Alexander the Great and the East

Alexander the Great and the East PDF Author: Krzysztof Nawotka
Publisher: Harrassowitz
ISBN: 9783447107105
Category : Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Even if Alexander's rule in Asia has to be approached primarily through the study of Greek and Latin authors, many papers in this volume try to look beyond Arrian, Plutarch, Curtius, and Diodorus to Greek inscriptions, papyri, Egyptian, Babylonian, medieval Syriac and Arabic evidence. One focus is on Egypt, from the XXX dynasty to the Ptolemaic age. A lasting achievement of the early Macedonian age in Egypt is the lighthouse of Pharos, probably devised under Alexander to serve both as a watchtower of Alexandria and the focal point of the fire telegraph. Another focus of the volume is on Babylonia, with caveats against the over-enthusiastic usage of cuneiform sources for Alexander. This focus then moves further east, showing how much caution is necessary in studying the topography of Alexander's campaigns in Baktria, the land often misrepresented by ancient and medieval authors. It also deals with representation and literary topoi, having in mind that Alexander was as much a historical as a literary figure. In many respects ancient Alexander historians handled his persona in strong connection with Herodotean topics, while the idealized portrait of Alexander translated, through court poetry, into the language of power of Ptolemy of Egypt. Alexander was adopted to cultural traditions of the East, both through the medium of the Alexander Romance and through his fictitious correspondence with Aristotle, sometimes becoming a figure of a (Muslim) mystic or a chosen (Jewish) king.

Alexander the Great and the East

Alexander the Great and the East PDF Author: Krzysztof Nawotka
Publisher: Harrassowitz
ISBN: 9783447107105
Category : Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book Here

Book Description
Even if Alexander's rule in Asia has to be approached primarily through the study of Greek and Latin authors, many papers in this volume try to look beyond Arrian, Plutarch, Curtius, and Diodorus to Greek inscriptions, papyri, Egyptian, Babylonian, medieval Syriac and Arabic evidence. One focus is on Egypt, from the XXX dynasty to the Ptolemaic age. A lasting achievement of the early Macedonian age in Egypt is the lighthouse of Pharos, probably devised under Alexander to serve both as a watchtower of Alexandria and the focal point of the fire telegraph. Another focus of the volume is on Babylonia, with caveats against the over-enthusiastic usage of cuneiform sources for Alexander. This focus then moves further east, showing how much caution is necessary in studying the topography of Alexander's campaigns in Baktria, the land often misrepresented by ancient and medieval authors. It also deals with representation and literary topoi, having in mind that Alexander was as much a historical as a literary figure. In many respects ancient Alexander historians handled his persona in strong connection with Herodotean topics, while the idealized portrait of Alexander translated, through court poetry, into the language of power of Ptolemy of Egypt. Alexander was adopted to cultural traditions of the East, both through the medium of the Alexander Romance and through his fictitious correspondence with Aristotle, sometimes becoming a figure of a (Muslim) mystic or a chosen (Jewish) king.

Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great PDF Author: Waldemar Heckel
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1444360159
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 391

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Book Description
Alexander the Great: A New History combines traditional scholarship with contemporary research to offer an innovative treatment of one of history's most famous figures. Written by leading experts in the field Looks at a wide range of diverse topics including Alexander's religious views, his entourage during his campaign East, his sexuality, the influence of his legacy, and his representations in art and cinema Discusses Alexander's influence, from his impact on his contemporaries to his portrayals in recent Hollywood films A highly informed and enjoyable resource for students and interested general readers

Alexander

Alexander PDF Author: Guy Maclean Rogers
Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks
ISBN: 9780812972719
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 468

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Book Description
For nearly two and a half millennia, Alexander the Great has loomed over history as a legend–and an enigma. Wounded repeatedly but always triumphant in battle, he conquered most of the known world, only to die mysteriously at the age of thirty-two. In his day he was revered as a god; in our day he has been reviled as a mass murderer, a tyrant as brutal as Stalin or Hitler. Who was the man behind the mask of power? Why did Alexander embark on an unprecedented program of global domination? What accounted for his astonishing success on the battlefield? In this luminous new biography, the esteemed classical scholar and historian Guy MacLean Rogers sifts through thousands of years of history and myth to uncover the truth about this complex, ambiguous genius. Ascending to the throne of Macedonia after the assassination of his father, King Philip II, Alexander discovered while barely out of his teens that he had an extraordinary talent and a boundless appetite for military conquest. A virtuoso of violence, he was gifted with an uncanny ability to visualize how a battle would unfold, coupled with devastating decisiveness in the field. Granicus, Issos, Gaugamela, Hydaspes–as the victories mounted, Alexander’s passion for conquest expanded from cities to countries to continents. When Persia, the greatest empire of his day, fell before him, he marched at once on India, intending to add it to his holdings. As Rogers shows, Alexander’s military prowess only heightened his exuberant sexuality. Though his taste for multiple partners, both male and female, was tolerated, Alexander’s relatively enlightened treatment of women was nothing short of revolutionary. He outlawed rape, he placed intelligent women in positions of authority, and he chose his wives from among the peoples he conquered. Indeed, as Rogers argues, Alexander’s fascination with Persian culture, customs, and sexual practices may have led to his downfall, perhaps even to his death. Alexander emerges as a charismatic and surprisingly modern figure–neither a messiah nor a genocidal butcher but one of the most imaginative and daring military tacticians of all time. Balanced and authoritative, this brilliant portrait brings Alexander to life as a man, without diminishing the power of the legend.

