The Bible is the first reference to the people of Greece. Moses, the most ancient and accurate recorder of ancient people and events (author of the first five books of the Bible) records that there was one Jepeth, a son of Noah, who had a son named Javan. The Table of Nations shows the descendants of Javan as settling in “the isles of the Gentiles” (Genesis 10:1-5). Javan is the Hebrew word for Greece, a form that is related to another name for the Greeks, the Ionians. In the earlier times there was no universal name that identified the people or the land of Greece. The earliest histories of Greece, as it is with other ancient civilizations, was unwritten, passed down in the form of “singing stories,” such as those attributed to Homer. It is difficult, and in many instances impossible, to distinguish actual historical events from the stories of the Odyssey and the Iliad and other “tales” of ancient times. Its history is entwined in the stories, myths, fables and religious superstition.
     The Greeks themselves have completely forgotten their distant past. Moses makes first mention of  “the isles of the Gentiles,” but otherwise, its history may be traced back for more than three thousand years. Its history is one of struggle, explorations and trade among the nations. As the histories of all nations, there were rising periods of glory, peace and prosperity, then times of war, hardship, hunger and defeat. They have always been a courageous and hardy people in a harsh land of mountains with limited fertile valleys. They are survivors. Even today, Greece is one of the oldest nations and people in the world.
     It is not in the scope of this short paper to mark the earlier periods of Grecian history. Our particular interest in Greece is as it may in some way relate to Bible history and God’s purpose in those people. Of the five ancient nations of which we write, the histories of the Greek nation occurred in a time when there was no oral or writing prophet in Israel. The age of Biblical inspiration closed before the rise of Greece as the nation of our interest came to the fore as a great power. The Old Testament closes with the Persian period, about 450 B.C. It opened again in New Testament times with the Roman Empire holding sway over the world. It was in this period of Biblical silence, the Greece of our interest occurred. We here consider the period of Grecian history in this time of Bible silence. Old Testament prophets did speak during its existence. The prophecies of Daniel precisely foresee future historical events that involve the children of Israel and the nation of Greece and its illustrious king, Alexander the Great.
     The ascendancy and conquest of Greece, in this period, originated with one, Philip II, 382-336 B.C., King of Macedon. He proved himself to be a military genius. Philip developed the strongest army in the world. Relying only on soldiers recruited on a voluntary system, he constructed a force of 40,000 men who were sternly disciplined, trained to march long distances in full equipment, carrying their baggage and food sufficient for three days. He carried out aggressive campaigns in Greece, defeated the Illyrians (358), captured Olynthus (348), and annexed much of Thrace (342-340). Philip, with loyal Macedonians, crushed the combined Athenian and Theban army at Chaeronea (338). With this victory he had completed the conquest of all Greece by overrunning the Peloponnesus. Philip treated his conquered foes with generosity and so gained their co-operation, a more fruitful method than the destruction of their cities. In 337 Philip was chosen as commander of the Greek forces against the formidable and world dominating kingdom of Persia.
     Persia had rendered a humiliating defeat to the Macedonian and the Greek nations and forced a humiliating peace upon them (386 B.C.). She acquired control over the Greek cities on the Asiatic coast and gained the right to interfere in the affairs of the Greek communities. Persia was master of the world and a constant threat to Philip. She bribed and otherwise persuaded some of the larger Greek City-States to take up arms on the side of the Persian Empire and against Philip. In 338 B.C. the Macedonians declared war on Persia. With this, Philip began at once to prepare for the invasion of Persia. Fatefully, before he can mobilize his troops and march to war, he was assassinated by Pausanias,  a young Macedonian seeking fame and immortality (336). Philip’s ambition for conquest of the Persians was now stilled by the cold hand of death.
     Alexander, son of Philip, with skillful strokes cleared the scene of aspirants for the throne and established himself as king of Macedonia (336 B.C.). He was then twenty years of age. Alexander by natural talents and burning zeal to achieve fame as a warrior as a descendant of Hercules, set out to claim his fame and fortune. He was encouraged to this end from an early age and was ready to assume command of the small empire of Macedonia.
     Alexander received an enviable education. While a youth, Philip was so impressed by his ability he determined his son would have the best education available. He selected Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, for his tutor. From age thirteen to seventeen (342-335 B.C.) Alexander was under the tutelage of Aristotle. He advised Alexander concerning the duties of kings, and encouraged him to follow his father’s military projects in Asia. Alexander was imbued with Greek feelings, ideas of conquest, discipline and qualities of authority learned from his father.
