The History Book Club discussion

This is the Week One - non spoiler thread for the book The Ghost on the Throne: The Death of Alexander the Great and the War for Crown and Empire by James Romm

by James Romm (no photo)

Hello Everyone,

For the week of July 13th - July 19th, we are reading Preface, Introduction: The Opening of the Tombs and 1. Bodyguards and Companions.

The first week's reading assignment is:

(July 13th - July 19th)

Week One: -(July 13th - July 19th) (pages xiii-xxii, 3 - 33)

Preface p. xiii

Introduction: The Opening of the Tombs

1. BODYGUARDS AND COMPANIONS p. 3

We will open up a thread for each week's reading. Please make sure to post in the particular thread dedicated to those specific chapters and page numbers to avoid spoilers. We will also open up supplemental threads as we did for other spotlighted books.

This book is being kicked off July 13th.

We look forward to your participation. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, other noted on line booksellers do have copies of the book and shipment can be expedited. The book can also be obtained easily at your local library, or on your Kindle.

There is no rush and we are thrilled to have you join us. It is never too late to get started and/or to post.

Vicki will be moderating this selection.

Welcome,

~Bentley

TO ALWAYS SEE ALL WEEKS' THREADS SELECT VIEW ALL

by James Romm (no photo)

REMEMBER NO SPOILERS ON THE WEEKLY NON SPOILER THREADS - ON EACH WEEKLY NON SPOILER THREAD - WE ONLY DISCUSS THE PAGES ASSIGNED OR THE PAGES WHICH WERE COVERED IN PREVIOUS WEEKS. IF YOU GO AHEAD OR WANT TO ENGAGE IN MORE EXPANSIVE DISCUSSION - POST THOSE COMMENTS IN ONE OF THE SPOILER THREADS. THESE CHAPTERS HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION SO WHEN IN DOUBT CHECK WITH THE CHAPTER OVERVIEW AND SUMMARY TO RECALL WHETHER YOUR COMMENTS ARE ASSIGNMENT SPECIFIC. EXAMPLES OF SPOILER THREADS ARE THE GLOSSARY, THE BIBLIOGRAPHY, THE INTRODUCTION AND THE BOOK AS A WHOLE THREADS.

Notes:

It is always a tremendous help when you quote specifically from the book itself and reference the chapter and page numbers when responding. The text itself helps folks know what you are referencing and makes things clear.

Citations:

If an author or book is mentioned other than the book and author being discussed, citations must be included according to our guidelines. Also, when citing other sources, please provide credit where credit is due and/or the link. There is no need to re-cite the author and the book we are discussing however.

Here is the link to the thread titled Mechanics of the Board which will help you with the citations and how to do them.

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2...

Also, the citation thread: (for Unreasonable Men - look at examples)

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Introduction Thread:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Table of Contents and Syllabus

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Glossary

Remember there is a glossary thread where ancillary information is placed by the moderator. This is also a thread where additional information can be placed by the group members regarding the subject matter being discussed.

Here is the link:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Bibliography

There is a Bibliography where books cited in the text are posted with proper citations and reviews. We also post the books that the author may have used in his research or in his notes. Please also feel free to add to the Bibliography thread any related books, etc with proper citations or other books either non fiction or historical fiction that relate to the subject matter of the book itself. No self promotion, please.

Here is the link:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Book as a Whole and Final Thoughts - Spoiler Thread

Here is the link:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

by James Romm (no photo)

Everyone, for the week of July 13th - July 19th, we are reading the Preface, Introduction, and Chapter 1. .

The first week's reading assignment is:

WEEK ONE - July 13th - July 19th -> Preface, Introduction: The Opening of the Tombs and 1. Bodyguards and Companions (xiii-xxii, 3 - 33)

Chapter Overview and Summaries

Preface

The contemporaneous accounts of Alexander’s conquests are mostly lost, except for fragments, but later ancient historians passed on excerpts and summaries. Most of these are available on the Internet.

Note on Pronunciation

The author gives hints on how to pronounce various names, both for vowels and consonants and which syllables should be emphasized.

