Alexander the Great E-Book

E E Rice

• Herausgeber: The History Press
• Kategorie: Sachliteratur, Reportagen, Biografien
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

King Alexander III 'the Great' of Macedon was one of the greatest military commanders the world has ever known. This book seeks to dispel some of the myths which have grown up around him and to provide an up-to-date account of his life.

Leseprobe

Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great

E.E. RICE

First published in 1997 This edition first published in 2004

The History Press The Mill, Brimscombe Port Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 2QGwww.thehistorypress.co.uk

This ebook edition first published in 2011

All rights reserved

© E.E. Rice, 1997, 2004, 2011

The right of E.E. Rice, to be identified as the Author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

EPUB ISBN 978 0 7524 6838 9MOBI ISBN 978 0 7524 6839 6

Original typesetting by The History Press

In Memoriam Betty Nye Quinn Professor of Classics, Mount Holyoke College

obiit 29 January 1997

CONTENTS

Chronology

INTRODUCTION AND SOURCES

1 THE EARLY YEARS

2 DEFEAT OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRE

3 THE FRONTIER BEYOND

4 RETURN AND DEATH

5 ALEXANDER’S PERSONALITY

EPILOGUE: ALEXANDER’S LEGACY

Bibliography

CHRONOLOGY

356

BC

Birth of Alexander the Great in Macedonia

338

BC

King Philip II of Macedonia defeats allied Greek armies at Chaironeia

336

BC

First invasion of Asia; King Philip assassinated at Aigai; accession of Alexander to the Macedonian throne

335

BC

Alexander’s campaigns in Thrace and Illyria; the destruction of Thebes

334

BC

Alexander begins his invasion of the Persian Empire; the Battle of the Granicus river; the sieges of Miletus and Halicarnassus

334–3

BC

Conquest of southern Asia Minor; visit to Gordion near Ankara

333

BC

The Battle of Issus

332

BC

The siege and capture of Tyre and Gaza

332–1

BC

Alexander conquers Egypt, founds Alexandria, and visits the Oracle of Ammon at the Siwah Oasis

331

BC

The Battle of Gaugamela

330

BC

The burning of Persepolis; death of the Persian Great King Darius III; murders of Philotas and Parmenio

329–8

BC

Campaigns in Bactria and Sogdiana; the capture of Bessus; the murder of Cleitus; the Royal Pages’ Conspiracy; the arrest of Callisthenes; the revolt and death of Spitamenes

327

BC

Alexander marries Rhoxane; the invasion of India

326–5

BC

The Battle of the Hydaspes against Porus; the mutiny on the Hyphasis river; the voyage down the Indus; the campaign against the Malli

325

BC

The march across the Gedrosian desert

324

BC

The mass marriage at Susa; the mutiny at Opis; the death of Hephaistion

323

BC

The death of Alexander the Great at Babylon

INTRODUCTION AND SOURCES

It is a daunting task to write a biography of Alexander the Great. In the first place there is much that is not known about one of the most famous figures in history. In the second place, the heavily documented scholarly bibliography which already exists – due in part to the endless speculation caused by our lack of information – is huge and constantly growing. In this Pocket Biography I have therefore attempted to present a short account of Alexander’s life based on a synthesis of academic material known to me, which is aimed at the intelligent general reader interested in the facts and problems which I and other ancient historians think are important to the understanding of this enigmatic figure. Of necessity I have had to be ruthlessly selective within the confines of this series and would never claim that this book is comprehensive or intended to be so. It is emphatically not a documented account of Alexander’s military campaigns. I hope none the less that this volume may go some way to dispel various myths commonly held about Alexander by those who have not had the opportunity to delve behind the many strictly ‘popular’ writings about him which exist.

The Sources