Alexander The Great: Selected Texts from Arrian, Curtius and Plutarch

180 Pages·2004·9.031 MB·English

by  Tania Gergel (editor), Arrian (editor), Quintus Curtius Rufus (editor), Plutarch (editor)

THE BRIEF LIFE AND TOWERING EXPLOITS
OF HISTORY'S GREATEST CONQUEROR
AS TOLD BY HIS ORIGINAL BIOGRAPHERS
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RODUCTION BY M^fcHAEL WOOD
EDITED BY TANJA GERGEL
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PENGUIN flQ) BOOK
ALEXANDER THE GREAT
tania louise gergelwasbornin 1972 andeducatedatBristol
University,UniversityCollegeLondon,andKing's CollegeLondon.
SheiscurrentlylecturinginGreeklanguageandliteratureatKing's
College London and hermainresearch interests areancient Greek
philosophy and stylistics. As well as various articles, she is now
workingonabookentitled "StyleandArgument:AnInvestigation
ofPlato'sPhaedo," andistheco-translatorofThe GreekSophists,
published in Penguin Classics in 2003.
michael wood was educated at Manchester Grammar School
and Oriel College, Oxford,wherehedidpostgraduateresearchin
Anglo-Saxon history. Since then he has worked as a journalist,
broadcaster and filmmaker, with over sixty films to his name. He
is a Fellow ofthe Royal Historical Society. His book In the Foot-
stepsofAlexander the Great, based on his BBC TV series, was a
number-one bestseller, and he is the author of Shakespeare, His
LifeandTimes,which accompaniesthesimilarlynamed BBCTV
series. He lives in London with his wife and their two daughters.

Alexander the Great
Selected Texts from Arrian, Curtius
and Plutarch
Edited by tania gergel
With an Introduction by michael wood
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10
Introductioncopyright©MichaelWood,2004
ExtractsfromArrian,TheCampaignsofAlexander,
firstpublishedinthistranslation2004.Copyright©TaniaGergel,2004
ExtractsfromCurtius,TheHistoryofAlexander,firstpublishedinthistranslation1984,
revised2001.Translationcopyright©JohnYardley,1984,2001
ExtractsfromPlutarch,Alexanderfirstpublishedinthistranslation1973.
Translationcopyright©IanScott-Kilvert,1973
Additionalmaterialandnotescopyright©TaniaGergel,2004
Allrightsreserved
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ISBN 1420.01406
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2
Contents
Chronology vii
Introduction ix
Map: Alexander's Empire xxiv
A Note on the Texts xxvi
1. The Early Years i
2. Establishing Power in Macedonia, Greece and
Northern Europe 1
3. The Persian Campaign (1) -from the Hellespont
to Gordium 29
4. The Persian Campaign (2) -from Cappadocia to
Egypt 45
5. The Persian Campaign (3) -Victory in Persia 69
6. To the North-east Frontiers ofthe Persian Empire 83
7. East into India -the Uncompleted Campaign 109
8. The Retreat- from India back to Persia 127
9. Alexander's Final Months 137
Sources 146
Glossary ofMain Characters 148

Chronology
B.C.
356 20July. Birth ofAlexander the Great.
336 Summer. Death ofPhilip II. Alexander's accession.
335 Destruction ofThebes.
334 Alexandercrosses the Hellespont.
Victory at the Granicus river.
Fall ofMiletus and Halicarnassus.
334/333 Winter. Conquest of Lycia and Pamphylia; death of
Memnon.
Spring. Alexander at Celaenae and Gordium.
Summer. Alexander in Cilicia.
November. Battle ofIssus.
332January-August. Siege ofTyre.
September-October. Siege ofGaza.
332/331 Winter. Alexandervisitsthe oracle ofJupiterAmmon.
331 Spring. Foundation ofAlexandria in Egypt.
1 October. Battle ofGaugamela.
Autumn. Alexander captures Babylon and Susa.
330January-May. Alexander at Persepolis.
July. Death ofDarius.
Trial and death ofPhilotas.
Death ofParmenion.
330/329 Revolt and death ofSatibarzanes.
Capture ofBessus.
329 Summer. Alexander at the Tanais.
Revolt ofSpitamenes.
329/328 Winter. Alexander winters at Bactra.
328 Spring. Capture ofthe Sogdian Rock.
CHRONOLOGY
Vlll
328/327Winter. Capture ofSisimithres, rock.
Alexander marries Roxane.
327 Spring. Introduction oiproskynesis.
326 May. Alexander atthe Hydaspes; battle with Porus.
Summer. Mutiny atthe Hyphasis.
Death ofCoenus.
326/325 November 326-July 325. Descent of the Indus river
system.
325 August. Alexander begins his return to the west.
325/324 Winter. Alexander in Carmania.
324 Summer. Meeting at Opis.
Autumn. Death ofHephaestion.
323 May. The dinner party ofMedius; Alexander falls ill.
10June. Alexander's death.