Introduction: The Opening of the Tombs

In 1977, archaeologists working near the Greek town of Vergina, thought to be the site of Aegae, the capital of ancient Macedonia, discovered some tombs in the Great Tumulus, a really big pile of dirt, sand and gravel. These tombs contained ancient weapons, some small sculptures and pottery seeming to belong to the age of Alexander. Many of the sculptures are thought to be portraits of some of Alexander’s Bodyguards, who were party to the dismemberment of Alexander’s empire.

1. Bodyguards and Companions

Alexander became king of Macedonia at age 20, when his father, King Philip II, was assassinated. He led a 12 year series of conquests over the Near and Middle East, extending all the way to the Indus River. He would have kept going, but his army had had enough. On the way back to Babylon, he was struck by an arrow, piercing his lung. His soldiers feared he was dead, but he recovered. All seemed well when they arrived back in Babylon. Alexander and his generals, called the Bodyguards and Companions, were preparing to move against the Arabs, who hadn’t yet submitted to the Macedonians, but Alexander fell ill, and after several days of getting worse, he died on June 11, 323 BC. Supposedly, when he was asked to whom his power should pass, he said “To the strongest.” The struggle to determine who that was is the subject of this book.

Greetings, fellow Alexandrians. This is Vicki, your discussion moderator checking in from Berkeley, CA. I hope you are all enjoying the book.

The first week's reading assignment is:

WEEK ONE - July 13th - July 19th -> Preface, Introduction: The Opening of the Tombs and 1. Bodyguards and Companions (xiii-xxii, 3 - 33)

The era of Alexander and his successors is so important to the history of classical times. It’s not a subject I’ve studied much, so I’m glad to be reading this book and am looking forward to our discussions.

Please post a short introduction to let us know where you're from and how you got interested in ancient history. And be sure to check out the table of contents and syllabus, and the introduction thread.

Please be aware that there are no marks in the main text to indicate where to go for end-notes (at least in my edition). The notes themselves give a page number and a few words of text. Personally, I go through the notes before reading a chapter, and put a little mark in the text for each one to indicate that there is a note. Obviously not recommended for library books, and I don't know how it would work for an ebook.

Hello everyone, my name is Michael and I hail from Preveza (or should I say Actia Nicopolis?), Greece. I love history in an amateurish, booklover's way although friends consider me a history buff. I actually started getting really interested in history rather late and through my love for wargames and military history.

Growing up in Greece one gets taught a rather hefty dose of history and Alexander the Great's achievements are always in the curriculum. Naturally I would tend to skip books on classical Greece but since not much attention is given to the aftermath of his death (and the setting up of the Hellenistic Kingdoms) this opportunity is a perfect chance to learn a bit more and, more importantly, discuss it with like-minded people.

I have already read this week's assigned part and for the most part I think it synopsizes the events very well. The pronunciation notes were quite interesting (and funny tbh) and they certainly follow academic standards. However, some things are different in modern Greek so if you want to visit and be able to make yourself clearly understood (OK, english is quite popular too) I can offer some insight on how we pronounce names today.

I have visited the Royal Tombs of Vergina on two or three occasions and they are really one of the most impressive sites, well worth a visit.

I read from the e-book edition and it seems that only illustrations are linked, no marks on end-notes here either.

That's for starters, I will be happy to discuss further!

Michael wrote: "Hello everyone, my name is Michael and I hail from Preveza (or should I say Actia Nicopolis?), Greece. I love history in an amateurish, booklover's way although friends consider me a history buff. ..."

Welcome, Michael, how great that you are in Greece, the site where much of this history happened. Thanks for your offer on pronunciation, not sure how that would work, given that we are all text here.

You must have studied a lot about this period in school, in much the same way that we in the US study the Founding Fathers. We look forward to your comments.

