Blackwell Sourcebooks in Ancient History Successors to Alexander the Great

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. A comprehensive collection of translated sources on the wars and world of Alexander's successors Successors to Alexander the Great brings together—for the first time in a single collection—the essential translated sources for the tumultuous period following the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE. Spanning Greek, Latin, Persian Babylonian, Egyptian, and epigraphic materials, this volume provides direct access to a wide range of documents that illuminate the world and the wars of the Diadochi and the complex efforts to reassemble, rule, and redefine the fragments of Alexander's empire. Organized thematically and geographically, this book allows readers to explore the Successors' ambitions, alliances, propaganda, and political innovation across a sprawling and multi-ethnic landscape. Contextual commentary throughout helps readers navigate the fragmentary nature of source evidence, the biases of ancient authors, and the evolving concepts of legitimacy and kingship. With its thematic structure and source diversity, the book offers an ideal foundation for historical, literary, and historiographical inquiry into the Hellenistic world. The first unified, carefully curated, deeply contextualized collection of primary sources on the post-Alexander Hellenistic world, Successors to Alexander the Great: Features Greek, Latin, Persian, Babylonian, Egyptian, and epigraphic material spanning multiple traditions and viewpoints Includes bibliographies with each chapter for ease of reference and deeper research engagement Highlights the complexity of succession politics, propaganda, and kingship after Alexander's death Illuminates lesser-known figures and regions often excluded from traditional Hellenistic narratives Promotes critical thinking and historiographical awareness through exposure to conflicting ancient perspectives Supports interdisciplinary teaching on identity, authority, and empire-building in the ancient world Presenting a single, coherent, and accessible narrative, Successors to Alexander the Great is ideal for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses on Alexander the Great, the Hellenistic world, and ancient Greek history. It supports degree programs in Classics, History, Ancient Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, and related disciplines, and serves as a vital reference for scholars, educators, and researchers.