Alexander the Great in Fact and Fiction

Ten essays from a symposium held at Newcastle University in 1997, which address the body of romance that surrounds Alexander and to examine the themes of Kingship and imperialism. Political analyses compare Alexander's eastern campaign with the Spanish conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century and study the darkside of Alexander's kingship as well as its ultimate expression in the absolute monarchy of Asia. Other papers search for the historic Alexander behind the iconography and literary propoganda, notably second-hand Greek and Roman histories, and examine the controversy surrounding the interpretation of the Vergina Tomb II.