Alexander the Great in Fact and Fiction [Paperback]

A. B. Bosworth (Editor), E. J. Baynham (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 11, 2002 | ISBN-10: 0199252750 | ISBN-13: 978-0199252756

This book collects together ten contributions by leading scholars in the field of Alexander studies which represent the most advanced scholarship in this area. They span the gamut between historical reconstruction and historiographical research, and, viewed as a whole, represent a wide spectrum of methodology. This first English collection of essays on Alexander includes a comparison of the Spanish conquest of Mexico with the Macedonians in the east which examines the attitudes towards the subject peoples and the justification of conquest, an analysis of the attested conspiracies at the Macedonian and Persian courts, and studies of panhellenic ideology and the concept of kingship. There is a radical new interpretation of the hunting fresco from Tomb II at Vergina, and a new date for the pamphlet on Alexander's death which ends the Alexander Romance. Three chapters on historiography address the problem of interpreting Alexander's attested behavior, the indirect source tradition used by Polybius, and the resonances of contemporary politics in the extant histories.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Bosworth presents an excellent overview of the current state of Alexander scholarship, including the problems of the paucity of ancient source material and the bias found within what has survived...Alexander the Great in Fact and Fiction is essential reading for all Alexander scholars and enthusiasts."--History: Reviews of New Books

"A necessary volume for anyone interested in the continuing and growing mountain of modern scholarship on Alexander, the Macedonians, and the Hellenistic period."--Bryn Mawr Classical Review

About the Author

A.B. Bosworth is Professor of Classics and Ancient History, University of Western Australia E.J. Baynham is Senior Lecturer, University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia

Product Details

• Paperback: 380 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (July 11, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0199252750
• ISBN-13: 978-0199252756
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,834,416 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Alexader the Great--"A Hidden Enigma", April 9, 2008

By 

Kevin White (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Alexander the Great in Fact and Fiction (Paperback)

Anyone who has studied Alexander the Great knows that he is an allusive historical figure. The primary sources do not help the inquiring historian due to their very nature. The historian has only very reliable Arrian and the questionable vulgate of Curtius Rufus, Diodorus and Justin's epitome of Pompeius Trogus with all its idiosyncracies. Anyone trying to tackle the primary sources as an introduction to Alexander historiography is in for a mind-boggling puzzle. That is why the Oxford University Press' "Alexander the Great in Fact and Fiction" is so useful and a valuable addition to to any Alexander the Great fanatic's library. The book's usefulness derives from it scope in addressing various issues in Alexander historiography. Take a look at the table of contents and you will see distinguished scholars like Ernst Badian and Ernst Fredricksmeyer tackle the issues for the novice historian. In all I am please with the production and academic quality of the book. I would recommend it to anyone interested in expanding upon their layman knowledge of Alexander the Great!!