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32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Liberator and the Conqueror, August 1, 2000
This review is from: Diodorus Siculus: Library of History, Volume VIII, Books 16.66-17 (Loeb Classical Library No. 422) (Hardcover)
Plutarch tends to be moralistic and tangential. Thucydides slows down his narrative with an abundance of detail and set speeches. If you want a good, straightforward "rumpty tumpty" presentation of exciting and dramatic historical events, then Diodorus is your man. He doesn't shy away either from describing violence and brutality when necessary. Although Plutarch's characterization and Thucydides's clarity are beyond compare, Diodorus's history can compete because its sweep is so much grander. This volume from the Loeb Classical Library, Greek on one page, English on the other, covers the period 345 BC to 323 BC. The volume starts with an account of the career of Timoleon, the great liberator of Sicily. Arriving in an island terrorized by tyrants and torn by constant warfare, he succeeded in driving out the tyrants, restoring democracy, uniting the Greek-speaking population, and defeating a massive Carthaginian invasion with a scratch army of mercenaries. The invincibility of Greek heavy infantry is presented here as a simple fact without according it any special religious or racial significance. This refusal to respond emotionally to the events he describes, events which involved his own native island, is both a strength and a weakness of Diodorus. He is more a trainspotter of historical facts than a propagandist of Greek civilization. The focus of the book soon switches to Greece and the final rise of Macedonian power leading to Alexander's invasion of Asia. This territory has perhaps been more ably covered by Arrian and, in parts, by Plutarch, nevertheless there is much here which other writers have missed, for example the description of Memnon's campaign in the Troad, an extremely interesting account of the siege and defense engines employed at Tyre, and an account of the origins of the Indian practice of suttee. After the main battles have been won and the great cities of the Persian Empire conquered, the narrative becomes a little tedious as we plough through Alexander's endless campaigns against central Asian hill tribes and Indian towns and villages. When the army finally refuses to go any further, the reader is in perfect agreement. It was at this point that Alexander commanded his troops to build a camp with everything in it doubled in size to give subsequent generations of Indians the impression that the Macedonians were giants instead of men. Alexander then returned to Babylon where his death was predicted and soon followed, a suitable end for this volume which starts with a liberator and ends with a conqueror. In the side margin of each page there is a date so that the chronology is always clear, and any omissions by Diodorus are effectively dealt with by excellent footnotes which cross reference with other historical sources.
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, July 6, 2005
This review is from: Diodorus Siculus: Library of History, Volume VIII, Books 16.66-17 (Loeb Classical Library No. 422) (Hardcover)
Diodorus' history of Alexander is quite enjoyable, and has several points that the other 'primary' sources do not. As per usual, the Loeb edition is well put together and you get both the Greek and the English translation side-by-side. For $21.50 you can't go wrong, unless you are trying to purchas QCR. I would assume that Penguin (or some like publisher) could produce an English translation that could be put out in paperback, but I would still say get the Loeb. All in all a very strong recommendation.
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6 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The "GREATEST" OF THE "GREAT", February 10, 2006
This review is from: Diodorus Siculus: Library of History, Volume VIII, Books 16.66-17 (Loeb Classical Library No. 422) (Hardcover)
Alexander the Great, was born on or around July 20, 356 B.C.E., and is my favorite personality to read about in history. To me he is the whole package general, statesman, conqueror, and philosopher. The smartest man who ever lived, Aristotle, tutored him. Alexander conquered more of the known world than any other figure in history, accomplishing all this before he dies at the ripe old age of 33. Some people called him conqueror and violent overlord. Some other called him civilizer and even God! All of them yet, called him "The Great". He was the first man in modern history that took this name, "The Great"! Even as a young boy, he shows great promise. Diodorus a Greek historian who lived from 80-20 BCE wrote 40 books of world history. He is an uncritical compiler who used good sources and produced them faithfully. His work is one of the oldest works available and is based on eyewitness accounts. He does a better job than most in explaining the battle scenes, and seems to be more balanced in his admiration and criticism of Alexander then any of the other early biographers. I love his Bucephalus Story, and I recount it here so you get a flavor of the promise this young Alexander shows. The legend begins with Philoneicus, a Thessalian, bringing a wild horse to Philip for him to buy. None of the hands was able to handle it, and Philip grew upset at Philoneicus for bringing such an unstable horse to him. Alexander, however, publicly defied his father and claimed that he could handle the horse. The bet between Philip and Alexander was that if Alexander could ride the horse, Philip would buy it, if not, Alexander would have to pay the price of the horse, which was 13 talents, an enormous sum for a boy of Alexander's age to have. Alexander apparently noticed that the horse had been shying away from its own shadow, and so he led it gently into the sun, so that its shadow was behind it, all the while stroking it gently and whispering into its ear, (Alexander seems to be the original horse whisperer). Eventually the horse let Alexander mount him, and Alexander was able to show his equestrian skill to his father and all who were watching. The incident so impressed Alexander's father, King Philip that he told the boy "Look thee out a kingdom equal to and worthy of you, for Macedonia is too little for thee". He named the horse Bucephalus, which means Ox head, and rode it across Asia, founding a city in its honor in India after its death. This story gives you an inkling about the man. This book is a necessary read for students of Alexander, I also recommend Plutarch's and Arrian's work, and from contemporary writers, J. F. C. Fuller and Tarn. Most of Alexander's greatest military traits are in the area of military logistics and to understand his genius in this area I highly recommend reading, "Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army," by Donald W. Engels. As a retired U. S. Army Major, I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in ancient warfare, and history.
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