This book is possibly the most comprehensive biography of Alexander in print. It presents his story strictly on the basis of ancient sources, making use as much as possible of contemporary Greek inscriptions, coins, and of non-western evidence (Babylonian tablets, Egyptian papyri, Bactrian parchments). The latter in particular change our understanding of how the Achaemenid state was run and how the Macedonian conquests were perceived from the Oriental perspective. The book’s protagonist was the first in Western Civilization to be hailed Great. The specific aura and charisma of this young ruler, the scale of his conquests and the exotic landscapes and peoples encountered during a tireless trek of over 35,000 km spanning three continents is what the broader public have always found particularly appealing. The author travelled extensively in the footsteps of Alexander and made use of other geographical accounts to elucidate the spatial perspective of his conquests. Space and politics define the dynamics of his story. The author presents Alexander as a component of the historical processes in his epoch and considers his influence on developments in Greece, Macedonia, the Persian Empire and neighbouring countries. The book tries to steer clear of both idealizing Alexander the Great, typical of some earlier modern biographies, and of deconstructing his personality, which mars the minimalist approach of today’s scholarship.
The Alexander Romance by Ps.-Callisthenes of Krzysztof Nawotka is a guide to a third century AD fictional biography of Alexander the Great, the anonymous Historia Alexandri Magni. It is a historical commentary which identifies all names and places in this piece of Greek literature approached as a source for the history of Alexander the Great, from kings, like Nectanebo II of Egypt and Darius III of Persia, to fictional characters. It discusses real and imaginary geography of the Alexander Romance. While dealing with all aspects of Ps.-Callisthenes relevant to Greek history and to Macedonia, its pays particular attention to aspects of ancient history and culture of Babylonia and Egypt and to the multi-layered foundation story of Alexandria.
The Alexander Romance is a difficult text to define and to assess justly. From its earliest days it was an open text, which was adapted into a variety of cultures with meanings that themselves vary, and yet seem to carry a strong undercurrent of homogeneity: Alexander is the hero who cannot become a god, and who encapsulates the desires and strivings of the host cultures. The papers assembled in this volume, which were originally presented at a conference at the University of Wroc?aw, Poland, in October 2015, all face the challenge of defining the Alexander Romance. Some focus on quite specific topics while others address more overarching themes. They form a cohesive set of approaches to the delicate positioning of the text between history and literature. From its earliest elements in Hellenistic Egypt, to its latest reworkings in the Byzantine and Islamic Middle East, the Alexander Romance shows itself to be a work that steadily engages with such questions as kingship, the limits of human (and Greek) nature, and the purpose of history. The Romance began as a history, but only by becoming literature could it achieve such a deep penetration of east and west.
This book is possibly the most comprehensive biography of Alexander in print. It presents his story strictly on the basis of ancient sources, making use as much as possible of contemporary Greek inscriptions, coins, and of non-western evidence (Babylonian tablets, Egyptian papyri, Bactrian parchments). The latter in particular change our understanding of how the Achaemenid state was run and how the Macedonian conquests were perceived from the Oriental perspective. The book’s protagonist was the first in Western Civilization to be hailed Great. The specific aura and charisma of this young ruler, the scale of his conquests and the exotic landscapes and peoples encountered during a tireless trek of over 35,000 km spanning three continents is what the broader public have always found particularly appealing. The author travelled extensively in the footsteps of Alexander and made use of other geographical accounts to elucidate the spatial perspective of his conquests. Space and politics define the dynamics of his story. The author presents Alexander as a component of the historical processes in his epoch and considers his influence on developments in Greece, Macedonia, the Persian Empire and neighbouring countries. The book tries to steer clear of both idealizing Alexander the Great, typical of some earlier modern biographies, and of deconstructing his personality, which mars the minimalist approach of today’s scholarship.
The Alexander Romance by Ps.-Callisthenes of Krzysztof Nawotka is a guide to a third century AD fictional biography of Alexander the Great, the anonymous Historia Alexandri Magni. It is a historical commentary which identifies all names and places in this piece of Greek literature approached as a source for the history of Alexander the Great, from kings, like Nectanebo II of Egypt and Darius III of Persia, to fictional characters. It discusses real and imaginary geography of the Alexander Romance. While dealing with all aspects of Ps.-Callisthenes relevant to Greek history and to Macedonia, its pays particular attention to aspects of ancient history and culture of Babylonia and Egypt and to the multi-layered foundation story of Alexandria.
Neo-Assyrian and Greek Divination in War is about practices which enabled humans contact the divine. These relations, especially in difficult times of military conflict, could be crucial in deciding the fate of individuals, cities, dynasties or even empires.
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