THE expansion of what became the Grecian Empire began in the mountains of Macedonia. There, in his early 20’s, Alexander began to look eastward. In 334 B.C.E., he led his army across the Hellespont (Dardanelles), separating Europe and Asia. Like a dashing “leopard,” the Greeks under Alexander embarked on a series of rapid conquests. (Da 7:6) Alexander prevailed over the Persians near Troy, on the plains of the Granicus River, and defeated them decisively at Issus.

The Greeks invaded Syria and Phoenicia, taking Tyre after a seven-month siege. (Eze 26:4, 12) Sparing Jerusalem, Alexander conquered Gaza. (Zec 9:5) Once in Egypt, he founded Alexandria, which became a center of commerce and learning. Recrossing the Promised Land, he again routed the Persians, at Gaugamela, near the ruins of Nineveh.

Alexander turned south to take Babylon, Shushan (Susa), and Persepolis​—Persian administrative centers. He then sped through the Persian domain, reaching the Indus River in what is now Pakistan. In just eight years, Alexander conquered most of the then-known world. But in 323 B.C.E., when 32 years old, he died  of malaria at Babylon.​—Da 8:8.

Hellenic influences in the Promised Land were strong. Some veterans of Alexander’s army settled in the area. By the first century, there was a league of Greek-speaking cities (Decapolis). (Mt 4:25; Mr 7:31) The Hebrew Scriptures had become available in Greek. Koine (common Greek) served as an international language for spreading Christian teachings.

Roman Empire

What was happening in the west? Rome​—previously a group of villages on the Tiber River—​grew in importance. Eventually, Rome’s efficient war machine and centralized political power enabled her to devour the areas controlled by Alexander’s four generals. By 30 B.C.E., the Roman Empire was clearly dominant, an early manifestation of the ‘fearsome beast’ Daniel saw in vision.​—Da 7:7.

The Roman Empire stretched from Britain down to North Africa, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Persian Gulf. Because the empire surrounded the Mediterranean, the Romans called it Mare Nostrum (Our Sea).

Rome too influenced the Jews, whose land was part of the Roman Empire. (Mt 8:5-13; Ac 10:1, 2) Jesus was baptized and died during Emperor Tiberius’ reign. Some Roman rulers savagely persecuted Christians but could not defeat true worship. After 13 centuries, the empire succumbed to attacks by Germanic tribes in the north and nomadic invaders in the east.

[Map on page 26]

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Grecian Empire

After Alexander, four of his generals controlled the vast empire

▪ Cassander

▫ Lysimachus

○ Ptolemy I

• Seleucus I

A2 ▪ GREECE

A2 ▪ Athens

A2 ▪ ACHAIA

A3 ○ Cyrene

A3 ○ LIBYA

B2 ▫ Byzantium

B3 ○ CYPRUS

B4 ○ No-amon (Thebes)

C3 Palmyra (Tadmor)

C3 ○ Gerasa

C3 ○ Philadelphia

C3 ○ Jerusalem

C5 ○ Syene

G2 • Alexandria Margiana

Alexander’s Route

A2 ▪ MACEDONIA

A2 ▪ Pella

A2 ▫ THRACE

B2 ▫ Troy

B2 ▫ Sardis

B2 ▫ Ephesus

B2 ▫ Gordium

C2 ▫ Ankara

C3 • Tarsus

C3 • Issus

C3 • Antioch (of Syria)

C3 ○ Tyre

C4 ○ Gaza

B4 ○ EGYPT

B4 ○ Memphis

B4 ○ Alexandria

A4 ○ Oasis of Siwa

B4 ○ Memphis

C4 ○ Gaza

C3 ○ Tyre

C3 ○ Damascus

C3 • Aleppo

D3 • Nisibis

D3 • Gaugamela

D3 • Babylon

E3 • Shushan

E4 • PERSIA

E4 • Persepolis

E4 • Pasargadae

E3 • MEDIA

E3 • Ecbatana

E3 • Rhagae

E3 • Hecatompylos

F3 • PARTHIA

G3 • ARIA

G3 • Alexandria Areion

G3 • Alexandria Prophthasia

F4 • DRANGIANA

G4 • ARACHOSIA

G4 • Alexandria Arachosiorum

H3 • Kabul

G3 • Drapsaca

H3 • Alexandria Oxiana

G3 • Drapsaca

G3 • BACTRIA

G3 • Bactra

G2 • Derbent

G2 • SOGDIANA

G2 • Maracanda

G2 • Bukhara

G2 • Maracanda

H2 • Alexandria Eschate

G2 • Maracanda

G2 • Derbent

G3 • Bactra

G3 • BACTRIA

G3 • Drapsaca

H3 • Kabul

H3 • Taxila

H5 • INDIA

H4 • Alexandria

G4 • GEDROSIA

F4 • Pura

E4 • PERSIA

F4 • Alexandria

F4 • CARMANIA

E4 • Pasargadae

E4 • Persepolis

E3 • Shushan

D3 • Babylon

[Other locations]

A3 CRETE

D4 ARABIA

[Bodies of water]

B3 Mediterranean Sea

C5 Red Sea

E4 Persian Gulf

G5 Arabian Sea

[Rivers]

B4 Nile

D3 Euphrates

D3 Tigris

G4 Indus

[Map on page 27]

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Roman Empire

A1 BRITAIN

A3 SPAIN

B1 GERMANIA

B2 GAUL

B2 ITALY

B2 Rome

B3 Carthage

C2 ILLYRICUM

C3 GREECE

C3 Actium

C3 Cyrene

D2 Byzantium (Constantinople)

D3 ASIA MINOR

D3 Ephesus

D3 Aleppo

D3 Antioch (of Syria)

D3 Damascus

D3 Gerasa (Jarash)

D3 Jerusalem

D3 Alexandria

D4 EGYPT

[Bodies of water]

A2 Atlantic Ocean

C3 Mediterranean Sea

D2 Black Sea

D4 Red Sea

[Picture on page 26]

Upon rebuilding Rabbah, Ptolemy II named it Philadelphia. Ruins of a large Roman theater remain

[Picture on page 27]

Decapolis city of Gerasa (Jarash)

[Picture on page 27]

Roman roads, such as this one near Aleppo, penetrated Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Christians traveled these roads to spread Bible truth