     Early in life, Alexander showed indication that in time he would be worthy of the appellative, Alexander the Great. At sixteen he ruled Thrace and Macedonia in his father’s absence. At eighteen he led his army victoriously against Athenians and Thebans at Chaeronea. No invasion of Persia and regions beyond could be attempted until the tribes on the frontiers of Macedonia were repulsed and subdued. Tribes and city states north and south came under his control. Clans, tribes and kings across the Danube, Thessaly, Corinth, Thebes, the Illyrians, from north to south, came under the powers of Alexander.
     In 334 B.C. Alexander set out to invade Persia. During the next ten years, his conquests extended Greek influence as well as the Greek civilization and language throughout a Macedonian empire that ranged as far east as northern India and to the Caspian Sea, to the shores of the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf, and the pyramids of Egypt, the land of the Nile. He established many cities in his name, Alexandrias. In conquering nations, rather than ruling with the iron hand of a later Rome, fighting rebellion and skirmishes throughout the empire, he dispensed mercy and goodness to vanquished foes, allowing them to continue the administration of their countries, paying tribute to him and Greece. Many of his conquered foes found honor and prestige in Alexander’s fighting forces. This was as he had learned from his father Philip. By the time of his death in 323 B.C., the culture of Greece had spread through most of the ancient world.
     In so brief a paper, a summary of his expeditions is in order: He, with Macedonian and Greek troops, striking with terror, advancing in unique phalanx formation, conquered Thrace and Illyrian territories, destroyed Thebes, and gained ascendancy over all Greece (335). He began his expedition to attack Persia (334); won battles of Granicus (334) and Issus (333) against Darius III, defeating the Persians. All Phoenicia except Tyre, submitted after Issus, and by a difficult siege of seven months, Tyre was overrun. On to Gaza, he occupied Egypt, and founded the great city of Alexandria (332). From Egypt early in 331 B.C., Alexander invaded the Persian Empire for the second  time.  Darius  assembled  an army of about 250, 000 men on the plain of Gaugamela (Arbela). Alexander, with 40,000 infantry and 7,000 cavalry, moved his forces against the Persians. They retreated in great disorder, losing 40,000 to 90,000 men in the battle. The Macedonians lost fewer than 500. He next invaded eastern Persia (330-322) and northern India (326) and defeated Porus on the Hydaspes (326). He reached Punjab, and had set his sights on the Ganges, when his troops mutinied, fearing they would march off the edge of the world. Some of his loyal soldiers had been on the “front lines” for more than ten years. Alexander withdrew to Persia (325-324). Not long afterwards, he died of fever in Babylon. He had reigned twelve and two-thirds years. He left no heir. “The great horn” was broken (Daniel 8:5-8).
     Alexander the Great is not considered merely as a military conqueror.  He hellenized (to make Greek or Hellenistic in form or culture) the world of his day and for centuries yet to come. Everywhere he went, he founded autonomous Greek cities. Grecian thought became the norm for the philosopher, and the Greek language was the language of the people.
 It is impossible to estimate the effect of this spread of Greek on the promulgation of the gospel of Christ. Without the common language of Greek, Christianity could never have spread beyond Judea. The Greek language became a well nigh global language. The koine (common) Greek language was almost universally spoken and written in eastern Mediterranean countries in the Hellenistic and Roman periods. It was the language of the New Testament Age, and of the New Testament itself. This, surely, was the Hellenic language’s greatest contribution to civilization. It is true that some biblical critics deny Daniel’s prophecies foreseeing future events in nations because they were so exact. Nevertheless, they were true. One may note the prophecies of Daniel as they relate to the nation and peoples of Greece. Daniel prophesied of this era. Chapters 11 and 12 comprise the last recorded communication that was made to Daniel. “The revelation which is made in these two chapters not only embrace a large portion of history of interest to the Jewish people of ancient times, and designed to give instruction as to the important events that should pertain to their nation, but also, in its progress, alludes to important periods in the future as marking decisive eras in the world’s history, and contains hints as to what would occur down to the end of all times” (Barnes Notes on Daniel).
     Within the next twenty years, warring generals of Alexander’s army split the vast kingdom into four powers. Antigonus occupied the country from the Mediterranean to Central Asia. Cassander ruled Macedonia. Ptolemy Lagi ruled Egypt and Southern Syria. Lysimachus ruled Thrace. In short time, greed and conquest had eliminated Cassaner and Lysimaschus. Dynasties of the Seleucids and the Ptolomies arose from the ashes of Alexander’s splendid kingdom. The Seleucids was a dynasty of Macedonian kings that reigned in the Middle East from the fourth to the first century B.C. It was established when the empire of Alexander the Great was partitioned among his followers. It originally extended eastward from Asia Minor into what is now Pakistan. The Ptolemaic dynasty was founded by Alexander’s general, Ptolemy. He was named governor of Egypt by Alexander. He established himself as an independent ruler in 305 B.C., adopting the name Ptolemy I Soter.—10726 Hwy. 59 W., Burlison, TN 38015