Hellenistic Period and Late Antiquity: Parallel Ages

The historiographical concepts of the Hellenistic Period and of Late Antiquity share at least three aspects. Firstly, neither of them was originally considered to be a “noble” and worthy historical period to analyse; rather they were seen as a meaningless series of events. Things changed after they were conceptualised by J. G. Droysen and A. Riegl. Secondly, both concepts were shaped by historical events of the 19th and 20th centuries, especially those involving European colonialism and the subsequent decolonisation. Thirdly, a “modernising” trend seems to suggest that these ages are closer to modern sensitivity than the “classical” Graeco-Roman world is.