Ancient history

How did successors promote religious conflict in the empire?

Successors to Alexander promoted religious conflict in the empire by:

* Imposing Greek culture and religion on conquered peoples. Alexander did not force his subjects to adopt Greek culture and religion, but many of his successors did. This led to resentment and resistance from the local population, who often saw the Greek religion as a threat to their own.

* Using religion to justify political power. Many successors claimed to be descended from the gods, or to have been chosen by the gods to rule. This gave them a religious legitimacy that helped to consolidate their power.

* Funding religious festivals and temples. The successors often supported religious festivals and the building of temples in order to gain the favor of the gods and the people. This could also be a way to control religious practices and ensure that they were in line with the state's interests.

* Persecuting religious minorities. Some successors persecuted religious minorities, such as the Jews and Christians, in order to maintain the unity of the empire and prevent dissent.

The religious conflicts that were promoted by the successors to Alexander were a major factor in the decline and eventual collapse of the empire.