Hello, my name is Jerome, and I'm interested in history as a practitioner and student of war. I'm from the US and in the military and am extremely interested in studying history from a practical perspective, comparing in this case how Alexander and his generals fought and conquered, with other wars in that region of the world. In addition I am extremely interested in how Alexander ran his general staff, and how the different personalities will play themselves out in their struggle for power after Alexander dies. I'm not very familiar with Alexander's period of history and am very interested in the cultural ramifications that his kingdom had on the regions subsequent historical development. I'm excited to hear what other people think, since we're going to get so many diverse perspectives on this!

I was struck by how much Alexander's general staff and court were designed specifically to operate around him. His leadership was clearly the glue that held his army and empire together. It seems like some of this was by his own design, but also partly to due the Macedonian culture he came from and how he acquired power after his father died. I expect that since his subordinates and generals, most of whom grew up under his leadership and example, will run their respective kingdoms in a similar way.

Michael wrote: "Hello everyone, my name is Michael and I hail from Preveza (or should I say Actia Nicopolis?), Greece. I love history in an amateurish, booklover's way although friends consider me a history buff. ..."

Hello Michael, pleasure to meet you! I am wondering, how is Alexander viewed today in Greece?

Vicki wrote: "Michael wrote: "Hello everyone, my name is Michael and I hail from Preveza (or should I say Actia Nicopolis?), Greece. I love history in an amateurish, booklover's way although friends consider me ..."

Thank you! I hope I can offer some useful insight.

If you think it will be of interest I can make a short video with names in modern Greek and send you the link.

That would be wonderful Michael. Send it via PM and if OK we could tell you to post it. That would be helpful.

Jerome wrote: "Michael wrote: "Hello everyone, my name is Michael and I hail from Preveza (or should I say Actia Nicopolis?), Greece. I love history in an amateurish, booklover's way although friends consider me ..."

Hi Jerome, nice to meet you too! The American military is of great interest to me since I was a boy but let's try to keep this discussion focused on Alexander!

To answer your question, Alexander is widely considered a national hero and his achievements a source of national pride. In every poll about great Greeks he certainly makes it to the top-ten!

He is seen as the person embodying the culmination of the classical era of ancient Greece, which is kind of haloed here. So he has been made part of the national myth (something other ancient Greeks like Athenians or Spartans would rather hate if they knew).

Of course this is partly due to the school curriculum. In schools we are taught about his achievements and his attempt at bridging the cultural divisions but nothing (or very little) is said about the objections his contemporaries raised or some of his less glorious moments.

One thing is certain, he is still revered here as much as he was revered by his contemporary followers and admirers.

Jerome wrote: "Hello, my name is Jerome, and I'm interested in history as a practitioner and student of war. I'm from the US and in the military and am extremely interested in studying history from a practical pe..."

Welcome, Jerome. I'm sure your military background will make the book particularly interesting to you. We look forward to your comments on how things are the same and/or different from that period.

Michael, your mention of the change in pronunciation of Greek made me think of how English has changed from the Middle Ages (I'm thinking of the Canterbury Tales) to now. Also of how many different kinds of English we have now: American, Canadian, Irish, Scotch (Scots?), Australian, etc. I imagine Greek varies depending on which part of the country you're in.

by Geoffrey Chaucer

Chapter One


Alexander the Great, from the Carlsberg Glyptotek Museum

Discussion Topics and Questions:

1. What's your impression of Alexander? He almost seems like a superhero, conquering most of the known world in 12 years, and surviving an arrow wound to the chest.

2. Why do you think that Alexander didn't make better arrangements for who would be in charge if something happened to him? Not in terms of the royal succession, but with the army and all of the various conquered lands.

Hi all, I'm new to this group, so this is my first intro post! I live in Tampa Bay, Florida and am interested in history as a hobby. I work in healthcare, so I don't use much historical information on a daily basis; however, reading history provides a lot of enjoyment and continuing education beyond what I learned in college.

I'm particularly looking forward to reading on this era in time since it is one I have not delved into in quite a few years. I'm also looking forward to good discussions - it's a great way to be able to nerd out with people who love history too. Thank you to Bentley and Vicki for hosting this read!

You are most welcome Kellie and welcome from beautiful Tampa Bay. Stay safe down there and glad that you are joining us.

