The ancient world transformed by Alexander the Great during his lifetime was transformed once again by his death. The imperial dynasties of his successors integrated and reorganized the collapsed Persian Empire, creating a new land empire that stretched from the shores of the Mediterranean to the region of Bactria. In old Greece, a fragile balance of power was constantly disrupted by wars. Then, from the late third century, Rome's military and diplomatic power repeatedly defeated and dismantled each post-Alexandrian political structure.

The Greco-Roman period (c. 323-30 BC) was thus an era of fragmentation, violent confrontations between major states, and struggles of small states to maintain an illusion of independence. However, it was also a period of development, prosperity, and intellectual success. A vast network spread through trade, influence, and cultural contact, from Italy to Afghanistan and from Russia to Ethiopia, enriching and giving life to centers of wealth, power, and intellectual fermentation.

From the early days of Alexander the Great, through the wars with Rome, pirate raids, Cleopatra's death, and the dispersion of the Jews, up to the death of Hadrian, Chaniotis examines the social structures, economic trends, political turmoil, and technological progress of an era spanning five centuries, where perhaps the modern era began.