Alexander the Great in His World

Alexander the Great is one of the most celebrated figures of antiquity. In this book, Carol G. Thomas places this powerful figure within the context of his time, place, culture, and ancestry in order to discover what influences shaped his life and career.

The book begins with an exploration of the Macedonia that conditioned the lives of its inhabitants. It also traces such influences on Alexander’s life as his royal Argead ancestry, his father, Philip II, and his mother, Olympias. The author examines Alexander’s engagement with Greek culture, especially his relationship with Aristotle, and contemplates how other societal factors – especially the highly militarized Macedonian kingdom and the nature of Macedonia’s relationship with neighboring states – contributed to his achievement.

What was the significance of these influences on the man who succeeded in conquering most of the known world from the Adriatic Sea to the Indus River? The author focuses on this question in exploring ancient landscapes and resurrecting key figures from antiquity in order to penetrate the motivation, goals, and inner being of Alexander the Great.

List of Figures vi

List of Maps viii

Preface ix

Introduction 1

1 Basic Facts, Generally Uncontested, of Alexander’s Life 9

2 Being Macedonian 22

3 Being an Argead 55

4 Being a Neighbor of Greece 98

5 Surviving by Might 132

6 Meeting the Distant Threat 159

7 Reconstructing Alexander 191

Bibliography 224

Index 237

"Every generation, and virtually every scholar has given the world a different Alexander - each one the product of the writer's time and cultural conditioning. This book places Alexander squarely in the only meaningful context, his own geographical and mental world." Waldemar Heckel, University of Calgary

“Would serve well as one of several works offered to an undergraduate class … The work is well written and clearly presented.”
Bryn Mawr Classical Review

"Will provide a basic introduction to her subject which some teachers and students may find helpful." Journal of Classics Teaching

“An engaging and persuasive book, which offers a new perspective … .It will maintain the interest of specialists … yet remain accessible to the general reader.” Canadian Journal of History

Carol G. Thomas is Professor of Greek History at the University of Washington. She is the author of many books on Ancient Greece including The Trojan War (2005), Finding People in Early Greece (2005), and Earliest Civilizations: Ancient Greece and the Near East, 3000-200BC (1982). Alexander the Great is one of the most celebrated figures of antiquity. In this book, Carol G. Thomas places this powerful figure within the context of his time, place, culture, and ancestry in order to discover what influences shaped his life and career.

The book begins with an exploration of the Macedonia that conditioned the lives of its inhabitants. It also traces such influences on Alexander’s life as his royal Argead ancestry, his father, Philip II, and his mother, Olympias. The author examines Alexander’s engagement with Greek culture, especially his relationship with Aristotle, and contemplates how other societal factors – especially the highly militarized Macedonian kingdom and the nature of Macedonia’s relationship with neighboring states – contributed to his achievement.

What was the significance of these influences on the man who succeeded in conquering most of the known world from the Adriatic Sea to the Indus River? The author focuses on this question in exploring ancient landscapes and resurrecting key figures from antiquity in order to penetrate the motivation, goals, and inner being of Alexander the Great.