Vicki will be along shortly to welcome you.

This is the first week's reading assignment:

For the week of July 13th - July 19th, we are reading Preface, Introduction: The Opening of the Tombs and 1. Bodyguards and Companions.

The first week's reading assignment is:

(July 13th - July 19th)

Week One: -(July 13th - July 19th) (pages xiii-xxii, 3 - 33)

Preface p. xiii

Introduction: The Opening of the Tombs

1. BODYGUARDS AND COMPANIONS p. 3

Kellie wrote: "Hi all, I'm new to this group, so this is my first intro post! I live in Tampa Bay, Florida and am interested in history as a hobby. I work in healthcare, so I don't use much historical information..."

Welcome, Kellie, I hope you're enjoying the book, and I look forward to your comments. Wow, healthcare! You must be busy these days; dipping into ancient history should be a relief, hopefully.

Hi all! I’m new to the group as well. I’m in Delaware, pretty close to Philadelphia for geographical reference. I graduated from the University of Delaware in 2018 with a bachelors in History. I’m an interpreter at a historic house, since I’m unable to give tours with everything going on I’m really looking forward to interpreting this work and staying sharp! History has been a lifelong passion. I’m named after Empress Alexandra of Russia so I feel as if I was destined to love history, in a way. I’m interested in Alexander too but I confess I only know the bare minimum.
So far I’m intrigued by the story surrounding Alexander’s half brother and his niece. I wonder if his niece was a willing participant in the power struggle? Of course she would make his claim stronger but I always wonder about people’s motives.Thank you for posting the authors Q&A, one his answers made me think about female power in this era. I’m excited to see how this plays out and discuss with you all!

Vicki wrote: "Michael, your mention of the change in pronunciation of Greek made me think of how English has changed from the Middle Ages (I'm thinking of the Canterbury Tales) to now. Also of how many different..."

Indeed this is true for most languages. There are indeed some differences in pronunciation (and words) between regions but these tend to be less acute than in the past due to the higher mobility of the population, the TV, and the internet. I think the most apparent differences in pronunciation are between Cyprus' Greek and Greece's Greek.

1. What's your impression of Alexander? He almost seems like a superhero, conquering most of the known world in 12 years, and surviving an arrow wound to the chest.

Of course I am biased since that's almost exactly how Alexander is portrayed (and taught about) in Greece. He certainly was a charismatic leader and a great visionary. I think he possessed that inner flame which leads people to great deeds. That said, I also think his was lucky in the sense that he became king when the timing was right. I believe he wouldn't have achieved as much (at least not so early in life) if he hadn't inherited all the infrastructure he needed (gold from mount Paggaion certainly helped). Let's not forget that the reform of the kingdom's military was mostly the work of his father. And it also was the dusk of the city-state allowing him to promote his visions and goals. Wrapping it up I believe it was a combination of ability and chance that made him what he is.

2. Why do you think that Alexander didn't make better arrangements for who would be in charge if something happened to him? Not in terms of the royal succession, but with the army and all of the various conquered lands.

To be honest it could simply be that he didn't have the time to consider matters like this, busy as he was conquering and promoting his agenda. He also had to take into account the power games between noble families, court politics etc and in all probability he was hesitant to bestow such a great power to anyone in particular. In this context it could be just fear of his own position but this seems unlikely considering his overall personality. It is also not uncommon for charismatic leaders to lack in succession arrangements as their egos usually don't play well with other people in the spotlight.
However what I think is most likely, is that Alexander in this aspect was a victim of his own success. I think that at some point he really started thinking of himself as favoured by the gods and invincible. This in combination with his young age is at the root of the problem in my opinion.

Hi all, I'm Tom from Telford, England. Somewhat like Michael, I'm a bit of a late bloomer when it comes to swatting up on history, albeit for a different reason: I wanted to improve my showing in online trivia games. So I started reading histories and biographies and soon found myself hooked. Now I read them as much for pleasure as I do for gaining knowledge.

