アレクサンドロス大王（紀元前356-323年）の32年の生涯と12年に及ぶ治政、そしてその背景となるマケドニア王朝、アケメネス朝ペルシャの歴史を考察します。ギリシャからパキスタン、リビア砂漠から中央アジアの大草原まで遠征し、ギリシャ諸ポリスにコリント同盟を締結させ、エジプトを征服、ペルシア王国を滅亡したアレクサンドロス。今に伝わる手紙や日記等の一次資料を繙き、同時代の人々の目にどのように映っていたのかという視点でこの伝説的人物に迫ります。
　　　　

• A clear introduction to the history of the life and reign of Alexander the Great
• Considers the background to his life by looking at the history of the kingdom of Macedon and the Achaemenid Persian Empire
• Explores Alexander's campaign of conquest in the Persian Empire
• Goes behind the historical accounts of Alexander's life to examine evidence from his lifetime, including letters, diaries, and historical records
• Tells the story of his incredible cultural and historical legacy around the world

 
Alexander the Great became king of Macedon in 336 BC, when he was only 20 years old, and died at the age of 32, twelve years later. During his reign he conquered the Achaemenid Persian Empire, the largest empire that had ever existed, leading his army from Greece to Pakistan, and from the Libyan desert to the steppes of Central Asia. His meteoric career, as leader of an alliance of Greek cities, Pharaoh of Egypt, and King of Persia, had a profound effect on the world he moved through. Even in his lifetime his achievements became legendary and in the centuries that following his story was told and retold throughout Europe and the East. Greek became the language of power in the Eastern Mediterranean and much of the Near East, as powerful Macedonian dynasts carved up Alexander's empire into kingdoms of their own, underlaying the flourishing Hellenistic civilization that emerged after his death. 
  
But what do we really know about Alexander? In this Very Short Introduction, Hugh Bowden goes behind the usual historical accounts of Alexander's life and career. Instead, he focuses on the evidence from Alexander's own time — letters from officials in Afghanistan, Babylonian diaries, records from Egyptian temples — to try and understand how Alexander appeared to those who encountered him. In doing so he also demonstrates the profound influence the legends of his life have had on our historical understanding and the controversy they continue to generate worldwide.
 
 
Reading Guide