Rolf Strootman graduated in ancient history and archaeology at the University of Leiden. In 2007 he received his PhD for a study of court culture in the Hellenistic period. He is currently a lecturer at the History Department of the University of Utrecht. His research and teaching focus on empire, monarchical ritual and cultural encounters in the Near East, Iran and Central Asia, and on modern western perceptions of the Middle East.

• Acknowledgments; List of Illustrations; Abbreviations; Introduction: Court and empire in the Hellenistic Near East; PART I: SETTING THE STAGE; 1. The court as an instrument of power; 2. The theater of royalty; 3. The royal palace: A stage for royal rituals; PART II: THE COURT AS A SOCIO-POLITICAL SYSTEM; 4. The royal household; 5. Court society; 6. Royal pages; 7. Social dynamics; 8. Hierarchy and conflict; PART III: CEREMONIAL AND RITUAL; 9. Ceremonial and protocol; 10. Death and resurrection: Inauguration ritual; 11. The royal entry; 12. Royal processions: Enacting the myth of empire; Conclusion; Bibliography; The Macedonian dynasties.

In summary it is a highly informative work, an important contribution to the Hellenistic courts that brings the key issues together. (translated from German)