I mostly gravitate toward books on the US Civil War and American Presidents, so my knowledge of ancient history is still pretty lacking. This book has an interesting premise and at less than 400 pages doesn't seem like it's going to be too intimidating, so I decided to join in when I got the group notification. Not knowing much beyond the basics about Alexander and even less about the period covered in this book, I'll probably have a limited contribution to make to the discussion but I look forward to learning and reading everyone else's views.

Tom wrote: "Hi all, I'm Tom from Telford, England. Somewhat like Michael, I'm a bit of a late bloomer when it comes to swatting up on history, albeit for a different reason: I wanted to improve my showing in o..."

Definitely an interesting path to knowledge! No worries about how much you know, we are all here to share, discuss and learn!

Michael wrote: "1. What's your impression of Alexander? He almost seems like a superhero, conquering most of the known world in 12 years, and surviving an arrow wound to the chest.

Of course I am biased since tha..."

Hi, I am Yuki from New Jersey, USA. I am not sure if I can articulate my thoughts like you all do, but I agree with Michael on Question 2. Alexander was young and was still in the middle of his conquest, not thinking about the succession at that time. It is interesting that his Bodyguards and Companions were loyal to him, but not necessary to each other, but I can see that as to Alexander's charisma and personality.

I wish I have read something about Alexander before this book, but I am still very much enjoying this book now. I have read by Mary Beard and it mentioned about Alexander, which was my original/starting interest in him.

Would it be SPQR by Mary Beard? If so I have also read it and I think it is great book about Romans and how they perceived themselves and the world.

Michael wrote: "Would it be SPQR by Mary Beard? If so I have also read it and I think it is great book about Romans and how they perceived themselves and the world."

Yes, it is!! It was a great book. I was glad that I had read it before I went to Italy in Spring 2019 for the first time. My family did the tour on Coliseum and Vatican Museum.

Alex wrote: "Hi all! I’m new to the group as well. I’m in Delaware, pretty close to Philadelphia for geographical reference. I graduated from the University of Delaware in 2018 with a bachelors in History. I’m ..."

Welcome, Alex. It seems you're really immersed in history. What sort of historic house is it that you work at? As far as being named after Alexandra, did any of your ancestors come from Russia?

Tom wrote: "Hi all, I'm Tom from Telford, England. Somewhat like Michael, I'm a bit of a late bloomer when it comes to swatting up on history, albeit for a different reason: I wanted to improve my showing in o..."

Welcome to the group, Tom. What an unusual path you found into the study of history. I hope you enjoy the book and the discussion here.

Michael wrote: "Of course I am biased since tha..."

Michael, you probably know more than the rest of us here about Alexander, given your education. He certainly must have been extremely charismatic as well as a great warrior. It's interesting about his father's reorganization of the military, maybe you could tell us about that later.

Yuki wrote: "Hi, I am Yuki from New Jersey, USA..."

Welcome, Yuki, so glad you're joining us. I'm sure you're right about Alexander thinking he didn't need to worry about the succession, since he was still so young. Plenty of time for that later, when he wasn't so busy.

I'm glad you enjoyed SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome, one of my favorite books. We did a discussion of it here about 3 years ago. Here's the intro thread, if you want to check it out.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Also, please use our standard for citations.
by Mary Beard

Vicki wrote: "Michael wrote: "Of course I am biased since tha..."

Michael, you probably know more than the rest of us here about Alexander, given your education. He certainly must have been extremely charismati..."

I would be happy too, I will try get some resources on this.

Yuki wrote: "Michael wrote: "Would it be SPQR by Mary Beard? If so I have also read it and I think it is great book about Romans and how they perceived themselves and the world."

Yes, it is!! It was a great bo..."

That's great Yuki! My hometown, where I still live, was a Roman city (Actia Nicopolis) founded by Octavian so I've got an interest in Rome, I've been twice there and it's great! But that's a dicussion for another time!

Vicki wrote: "Alex wrote: "Hi all! I’m new to the group as well. I’m in Delaware, pretty close to Philadelphia for geographical reference. I graduated from the University of Delaware in 2018 with a bachelors in ..."

