Rolf Strootman

Dr. Rolf Strootman is Associate Professor and Head of Ancient History in the Department of History and Art History at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Utrecht. A leading specialist on Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic kingdoms, particularly the Seleucid Empire, he previously worked at UCLA and Leiden University. His research focuses on Afro-Eurasian empires in the second half of the first millennium BCE, with particular attention to imperialism, globalization, and cultural interactions across ancient civilizations.

Strootman's research interests span a broad range of topics including:

• World History and premodern Globalization
• Cultural interactions in the Ancient World / the Silk Roads
• Afro-Eurasian empires in comparative perspective
• Court culture and the rituals of royalty
• Alexander the Great and the Seleucid Empire
• War and Imperialism in Republican Rome
• The western image of the 'Orient'
• The history and topography of Istanbul

His recent publications reveal a consistent focus on the intersection of imperialism and cultural exchange, particularly examining how Hellenistic empires integrated diverse cultural traditions while maintaining imperial control. His work frequently analyzes royal ideology, court culture, and the strategic appropriation of historical legacies by ruling powers. Strootman's research demonstrates particular expertise in the Seleucid Empire's adaptation of Persian traditions and the complex cultural dynamics of the ancient Mediterranean and Near East.

His scientific recognition includes being selected as a Getty Scholar at the Getty Research Institute (2017-2018). His major publications include Courts and Elites in the Hellenistic Empires, c. 330-30 BCE (2014) and The Birdcage of the Muses: Patronage of the Arts and Sciences at the Ptolemaic Imperial Court, 305-222 BCE (2016), as well as co-edited volumes like Persianism in Antiquity (2016) and Empires of the Sea: Maritime Power Networks in World History (2019).

Strootman teaches World History and Ancient History at Utrecht University, where he emphasizes broadening the conventional Mediterranean focus of Ancient History to include cultural developments across East Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and India. His current research includes a book on the relationship between war and identity in European history from the Battle of Marathon to the war in Ukraine.