The Genius of Alexander the Great : in Ancient and Medieval Greek Poetry

"In what respects was Alexander 'Great'? It is an exciting task for the historian to answer that question, and in this fascinating study Nicholas Hammond undertakes it with enthusiasm. His thorough acquaintance with the ancient sources enables him to judge whether the many recorded incidents of Alexander's brilliant life are drawn from reliable contemporaries or fictional writers. As a commander of men of many races, Alexander was and is incomparable. As a statesman he envisaged, and to some extent created, an ecumenical kingdom which rose above race and nation and which enjoyed peace and prosperity, extending from his birthplace in Macedonia to the borders of Kashmir. His intellect and charismatic personality so fascinated those he conquered that they served in his army and administration and adopted him as the hero of their quasi-mythical romances. We have much to learn today from this genius of a man who died having achieved so much at the age of thirty-two."--Bloomsbury Publishing In what respects was Alexander 'Great'? This work sets out to answer this question. As a commander of men of many races, Alexander was and still is incomparable. As a statesman he envisaged and largely created an ecumenical kingdom which rose above racialism and nationalism and which enjoyed peace and prosperity, extending from his birthplace in Macedon to the borders of Kashmir. His intellect and charismatic personality so fascinated those he conquered that they served in his army and administration and made him the hero of their quasi-mythical romances. This book sets out to show that we have much to learn from this genius of a man who achieved so much before his death at 32. "In what respects was Alexander 'Great'? It is an exciting task for an historian to answer that question, and Professor Hammond undertakes it with enthusiasm and above all with unparalleled knowledge. His thorough acquaintance with and analysis of the ancient sources - Diodorus, Justin, Curtius, Plutarch and Arrian - enables him to judge whether the many recorded incidents of Alexander's brilliant life are drawn from reliable contemporaries or fictional writers. His description of Alexander's career is thus more firmly based than any that has yet appeared." "As a commander of men of many races, Alexander was and still is incomparable. As a statesman he envisaged, and to a great extent created, an ecumenical kingdom which rose above racialism and nationalism and which enjoyed peace and prosperity, extending from his birthplace in Macedon to the borders of Kashmir. His intellect and charismatic personality so fascinated those he conquered that they served in his army and administration and adopted him as the hero of their quasimythical romances. We have much to learn today from this genius of a man who died having achieved so much at the age of thirty-two."--BOOK JACKET By the time of his death in 323 BC, Alexander III of Macedonia had built an empire that stretched from the eastern Mediterranean coast through Asia minor and into the Indus Valley. A former student of the philosopher Aristotle, Alexander succeeded Philip the second as king of Macedonia in 336 BC and spent the next 13 years subduing and consolidating the lands of the Persian Empire. Even before his sudden death at the age of 32, Alexander had achieved mythical status throughout his kingdom, and in the centuries that followed, his life became the subject of countless chronicles and biographies. N.G.L. Hammond, the foremost expert on ancient Macedonian history, here presents a new account of Alexander's fabled career. Through a careful analysis of ancient sources -- the writings of Diodorus, Justin, Curtius, Plutarch, and Arrian -- Hammond has effectively separated the work of reliable contemporaries from fictional reports of Alexander's accomplishments. The resulting narrative, enriched by a lifetime of research, pronounces the Macedonian conqueror a man truly deserving of the title Alexander the Great. - Jacket flap. In what respects was Alexander 'Great'? Hammond looks at the man who envisaged and largely created an ecumenical kingdom stretching from Macedon to the borders of Kashmir, which rose above racialism and nationalism, enjoying peace and prosperity Philonicus the Thessalian brought to Philip a stallion 'Bucephalus' at an asking price of thirteen talents.