Thank you Vicki! I work at the George Read II House & Gardens, his father was one of Delaware's signers of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. He built a beautiful Federal style mansion between 1797-1803, featuring Greek key patterns, Roman scenes on at least 6 fireplace mantles, etc. Unfortunately he was never as important, historically at least, as his father, but he did leave quite a landmark behind! I could talk a lot about the building and it's history but I'll try to stay on topic.

No Russian ancestors, my mom was just very interested in the Romanovs when she was picking out my name.

Michael wrote: "1. What's your impression of Alexander? He almost seems like a superhero, conquering most of the known world in 12 years, and surviving an arrow wound to the chest.

Of course I am biased since tha..."

Your answer for question 2 is exactly what I was thinking, as far as Alexander being charismatic and not being able to share the spotlight. Also, if not having a clear cut second in command worked for him for so long, why would he be in a rush to change it? No reason to reinvent the wheel or cause in fighting among his many favorites.

Circling back to question 1 (first impressions of Alexander) I'll just say a few things. He seems forward thinking and intelligent for fusing the Macedonians and the Persians together. He did notice how it made some of his countrymen unhappy though. At the end of this portion of the reading I'm thinking he has a stubborn streak or is blinded by how successful he had been so far into campaigning. I don't know about you all, but I know i'm certainly stubborn, not going to fault Alexander on that too much considering how much he accomplished.

Hello All,

Michael (who is reading and discussing this book from Greece) was kind enough to put together a short youtube video with the correct pronunciations of some of the Greek names in the book.

He shows a list from the glossary of specific names, places, etc. and shows the English and the Greek spellings and pronounces all of these - so that we can hear and follow along.

This is a very big help - in fact I was amazed at some of the names and how I was mispronouncing them.

Here is the youtube video:
Link to video: https://youtu.be/9UGwDXL-178

Source: Michael

Note to Michael: Thank you very much!

Bentley wrote: "Hello All,

Michael (who is reading and discussing this book from Greece) was kind enough to put together a short youtube video with the correct pronunciations of some of the Greek names in the boo..."

Oh my. This is very helpful! Thank you!

Michael, thank you so, so much for the video of names. It was great! Sadly there weren't many that I have been pronouncing correctly, but maybe I can learn.

Don't feel bad Vicki - I did a double take on more than a few.

Thank you all for your kind words! It's not of great importance but I thought you might . Of course feel free to ask more questions about names, places etc

You are most welcome Michael!

Michael wrote: "Jerome wrote: "Michael wrote: "Hello everyone, my name is Michael and I hail from Preveza (or should I say Actia Nicopolis?), Greece. I love history in an amateurish, booklover's way although frien..."

Good to know! That makes a lot of sense regarding Alexander's legacy in modern Greece.
Also, I'm happy to answer any questions you've got about the US military!

Alex wrote: "Michael wrote: "1. What's your impression of Alexander? He almost seems like a superhero, conquering most of the known world in 12 years, and surviving an arrow wound to the chest.

Of course I am ..."

I wanted to add to the discussion going on question 2 and say that another part of Alexander's hesitancy to name a clear heir, by dividing responsibilities and dispersing power amongst his subordinates may have been to protect himself against a coup d'etat. If he was able to hold key decisions and information to himself, then no one of his generals would have the information or loyalty of enough of Alexander's army to over throw him.

Hello. I am Glynn from the Space Coast of rainy Florida, by way of New York. I have a BA in English and I am interested in history but not very good at talking about it. I got an email from Bentley about this book and was on the fence but then decided to dive in when I was able to obtain this book from our local library. I almost gave up reading the preface but when I got to the introduction and chapter one i was hooked. The author has a great way of making ancient history come alive.

As for question 2, I was agreeing with everyone about Alexander having too much on his plate to worry about successors but I really like Jerome's idea that he was keeping things close to his breast to avoid a coup.

Hello, all, I'm Jerome from Pennsylvania. I got into ancient history only a few years ago or so, actually from reading about Alexander, and I still love reading about him and Philip (I haven't read much specifically on the aftermath of Alexander's death, though) I wish more source material from ancient eras had survived, but who knows how objective it was, after all?

