Benefaction and Urbanism in Hellenistic Thessaly

Abstract

This dissertation studies the archaeological and epigraphic remains of Thessaly (northern Greece), in an attempt to understand fluctuating urban patterns between the Classical and Hellenistic periods. During this period, Greek city-states and Hellenistic monarchs engaged in competitive benefaction in order to construct urban infrastructure in the ancient Greek city. This competition not only funded the construction of the ancient city, but contributed to the emergence of a standardized image of the ancient Greek city in Thessaly while mediating political relationships. At the same time, this interaction shows that the Greek city-state continued to be a politically active entity even after the rise of powerful regional kingdoms during the Hellenistic period.