The Roman Alexander : readings a cultural myth
"This book seizes on one of the eternal objects of widespread attention in ancient history and turns the tabels on the scholarship that has shaped and dominated the field." "Instead of scrutinizing the documents in order to reconstruct the biography and assess the historical significance, Diana Spencer traces the deployment and development of the mythical figure of Alexander. She explores and synthesizes a selection of Latin texts, from the Late Republic to Hadrian, to form a series of themed discussions which investigate the cultural significance of Alexander for Rome." "The selected texts - drawn from verse and prose, history, epic and oratory - are presented alongside their English translation, and provide an insight into a world where to think about Alexander was to engage with the burning ideological issues of Rome during a period of intense and often violent political and cultural change. The book makes clear how particular texts and issues may be readily accessed, providing a valuable resource for teachers and their students, whilst also offering a new approach to cultural histories of Rome and Alexander."--Jacket
History
xxiv, 277 pages : illustrations, map ; 24 cm
9780859896771, 9780859896788, 0859896773, 0859896781
67379948
List of Readings, ix; List of Illustrations, x; Acknowledgements, xi; Introduction: The Empty Bottle, xiii; Reading Alexander, xix; Map 1: The Roman World, xx; Chronology of Alexander, xxii; Map 2: Alexander's Journey, xxv; 1 History into Story, 1; What's in a Name?, 2; Alexander and the Successors: Making History, 5; Rome and the 'East': Cultural Context, 9; The Legacy of the Punic Wars, 11; Rome in the First Century BCE, 15; Augustus and the Succession, 29; History and Identity, 31; 2 Readings-Alexander Rex, 39; Alexander v. Rome? What if..., 41; Plain Speaking: Autocracy and Freedom of Speech, 53; Flattery and Excess: The Collapse of Language, 79; 3 Readings-Living Fast, Dying Young..., 83; Drinking-Up Time, 86; Angry Young Man..., 94; 4 Readings-Imaging Alexander, 119; Words, Memory and Myth: The Making of Kings, 121; Frontiers, Limits and a Rhetoric of Conquest: Acknowledging the Power of Words, 138; Africa Dreaming..., 154. 5 Autocracy-The Roman Alexander Complex, 165; Style of Command, 167; Alexander and Pre-Augustan Rome, 168; Clementia: The Power of Forgiveness, 170; Succession and Dynastic Ambitions, 175; Divinity, 178; Uncharted Waters: Alexander in the Principate, 180; Image and Identity: Velleius and Statius, 182; Eastward Ambitions: The Politics of Victory, 189; What happens when a Roman goes East?, 189; Degeneracy, 193; Fortunes of War, 195; Mutiny!, 201; 6 Alexander after Alexander, 205; Conjuring with Alexander, 217; Modern Alexanders, 219; Notes, 223; Bibliography, 255; General Index, 267; Index of chief passages discussed, 275.