Studia Antiqua et Archaeologica 23(2): 293–302
Oleg KLIMOV
ABSTRACT
The article deals with the problem of the political decision-making process at the court of the Hellenistic Kings. The Hellenistic Kings possessed a strong power and vast material and human resources. They took the administrative, legislative, juridical, military and other branches of power in their hands. Nevertheless in many cases when we have the possibility to follow the decision–making process one can notice that many kings preferred the collective forms of searching for the best solution of the state problems. The Hellenistic Kings involved courtiers who were their advisers and consultants in the decision-making process and in many cases were open for dialogue and for free discussions, for the alternative opinions of the advisers. The phenomenon of collective discussion could be easily explained as a political pragmatism, when dialogue, discussion or a brain-storm give much better result to find the right solution and to avoid mistakes. At the same time dialogue and discussion were the immanence of the Greek culture, the Greek cultural “code”. The culture of dialogue and discussion was highly developed in a Greek world. It influenced the education, the cultural and political life, etc. The Hellenistic Kings were educated according to the Greek tradition and they transferred the culture of dialogue and discussion into the political life of the state. Thus political pragmatism was combined with the features of Greek culture.
Autorul tratează în acest articol problema procesului decizional la curtea regilor elenistici. Deținând o putere absolută și resurse umane vaste, aceștia dețin practic toate pârghiile puterii: juridice, militare și politice. Se observă că ei preferă formulele colective de a căuta soluționarea optimă a problemelor statului. Regii elenistici își implicau curtenii în luarea deciziilor, aceștia fiind și consultanți în același timp. Fenomenul discuțiilor colective poate fi lesne explicat ca o formă de pragmatism politic. În același timp dialogul era o imanență a culturii grecești, un „cod” cultural grecesc.
KEYWORDS
Hellenistic monarchy; the court of the Hellenistic king; Greek culture of dialogue and discussion; friends of the king; the council of friends; political decision-making process