By the Spear By the Spear
Ancient Warfare and Civilization

By the Spear

Philip II, Alexander the Great, and the Rise and Fall of the Macedonian Empire

    • 4.5 • 4 Ratings
    • $14.99
    • $14.99

Publisher Description

Alexander the Great, arguably the most exciting figure from antiquity, waged war as a Homeric hero and lived as one, conquering native peoples and territories on a superhuman scale. From the time he invaded Asia in 334 to his death in 323, he expanded the Macedonian empire from Greece in the west to Asia Minor, the Levant, Egypt, Central Asia and "India" (Pakistan and Kashmir) in the east. Although many other kings and generals forged empires, Alexander produced one that was without parallel, even if it was short-lived.

And yet, Alexander could not have achieved what he did without the accomplishments of his father, Philip II (r. 359-336). It was Philip who truly changed the course of Macedonian history, transforming a weak, disunited, and economically backward kingdom into a military powerhouse. A warrior king par excellence, Philip left Alexander with the greatest army in the Greek world, a centralized monarchy, economic prosperity, and a plan to invade Asia.

For the first time, By the Spear offers an exhilarating military narrative of the reigns of these two larger-than-life figures in one volume. Ian Worthington gives full breadth to the careers of father and son, showing how Philip was the architect of the Macedonian empire, which reached its zenith under Alexander, only to disintegrate upon his death. By the Spear also explores the impact of Greek culture in the East, as Macedonian armies became avatars of social and cultural change in lands far removed from the traditional sphere of Greek influence. In addition, the book discusses the problems Alexander faced in dealing with a diverse subject population and the strategies he took to what might be called nation building, all of which shed light on contemporary events in culturally dissimilar regions of the world. The result is a gripping and unparalleled account of the role these kings played in creating a vast empire and the enduring legacy they left behind.

GENRE
History
RELEASED
2014
June 2
LANGUAGE
EN
English
LENGTH
416
Pages
PUBLISHER
Oxford University Press
SELLER
The Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford trading as Oxford University Press
SIZE
14
MB

More Books Like This

The History of Alexander The History of Alexander
2005
The Hellenistic Age The Hellenistic Age
2007
Alexander the Great Alexander the Great
2006
The Campaigns of Alexander The Campaigns of Alexander
2012
Dividing the Spoils Dividing the Spoils
2011
The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome
2007

More Books by Ian Worthington

Ptolemy I Ptolemy I
2016
Alexander the Great Alexander the Great
2012
Alexander the Great Alexander the Great
2014
Demosthenes of Athens and the Fall of Classical Greece Demosthenes of Athens and the Fall of Classical Greece
2012
The Last Kings of Macedonia and the Triumph of Rome The Last Kings of Macedonia and the Triumph of Rome
2023
Demosthenes, Speeches 60 and 61, Prologues, Letters Demosthenes, Speeches 60 and 61, Prologues, Letters
2009

Other Books in This Series

In God's Path In God's Path
2014
Rome's Revolution Rome's Revolution
2015
Rome Resurgent Rome Resurgent
2018
Mastering the West Mastering the West
2015
The Plague of War The Plague of War
2017
Conquering the Ocean Conquering the Ocean
2022