1. What's my impression of Alexander? In all the accounts of him that I read, he always comes off as recklessly courageous, and physically fit, and, as I recall, there's little mention of illnesses he had. It's hard to figure out what he suffered from, since the symptoms are a little confusing. I see why some people think he was poisoned, given how common that was in Macedonian and eastern dynasties, and how much propaganda potential such a death would have; it also must have seemed incredible to people that such a courageous and fierce warrior could have died in his bed.

2. Why do I think that Alexander didn't make better arrangements for who would be in charge of the army and empire if something happened to him? I kind of have the impression that power and the scale of Alexander's success went to his head. Alexander often compared himself to ancient heroes like Heracles, Achilles, or Dionysus, and claimed to be a descendant of Zeus. Maybe he decided it didn't matter all that much.

Also, there could be more banal reasons. Alexander must have suspected that he was dying, but he never wrote a will. Why didn't he? He could have been too weak from his illness, perhaps. Maybe he did write a will, but people in his inner circle connived to suppress it.

Jerome wrote: "Also, there could be more banal reasons. Alexander must have suspected that he was dying, but he never wrote a will. Why didn't he? He could have been too weak from his illness, perhaps. Maybe he did write a will, but people in his inner circle connived to suppress it."

That's an interesting point. He suspected his death or he believed he would come back, just like from his previous wound? (please don't tell me this is a "spoiler")? His writing a will would have alerted his men and caused the conflict among them right away, or like you said, he did but it was suppressed.

Vicki wrote: "I'm glad you enjoyed SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome, one of my favorite books. We did a discussion of it here about 3 years ago. Here's the intro thread, if you want to check it out.."

Vicki - Yes, I will definitely check it out. Thank you for the link! Sorry about the citation. You guys moderators instructed me on "Introduce yourself" thread. My bad.

BTW, I am afraid to look into the "spoiler threads" but is there "Who's who" type of info in one of them? Not all about one's life, but ranking in the army and one's location etc....There are so many names....

Jerome wrote: "Alex wrote: "Michael wrote: "1. What's your impression of Alexander? He almost seems like a superhero, conquering most of the known world in 12 years, and surviving an arrow wound to the chest.

Of..."

Yes it is something that I constantly wonder about although I doubt whether such a fear was justified given the sway he held over his people.

I am not sure if wills in classical Greece were common in these matters or if a will considering a whole kingdom would be considered valid. I am not a scholar and I have no concrete knowledge on this but I think wills became much more common in Roman years.

Also, on the subject of military organization in ancient Greece, I always recommend by Peter Connolly as an intro (more than enough for the purposes of this discussion). Osprey's series have also quite a few relevant books but I tend to find present-day editions somewhat "less" than the ones of the late 80s-90s.

Alex wrote: "Vicki wrote: "Alex wrote: "Hi all! I’m new to the group as well. I’m in Delaware, pretty close to Philadelphia for geographical reference. I graduated from the University of Delaware in 2018 with a..."

This sounds so interesting!

Glynn wrote: "Hello. I am Glynn from the Space Coast of rainy Florida, by way of New York. I have a BA in English and I am interested in history but not very good at talking about it. I got an email from Bentley..."

Welcome, Glynn, so glad you're enjoying the book.

Jerome wrote: "Hello, all, I'm Jerome from Pennsylvania. I got into ancient history only a few years ago or so, actually from reading about Alexander, and I still love reading about him and Philip (I haven't read..."

Welcome, Jerome, I look forward to your further comments about the book, particularly since you have such a strong background in Alexander.

Yuki wrote: "BTW, I am afraid to look into the "spoiler threads" but is there "Who's who" type of info in one of them? Not all about one's life, but ranking in the army and one's location etc....There are so many names...."

If you're talking about the SPQR threads, I'd go to the Glossary one, since it has entries about people and places in ancient Rome. It's not any more of a "spoiler" than an encyclopedia would be.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...