Alexander’s Veterans and the Early Wars of the Successors

Nonfiction, History, Ancient History, Greece
Cover of the book Alexander’s Veterans and the Early Wars of the Successors by Joseph Roisman, University of Texas Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Joseph Roisman ISBN: 9780292742888
Publisher: University of Texas Press Publication: August 24, 2012
Imprint: University of Texas Press Language: English
Author: Joseph Roisman
ISBN: 9780292742888
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Publication: August 24, 2012
Imprint: University of Texas Press
Language: English

From antiquity until now, most writers who have chronicled the events following the death of Alexander the Great have viewed this history through the careers, ambitions, and perspectives of Alexander’s elite successors. Few historians have probed the experiences and attitudes of the ordinary soldiers who followed Alexander on his campaigns and who were divided among his successors as they fought for control of his empire after his death. Yet the veterans played an important role in helping to shape the character and contours of the Hellenistic world.

This pathfinding book offers the first in-depth investigation of the Macedonian veterans’ experience during a crucial turning point in Greek history (323–316 BCE). Joseph Roisman discusses the military, social, and political circumstances that shaped the history of Alexander’s veterans, giving special attention to issues such as the soldiers’ conduct on and off the battlefield, the army assemblies, the volatile relationship between the troops and their generals, and other related themes, all from the perspective of the rank-and-file. Roisman also reexamines the biases of the ancient sources and how they affected ancient and modern depictions of Alexander’s veterans, as well as Alexander’s conflicts with his army, the veterans’ motives and goals, and their political contributions to Hellenistic history. He pays special attention to the Silver Shields, a group of Macedonian veterans famous for their invincibility and martial prowess, and assesses whether or not they deserved their formidable reputation.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

From antiquity until now, most writers who have chronicled the events following the death of Alexander the Great have viewed this history through the careers, ambitions, and perspectives of Alexander’s elite successors. Few historians have probed the experiences and attitudes of the ordinary soldiers who followed Alexander on his campaigns and who were divided among his successors as they fought for control of his empire after his death. Yet the veterans played an important role in helping to shape the character and contours of the Hellenistic world.

This pathfinding book offers the first in-depth investigation of the Macedonian veterans’ experience during a crucial turning point in Greek history (323–316 BCE). Joseph Roisman discusses the military, social, and political circumstances that shaped the history of Alexander’s veterans, giving special attention to issues such as the soldiers’ conduct on and off the battlefield, the army assemblies, the volatile relationship between the troops and their generals, and other related themes, all from the perspective of the rank-and-file. Roisman also reexamines the biases of the ancient sources and how they affected ancient and modern depictions of Alexander’s veterans, as well as Alexander’s conflicts with his army, the veterans’ motives and goals, and their political contributions to Hellenistic history. He pays special attention to the Silver Shields, a group of Macedonian veterans famous for their invincibility and martial prowess, and assesses whether or not they deserved their formidable reputation.

More books from University of Texas Press

Cover of the book The Death of Ramón González by Joseph Roisman
Cover of the book Institutional Economics by Joseph Roisman
Cover of the book Mexican Folk Narrative from the Los Angeles Area by Joseph Roisman
Cover of the book Imagining the Turkish House by Joseph Roisman
Cover of the book Quality Education for Latinos and Latinas by Joseph Roisman
Cover of the book The Last Jews in Baghdad by Joseph Roisman
Cover of the book Ryan Adams by Joseph Roisman
Cover of the book Folklore Genres by Joseph Roisman
Cover of the book Country Music USA by Joseph Roisman
Cover of the book The Early Poetry of Robert Graves by Joseph Roisman
Cover of the book The Folds of Parnassos by Joseph Roisman
Cover of the book Women Who Live Evil Lives by Joseph Roisman
Cover of the book Muhammad in the Digital Age by Joseph Roisman
Cover of the book From the Republic of the Rio Grande by Joseph Roisman
Cover of the book The Power of Huacas by Joseph Roisman
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy