Alien Wisdom and the Limits of Hellenization: Arnaldo Momigliano’s Hellenistic World

Abstract

This article analyzes the scholarly work of Italian historian Arnaldo Momigliano, particularly his approach to cultural interaction during the Hellenistic period (323-30 BC). It asserts that Momigliano’s interpretations about the period were largely marked by his strong Jewish identity. This is particularly true considering that the book Alien Wisdom: the limits of Hellenization (1975) – his major work on the subject - was published in the wake of the then recent attacks by Syria and Egypt against Israel. The article seeks, thus, to discuss Momigliano’s views by demonstrating how this historian’s work was tributary of his political and identity scene.