Synopses & Reviews
Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.) precipitated immense historical change in the Mediterranean and Near Eastern worlds. But the resonance his legend achieved over the next two millennia stretched even fartherand#8212;across foreign cultures, religious traditions, and distant nations.
This engaging and handsomely illustrated book for the first time gathers together hundreds of the colorful Alexander legends that have been told and retold around the globe. Richard Stoneman, a foremost expert on the Alexander myths, introduces us first to the historical Alexander and then to the Alexander of legend, an unparalleled mythic icon who came to represent the heroic ideal in cultures from Egypt to Iceland, from Britain to Malaya.
Alexander came to embody the concerns of Hellenistic man; he fueled Roman ideas on tyranny and kingship; he was a talisman for fourth-century pagans and a hero of chivalry in the early Middle Ages. He appears in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic writings, frequently as a prophet of God. Whether battling winged foxes or meeting with the Amazons, descending to the underworld or inventing the worldand#8217;s first diving bell, Alexander inspired as a hero, even a god. Stoneman traces Alexanderand#8217;s influence in ancient literature and folklore and in later literatures of east and west. His book provides the definitive account of the legends of Alexander the Greatand#8212;a powerful leader in life and an even more powerful figure in the history of literature and ideas.
Review
"Students of ancient Greek religion will welcome this journeyman's comprehensive survey of Greek oracular mechanics complemented by discussions of the ancients' theorizing of prophecy and the various problems those theories challenged."and#8212;J.C. Hanges, Choice
Review
"This is an unusual and thought-provoking book that should appeal to both Alexander buffs and well-informed general readers."and#8212;Booklist
Review
"The volume is highly informative in its goal of tracing the evolution of thought about Alexander through the centuries."and#8212;Dawn L. Gilley, Bryn Mawr Classical Review
Review
"The first full-scale study in over 50 years of the Alexander Romance and its legacy in English. . . . Particularly interesting is the author's discussion of the rich medieval Persian Alexander literatureand#8212;both Zoroastrian and Islamicand#8212;and its influence. This fascinating book belongs in every university and college library Essential."and#8212;Choice
Review
and#39;Recent scholarly approaches to the lives of ancient Iranian monarchs have opted for the Reception Studies approach, filtering the rulers through the long-lens of ancient and modern historiography. Not so Richard Stoneman. He boldly bucks the trend and in his Xerxes: A Persian Life proves that it is possible to write a very good biography of a long-dead Persian. He takes a cradle-to-grave (or harem-to-ossuary) approach in doing so and tackles the complex, conflicting, multi-layered sources with gusto.and#39;andmdash;Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, THE
Review
andldquo;A biography that awakens curiosity and whets the appetite for more information.andrdquo;andmdash;Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
The first full-scale account of a Persian king vilified by history
Xerxes, Great King of the Persian Empire from 486 465 B.C., has gone down in history as an angry tyrant full of insane ambition. The stand of Leonidas and the 300 against his army at Thermopylae is a byword for courage, while the failure of Xerxes expedition has overshadowed all the other achievements of his twenty-two-year reign.
In this lively and comprehensive new biography, Richard Stoneman shows how Xerxes, despite sympathetic treatment by the contemporary Greek writers Aeschylus and Herodotus, had his reputation destroyed by later Greek writers and by the propaganda of Alexander the Great. Stoneman draws on the latest research in Achaemenid studies and archaeology to present the ruler from the Persian perspective. This illuminating volume does not whitewash Xerxes failings but sets against them such triumphs as the architectural splendor of Persepolis and a consideration of Xerxes religious commitments. What emerges is a nuanced portrait of a man who ruled a vast and multicultural empire which the Greek communities of the West saw as the antithesis of their own values."
Synopsis
For more than a thousand years, Greeksand#160;from all walks of life consulted oracles for guidance received directly from the gods. This colorful and wide-ranging survey encompasses the entire history of Greek oracles and focuses fresh attention on philosophical, psychological, and anthropological aspects of oracular consultation. It also examines how Greek oracles' practices were distinctive compared to those of their neighbors, especially in Egypt, Babylon, and Israel.
Richard Stoneman weaves a fascinating historical tapestry, taking into account the different kinds of oracles (healers, advisors, prophets, and others), their most important sanctuaries, debates about them among ancient thinkers, and Christian attacksand#160;on them. Delving into the reasons behind the oracles' enduring position at the heart of Greek culture, Stoneman offers fresh insights into pagan religious practice and the history of Greek intellectual and spiritual life.
Synopsis
This engaging book is the first to gather together the hundreds of colorful legends told in cultures across the globe about Alexander the Great, conqueror of the ancient world. Richard Stoneman shows how the mythical exploits of Alexander have resonated for Christians, Jews, and Muslims, and in eastern and western cultures, for more than 2000 years.
Synopsis
The first full-scale account of a Persian king vilified by history
Synopsis
Xerxes, Great King of the Persian Empire from 486andndash;465 B.C., has gone down in history as an angry tyrant full of insane ambition. The stand of Leonidas and the 300 against his army at Thermopylae is a byword for courage, while the failure of Xerxesandrsquo; expedition has overshadowed all the other achievements of his twenty-two-year reign.
and#160;
In this lively and comprehensive new biography, Richard Stoneman shows how Xerxes, despite sympathetic treatment by the contemporary Greek writers Aeschylus and Herodotus, had his reputation destroyed by later Greek writers and by the propaganda of Alexander the Great. Stoneman draws on the latest research in Achaemenid studies and archaeology to present the ruler from the Persian perspective. This illuminating volume does not whitewash Xerxesandrsquo; failings but sets against them such triumphs as the architectural splendor of Persepolis and a consideration of Xerxesandrsquo; religious commitments. What emerges is a nuanced portrait of a man who ruled a vast and multicultural empire which the Greek communities of the West saw as the antithesis of their own values.
About the Author
Richard Stoneman is honorary fellow, University of Exeter. His most recent book is Alexander the Great: A Life in Legend, published by Yale University Press. He lives in Devon, UK.