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'His passion was for glory only, and in that he was insatiable' Although written over four hundred years after Alexander's death, Arrian's Campaigns of Alexanderis the most reliable account of the man and his achievements we have. Arrian's own experience as a military commander gave him unique insights into the life of the world's greatest conqueror. He tells of Alexander's violent suppression of the Theban rebellion, his total defeat of Persia and his campaigns through Egypt, India and Babylon - establishing new cities and destroying others in his path. While Alexander emerges from this record as an unparalleled and charismatic leader, Arrian succeeds brilliantly in creating an objective and fully rounded portrait of a man of boundless ambition, who was exposed to the temptations of power and was worshipped as a god in his own lifetime.… (more)
One of my all time favorite books. Probably the first real piece of classical history I read when I was 19, and it's still my favorite, even though Arrian's stoic justification for Alexander's bad behavior is less justified for me at 34. You can feel Alexander's glory. ( )
This is the most detailed life of Alexander written by someone with access to the records of his time, which was probably around 150CE. Also it's got lots of battles, and keeps track of some of the changes in the staff and army of the conqueror. If you can only read one, read this one. The translation is well written in the 1971 edition, which is the one I've got. ( )
So let me start with saying that Alexander THE GREAT is truly deserving of “Great”. From stat to finish I was enthralled (there are parts, not so much but very few). The shear scale of battle the audacity and arrogance of the man made him one of the first greats. I mean hell he conquered the known world before he was thirty and then died before he was forty. Here it is over 2500 years later and this man is still considered to be and labeled as "THE GREAT" An excellent book if your a history nerd (like myself) an even more outstanding piece of classical ligature about one of the world first superpower leaders ( )
It is said that Philip died when Pythodemus was archon at Athens, and that his son Alexander, being then about twenty years of age, marched into the Peloponnesus as soon as he had secured the regal power.
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Last words
In relating the history of Alexander’s achievements, there are some things which I have been compelled to censure; but I am not ashamed to admire Alexander himself. Those actions I have branded as bad, both from a regard to my own veracity, and at the same time for the benefit of mankind. For this reason I think that I undertook the task of writing this history not without the divine inspiration.
'His passion was for glory only, and in that he was insatiable' Although written over four hundred years after Alexander's death, Arrian's Campaigns of Alexanderis the most reliable account of the man and his achievements we have. Arrian's own experience as a military commander gave him unique insights into the life of the world's greatest conqueror. He tells of Alexander's violent suppression of the Theban rebellion, his total defeat of Persia and his campaigns through Egypt, India and Babylon - establishing new cities and destroying others in his path. While Alexander emerges from this record as an unparalleled and charismatic leader, Arrian succeeds brilliantly in creating an objective and fully rounded portrait of a man of boundless ambition, who was exposed to the temptations of power and was worshipped as a god in his own lifetime.
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Arrian's history of Alexander the Great is our most complete and reliable account of the world's greatest conqueror. Writing in the Roman Empire during the 2nd century AD, Arrian was a Greek historian, philosopher, and military commander. For this work, also known as “The Anabasis of Alexander”, he had access to many sources which are now sadly lost. Thankfully for us, he cites them by name, weighs their truthfulness and motives, and records what he believes to be the most probable story of Alexander's intentions and deeds. The result is a brilliant description of the young Macedonian prince, and of how he conquered most of the known world in just ten years.
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