Alexander the Great; the Merging of East an DWest in Universal History

Alexander the Great; the Merging of East an DWest in Universal History PDF Author: Benjamin Ide Wheeler
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 612

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Book Description


Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great PDF Author: Richard Stoneman
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300112033
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 352

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Book Description
Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.) precipitated immense historical change in the Mediterranean and Near Eastern worlds. But the resonance his legend achieved over the next two millennia stretched even farther across foreign cultures, religious traditions, and distant nations. This engaging and handsomely illustrated book for the first time gathers together hundreds of the colorful Alexander legends that have been told and retold around the globe. Richard Stoneman, a foremost expert on the Alexander myths, introduces us first to the historical Alexander and then to the Alexander of legend, an unparalleled mythic icon who came to represent the heroic ideal in cultures from Egypt to Iceland, from Britain to Malaya. Alexander came to embody the concerns of Hellenistic man; he fueled Roman ideas on tyranny and kingship; he was a talisman for fourth-century pagans and a hero of chivalry in the early Middle Ages. He appears in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic writings, frequently as a prophet of God. Whether battling winged foxes or meeting with the Amazons, descending to the underworld or inventing the world s first diving bell, Alexander inspired as a hero, even a god. Stoneman traces Alexander s influence in ancient literature and folklore and in later literatures of east and west. His book provides the definitive account of the legends of Alexander the Great a powerful leader in life and an even more powerful figure in the history of literature and ideas."

Empire of Alexander the Great

Empire of Alexander the Great PDF Author: Debra Skelton
Publisher: Infobase Publishing
ISBN: 1604131624
Category : Generals
Languages : en
Pages : 153

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Book Description
This volume looks at what made Alexander a brilliant military tactician and a charismatic leader. It also explores what the Eastern world learned through contact with Alexander, and what Alexander brought to the West from the Persian Empire.

The Way of Alexander the Great

The Way of Alexander the Great PDF Author: Charles Mercer
Publisher: iBooks
ISBN: 9780743493390
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 148

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Book Description
Throughout the centuries Alexander the Great has fascinated all manner of men all over the owrld. Handsome, youthful, he conquered the entire known world, then suddenly died at the age of thirty-two. The Way Of Alexander the Great is an extraordinary book that in one volume pulls together the scattered images of Alexander and his life, and presents them will all the color and drama characteristic of his time.From Macedonia, to Greece, to modern Turkey, through Palestine and Egypt all who stood in his way were conquered. Then, turning east he set his sights on defeating the greatest empire of the time: Persia. His success was breathtaking. How he managed it, how he conducted himself, and what it all led to are questions that challenge and worry men today as we view our own divided world.

Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great PDF Author: Benjamin Ide Wheeler
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 610

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Book Description


Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great PDF Author: Benjamin Ide Wheeler
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 568

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Book Description


Alexander the Great in His World

Alexander the Great in His World PDF Author: Carol G. Thomas
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1405178280
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
Alexander the Great is one of the most celebrated figures ofantiquity. In this book, Carol G. Thomas places this powerfulfigure within the context of his time, place, culture, and ancestryin order to discover what influences shaped his life andcareer. The book begins with an exploration of the Macedonia thatconditioned the lives of its inhabitants. It also traces suchinfluences on Alexander's life as his royal Argead ancestry, hisfather, Philip II, and his mother, Olympias. The author examinesAlexander's engagement with Greek culture, especially hisrelationship with Aristotle, and contemplates how other societalfactors - especially the highly militarized Macedonian kingdom andthe nature of Macedonia's relationship with neighboring states -contributed to his achievement. What was the significance of these influences on the man whosucceeded in conquering most of the known world from the AdriaticSea to the Indus River? The author focuses on this question inexploring ancient landscapes and resurrecting key figures fromantiquity in order to penetrate the motivation, goals, and innerbeing of Alexander the Great.