How did contacts affect cultures bordering the classical civilizations?

Answer 1

Alexander the great conquered the vast Persian Empire in 334-330 BC. Following his death in 323 BC his generals fought each other over the partition of his empire. Eventually, three Greek-ruled states were formed in Asia: the kingdom of Pergamon in western Turkey, the Seleucid Empire, which was centred on Syria, and the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Egypt. Greek cities were built, including Alexandria of Egypt and Antioch in Syria, which became the biggest cities in the eastern Mediterranean. This led to the Hellenistic period, which refers to the spread of Greek influence and culture in the cities of the eastern Mediterranean. There was also a degree of influence by the cultures of the conquered peoples (Particularly the Persian one) in mainland Greece, and the Ptolemies adopted many Egyptian customs to consolidate their rule there. There was also a great degree of Greek influence on the Romans.

Despite the bad reputation of the barbarians who lived near the northern frontier of the Roman Empire, their proximity to the Romans led to their becoming romanised to a significant degree. This occurred through trading contracts and through periods of fighting alongside the Romans as allies, mercenaries or soldiers enlisted in the Roman army. The Romans adopted the word barbarian from Greek. It meant foreigners and had negative connotations which implied being uncivilised. This expressed prejudice and a sense of superiority. However, the so-called barbarians were less uncivilised than it is usually thought.

Answer 2

Contacts with classical civilizations had a significant impact on the cultures bordering them. These contacts led to the diffusion of ideas, technologies, and practices, resulting in cultural exchange and transformation. It influenced their art, architecture, language, trade, and political systems. The spread of religions like Buddhism and Christianity also occurred through these contacts, leaving a lasting impact on the cultures of the bordering regions.