithynian and Pontic royal policies respectively. Focusing on these elements, this paper builds on recent achievements in the studies on the Hellenistic basileia to take a step further in understanding Bithynian and Pontic kingship.