Alexander the GreatAn accessible yet authoritative biography of the Macedonian king and legendary conqueror—“as racy and pacey as any novel . . . a rollicking read” (Wall Street Journal). Alexander the Great is one of the most enduring figures in history. His military mastery was of such renown that future leaders from Hannibal to Napoleon studied his strategy and tactics. In the brief spa of his life—crowned at age nineteen and dead by thirty-two—he established the greatest empire of the ancient world. Born into the royal family of Macedonia, Alexander was tutored by Aristotle as a boy. Shortly after taking command, he launched an invasion of the Persian empire, and continued his conquests as far south as the deserts of Egypt and as far east as the mountains of present-day Pakistan and the plains of India. Within a short time after Alexander’s death in Baghdad, his empire began to fracture. In his lively and authoritative biography of Alexander, classical scholar and historian Philip Freeman describes Alexander’s astonishing achievements and provides insight into the mercurial character of the great conqueror. As Freeman explains, without Alexander, the influence of Greece on the ancient world would not have been nearly as great as it was. |
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Aegean Alex Alexander knew Alexander’s ancient Antipater Arrian Anabasis arrived Asia Minor Athenians Athens Attalus Babylon Bactria battle began Bessus Callisthenes camp campaign Caria cavalry Cleitus coast commander companions conquered Craterus Curtius Cyrus Danube Darius death desert Diodorus Siculus donian east Ecbatana Egypt enemy exander father fight fleet force gods Granicus Greece Greek Greek city Hephaestion Herodotus highlands historian horse Illyrians India Indus infantry island killed king’s kingdom land Macedonian Macedonian army Macedonian king Mazaeus Mediterranean Memnon miles mountains moved murdered native nearby Nearchus night Nile Olympias ordered palace Parmenion Pella Perdiccas Persepolis Persian Empire Persian king Philip Philotas Plutarch Plutarch Alexander Porus Ptolemy river royal ruler sarissa satrap Scythians sent ships side Siwa Sogdian soldiers soon spear Spitamenes story Susa temple Thebans Thebes thousand Thracian throne took town tribes troops Tyre valley walls warriors young Zeus