Alexander the Great in his World

268 Pages·2006·2.187 MB·English

by  Carol G. Thomas

Alexander the Great
in his World
Carol G. Thomas

Alexander the Great in his World
Blackwell Ancient Lives
At a time when much scholarly writing on the ancient world is
abstract and analytical, this series presents engaging, accessible
accounts of the most influential figures of antiquity. It re-peoples
the ancient landscape; and while never losing sight of the vast
gulf that separates antiquity from our own world, it seeks to
communicate the delight of reading historical narratives to
discover “what happened next.”
Published
Alexander the Great in his World
Carol G.Thomas
Nero
Jürgen Malitz
Tiberius
Robin Seager
King Hammurabi of Babylon
Marc Van De Mieroop
Pompey the Great
Robin Seager
Age of Augustus
Werner Eck
Hannibal
Serge Lancel
In Preparation
Cleopatra
Sally Ann-Ashton
Constantine the Great
Timothy Barnes
Pericles
Charles Hamilton
Julius Caesar
W. Jeffrey Tatum
Alexander the Great
in his World
Carol G. Thomas
© 2007 by Carol G.Thomas
BLACKWELL PUBLISHING
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Act 1988.
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First published 2007 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd
1 2007
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Thomas,Carol G.,1938–
Alexander the Great in his world / Carol G.Thomas.
p. cm. — (Blackwell ancient lives)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13:978-0-631-23245-2 (hardback :alk. paper)
ISBN-10:0-631-23245-1 (hardback :alk. paper)
ISBN-13:978-0-631-23246-9 (pbk. :alk. paper)
ISBN-10:0-631-23246-X (pbk. :alk. paper)
1. Alexander,the Great,356–323 b.c. 2. Greece—History—Macedonian
Expansion,359–323 b.c. 3. Greece—Kings and rulers—Biography.
4. Generals—Greece—Biography. I. Title. II. Series.
DF234.T47 2007
938′.07092—dc22
2006006914
A catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.
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Contents
List of Figures vi
List of Maps viii
Preface ix
Introduction 1
1 Basic Facts, Generally Uncontested, of Alexander’s Life 9
2 Being Macedonian 22
3 Being an Argead 55
4 Being a Neighbor of Greece 98
5 Surviving by Might 132
6 Meeting the Distant Threat 159
7 Reconstructing Alexander 191
Bibliography 224
Index 237
Figures
1.1 Ivory head, thought to be Alexander III 14
2.1 Upper reaches of the Haliakmon River 25
2.2 Upper Macedonia 26
2.3 Deer still haunting upper Macedonia 27
2.4 Looking west across the Pindos Range 29
2.5 The Pydna coast along the Thermaic Gulf 30
2.6 Throne of Zeus atop Olympos 31
2.7 Herding is a continuing occupation 49
2.8 Mineral wealth: gold ivy wreath from a male burial 51
3.1 Argead genealogy 58
3.2 Herakles, paternal ancestor of the Argeads 63
3.3 Achilles,Alexander’s ancestor in his mother’s line 64
3.4 Ivory head, believed to be Amyntas III 69
3.5 Ivory head, believed to be Philip II 73
3.6 Ivory head, believed to be Olympias 89
4.1 Coin of Alexander I 105
4.2 Northern Thessaly 114
4.3 Plan of the theater at Vergina 122
Figures vii
4.4 Modern statue of Aristotle 125
4.5 Site of the Nymphaion at Mieza 128
6.1 Cylinder seal of Dareios 166
7.1 Reconstruction of the Hunt Fresco 196
7.2 The Petra Pass 206
7.3 Battle of the Granikos 210
7.4 Battle of Issos 210
7.5 Indos River at the junction of Indos and Gilgit rivers 211
Maps
2.1 Regions, Natural Features and Sites of Macedonia 37
4.1 Major Regions and Sites in the Greek Sphere 100
5.1 Expansion of the Macedonian Core under Philip II 151
6.1 Achaemenid Persia 162
7.1 Alexander’s empire 219