The cultures of the eastern kingdoms were heavily influenced by Greek ways. Hellenism, the spread of Greek culture and ideas, eventually led to the demise of cuneiform writing, the ancient Mesopotamian system of pictographs. Given a choice, people of the east chose to read and write in Greek, as it allowed them to study the works of the great philosophers or pursue a career in politics. Rather than resist this cultural shift, the eastern kingdoms convinced themselves that Greek ideas were in fact their own, taken from them during Alexander’s campaign in Persia. Their adoption actually marked a return to 'traditional values'.
