Historiography of Alexander the Great

There are numerous surviving ancient Greek and Latin sources on Alexander the Great, as well as some oriental texts. The five main surviving accounts are by Arrian, Plutarch, Diodorus, Curtius and Justin.[1] In addition to these five main sources, there is the Metz Epitome, an anonymous late Latin work that narrates Alexander's campaigns from Hyrcania to India. Much is also recounted incidentally by other authors, including Strabo, Athenaeus, Polyaenus, Aelian, and others. Strabo, who gives a summary of Callisthenes, is an important source for Alexander's journey to Siwah.[2]

Contemporary sources

The primary sources written by people who actually knew Alexander or who gathered information from men who served with Alexander, are all lost, apart from a few inscriptions and fragments.[1] Contemporaries who wrote accounts of his life include Alexander's campaign historian Callisthenes; Alexander's generals Ptolemy and Nearchus; Aristobulus, a junior officer on the campaigns; and Onesicritus, Alexander's chief helmsman.[1] Finally, there is the very influential account of Cleitarchus who, while not a direct witness of Alexander's expedition, used sources which had just been published.[1] His work was to be the backbone of that of Timagenes, who heavily influenced many historians whose work still survives. None of his works survived, but we do have later works based on these primary sources.[1]

The five main sources

Arrian

Plutarch

Diodorus

Curtius

Justin

Lost works

Greek epigraphy

Oriental tradition

Babylonian Chronicles

Zoroastrian texts

Main article: Book of Arda Viraf
“ They say that, once upon a time, the pious Zartosht made the religion, which he had received, current in the world; and till the completion of 300 years, the religion was in purity, and men were without doubts.But afterward, the accursed evil spirit, the wicked one, in order to make men doubtful of this religion, instigated the accursed Alexander, the Rûman,[13] who was dwelling in Egypt, so that he came to the country of Iran with severe cruelty and war and devastation; he also slew the ruler of Iran,and destroyed the metropolis and empire, and made them desolate.[14] ”

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Green, 2007, pp xxii–xxviii
  2. ↑ Cartledge, P., Alexander the Great (Vintage Books, 2004), p. 290.
  3. ↑ Curtius - livius.org
  4. ↑ Cartledge 2007, p. 278.
  5. ↑ The Hellenistic Settlements in Europe, the Islands, and Asia Minor Page 94 by Getzel M. Cohen ISBN 0520083296
  6. ↑ Elis — Olympia — 336-323 BC IvO 276
  7. ↑ From the end of the Peloponnesian War to the battle of Ipsus By Phillip Harding Page 135 ISBN 0521299497
  8. ↑ Lindos II 2 103-109
  9. ↑ The Greek world after Alexander, 323-30 B.C. Page 37 By Graham Shipley ISBN 0415046181
  10. ↑ New terms for new ideas By Michael Lackner, Iwo Amelung, Joachim Kurtz Page 124 ISBN 9004120467
  11. ↑ livius.org
  12. ↑ livius.org
  13. ↑ Alexander the Great was called "the Ruman" in Zoroastrian tradition because he came from Greek provinces which later were a part of the eastern Roman empire - The archeology of world religions By Jack Finegan Page 80 ISBN 0415221552
  14. ↑ http://www.avesta.org/mp/viraf.html
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