ARCH 222: Alexander the Great (BMC)

This exciting new edition is an indispensable guide for undergraduates to the study of Alexander the Great, showing the problems of the ancient source material, and making it clear that there is no single approach to be taken. Thenbsp;twelve thematic chapters contain a broad selection of the most significant published articles about Alexander, examining the main areas of debate and discussion: The Sources Alexander's Influences and the Macedonian Background Alexander's Aims Alexander's Battles and Generalship Alexander and the Greeks Alexander and the Persian Empire Alexander, India and the Gedrosian Desert From Mass Marriage to Death Alexander and the 'Unity of Mankind' Alexander and Deification Alexander and Conspiracies Alexander: The 'Great'? The Reader has the distinctive feature of translating a substantial number of the more inaccessible primary sources; each chapter is also prefaced with a succinct introduction to the topic under consideration.

Plutarch and Arrian have contributed more than any other ancient authors to our picture of Alexander the Great, but since they wrote four or more centuries after his death the value of what they said depends upon the sources of information on which they themselves drew. In this 1993 book the attempt is made to define and to evaluate those sources in a detailed study, analysing the historians' works section by section and comparing them with other accounts of the same episodes. This volume completes Professor Hammond's study of the five Alexander-historians begun with Three Historians of Alexander the Great (Cambridge University Press, 1983) and lays a basis for work in this area.

Many important issues surrounding Alexander the Greats conquest have captured the interest of scholars and general readers since antiquity. This book acquaints us with these issues and their current interpretations, and opens up new directions of investigation as it confronts them. It covers a broad range of topics: the ancients representations of the king in literature and art; Alexanders relations with Greeks, Macedonians, and the peoples of Asia; the military, political, sociological, and cultural aspects of his campaigns; the exploitation of his story by ancient philosophers to argue a moral point and by modern communities to affirm or contest ethnic and national identities. This volume will be of interest to scholars and nonspecialists alike and serve as a standard reference work for years to come.

Alexander the Great's life and career are here examined through the major issues surrounding his reign. What were Alexander's ultimate ambitions? Why did he pursue his own deification while alive? Did he actually set the world in 'a new groove' as has been claimed by some scholars? And was his death natural or the result of a murderous conspiracy? Each of the key themes, arranged as chapters, will be presented in approximately chronological order so that readers unfamiliar with the life of Alexander will be able to follow the narrative. The themes are tied to the major controversies and questions surrounding Alexander's career and legacy. Each chapter includes a discussion of the major academic positions on each issue, and includes a full and up-to-date bibliography and an evaluation of the historical evidence. All source material is in translation. Designed to bring new clarity to the contentious history of Alexander the Great, this is an ideal introduction to one of history's most controversial figures.

Brill's Companion to the Reception of Alexander the Great offers a considerable range of topics, of interest to students and academics alike, in the long tradition of this subject's significant impact, across a sometimes surprising and comprehensive variety of areas. Arguably no other historical figure has cast such a long shadow for so long a time. Every civilisation touched by the Macedonian Conqueror, along with many more that he never imagined, has scrambled to "own" some part of his legacy. This volume canvasses a comprehensive array of these receptions, beginning from Alexander's own era and journeying up to the present, in order to come to grips with the impact left by this influential but elusive figure.

The most comprehensive and up-to-date work available on ancient Macedonian history and material culture, A Companion to Ancient Macedonia is an invaluable reference for students and scholars alike. Features new, specially commissioned essays by  leading and up-and-coming scholars in the field Examines the political, military, social, economic, and cultural history of ancient Macedonia from the Archaic period to the end of Roman period and beyond Discusses the importance of art, archaeology and architecture All ancient sources are translated in English Each chapter includes bibliographical essays for further reading