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Title: The Age of Alexander: Nine Greek Lives (Penguin Classics, L286) by Plutarchus, Ian Scott-Kilvert, Plutarch, Guy T. Griffith ISBN: 0-14-044286-3 Publisher: Viking Press Pub. Date: August, 1995 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (4 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Some "Lively" Greek Biogs By Plutarch
Comment: Plutarch was a Greek scholar living in the Roman Empire. He was not a historian, per se, but rather a biographer who used the lives of famous Greeks and Romans to illustrate strengths and weaknesses of character, how they impacted events, and how events impacted them. He wrote his biographies in pairs, matching a Greek and Roman whose lives, in his view, exemplified common traits or themes. His pairings being generally rather superficial, Penguin has chosen to publish the individual "Lives" in chronological groupings. The nine presented in "The Age Of Alexander" include Plutarch's biography of Alexander the Great along with those of eight famous Greeks from the same period.
Writing during the reigns of Trajan and Hadrian, Plutarch was already dealing with people from hundreds of years in his past. Fortunately for us, as his writing shows, he still had a lot of evidence to draw on. Frequently mentioned are contemporary accounts and, in the case of Alexander, letters written by Alexander himself, which apparently still existed in Plututarch's time. Sometimes he cites more than one source in cases where accounts disagree. The richness of Plutarch's sources is valuable because so much of that ancient source material is now lost.
Plutarch is at his best in describing dramatic events and when commenting on the strengths and weaknesses of his subjects. As reading material, this book could hardly be called a "page-turner" in the contemporary sense of that term, but you don't have to be a student of history to appreciate the dramatic, and often violent, nature of the times and of the lives of the men covered in this collection. Only one of them died in bed. Life was often violent and short, and the violence was gratuitous. A man whose deeds were out of favor might well be treated to the sight of his family being executed before being dispatched himself.
Personally, I'm more a fan of Roman history than the Greeks (although Alexander is certainly a fascinating character), and the Greeks covered in this book are generally much less familiar to me than those of the Romans contained in other volumes. Nevertheless, this is classic literature of a high order. Plutarch is a great storyteller, and his insightful and anecdotal style is never dull. Further, his work is one of those rare examples of ancient writing and scholarship that have survived, and in that sense alone his "Lives" are a treasure. "The Age Of Alexander" isn't the easiest reading you'll find, but it is both interesting and rewarding. It's probably not everyone's cup of tea, but give it a try. You may just find it as enjoyable as I do.
Rating: 3
Summary: Great Greeks in History
Comment: "The Age of Alexander" was not the original title of this book. Instead the editors have taken liberty with the title for marketing purposes. "The Age of Alexander" is actually a biography of 9 famous kings and generals from Agesilaus to Pyrrhus with Alexander as one of the nine. This isn't an attack on the title or this or this work, but it is a more honest description.
In addition to the people I have already mentioned, this book also talks about the lives of Pelopidas, Dion, Demosthenes, Phocion, and Demetrius. I had heard many of these names for years, but I had no idea of what they had done. Others I never knew. It is interesting how history classes often have such narrow focuses. Why do we study the Peloponnesian War, but not its outcome?
Here, students of history will have the chance to examine parts and people of the past, rarely discussed in other places. The writing style is a little tough. Remember, this is an English translation of a Roman work examining Greek citizen who lived three hundred or more years before it was written. However, if you can get past the writing, you can learn alot.
The rough history of who killed who and which state thrived while others died were not very interesting to me. It is hard to get excited about a civilation that was wiped out 3000 years ago. What I enjoyed more were the personal stories and the glimpse into Greek life. I will give three examples.
Pelopidas had a mortal enemy, Alexander. He was considered a tyrant and a murderer. Alexander had his enemies stripped naked and forced them to rare animal skins. He then would release hunting dogs on them as a form of fun/execution.
In Persia, citizens would make a gesture of respect to their King. In Greece, they would only make this gesture to the Gods. Thus Alexander the Great, if he wanted to be considered the "legitimate" ruler of the Persian would have to have them do something, this gesture, which made him look like he believed he was a God, to the Greeks.
"On noble subjects all men speak well." A quote found in this book. It was ascribed to Euripides but was quoted by Alexander when talking to Callisthenes, an advisor who eventually was put to death.
If you like insights and stories like this, "The Age of Alexander" is a great source. The editors do a very good job of discribing the customs and morals of the time. For me, actually, part of this was not necessary. I enjoyed this book, in part, because I could see how humans, in many ways have not changed. Perhaps, in part, that is why a book popular 2000 thousand years ago, can still be enjoyed today. Not a page turner, it is interesting if you have to time to study it.
Rating: 4
Summary: A selection of "lives" that helps understand ancient Greece
Comment: The book helps you to put in perspective the ancient Greece with its intense activity and warefare. These are not parallel lives that compares the greek versus the roman characters. Rather the authors gives the secuential lives from Agesylaus to Pyrrhus and in that secuence Alexander surges as a climatic "live". It helps in building an idea of secuential relationships. War, violence, ambition, superstition are encountered in almost all of these protrait "lives".
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Title: The Campaigns of Alexander (The Penguin Classics, L253) by Arrian, Flavius Arrianus, Aubrey De Selincourt ISBN: 0140442537 Publisher: Viking Press Pub. Date: October, 1976 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: The History of Alexander (Penguin Classics) by Quintus Curtius Rufus, John Yardley, Quintus Curtius Rufus, Waldemar Heckel ISBN: 0140444122 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: November, 1984 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: The Rise and Fall of Athens: Nine Greek Lives by Plutarch, Ian Scott-Kilvert ISBN: 0140441026 Publisher: Viking Press Pub. Date: September, 1960 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: Alexander of Macedon 356-323 B. C.: A Historical Biography by Peter Green ISBN: 0520071662 Publisher: University of California Press Pub. Date: October, 1992 List Price(USD): $17.44 |
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Title: Plutarch on Sparta (Penguin Classics) by Richard J.A. Talbert, Talbert R J a, Plutarch ISBN: 0140444637 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: November, 1988 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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