A THEMATIC AND CONTEXTUAL GUIDE TO THE FRAGMENTED HISTORY OF THE POST-ALEXANDER HELLENISTIC WORLD

Successors to Alexander the Great: Historical Sources in Translation offers the first comprehensive collection of translated documents from the critical half-century following the death of Alexander in 323 BCE. This era-marked by fierce power struggles, shifting alliances, and foundational transformations in the ancient world-has long posed challenges to historians due to the fragmentary and scattered nature of surviving sources. This comprehensive volume gathers texts from Greek and Latin authors alongside Babylonian chronicles, Egyptian priestly decrees, and epigraphic evidence, allowing readers to engage with a broad array of voices and traditions from across Alexander's former empire.

Rather than impose a strict chronological narrative, this book is structured thematically and geographically to reflect the complex realities of the Successor period. Chapters provide rich contextual analysis to help readers navigate political propaganda, personal ambition, dynastic manipulation, and the evolving concepts of kingship and legitimacy. This approach encourages critical engagement with the sources and invites deeper reflection on the nature of power, identity, and historical memory in the Hellenistic world.

Successors to Alexander the Great: Historical Sources in Translation is ideal for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and scholars. It is an excellent text for courses in Classics, Ancient History, the Hellenistic World, and Near Eastern Studies.