Hellenistic palaces : tradition and renewal

The palaces of the Hellenistic kings have rearely been studied, partly on account of their poor state of preservation, but also because of a predilection for the Greek polis, which represented a society antithetical to the monarchy. One of the main objectives of this study is to restore the hellenistic royal palace to its rightful place as one of the principal cultural centres and cultural mediators of the period. The author provides a general overview of the palaces of the Hellenistic period, including also governors and private palaces. The main emphasis is on architecture; but the architectural expressions can be understood only if their functions are taken into account.