'His passion was for glory only, and in that he was insatiable'
Although written over four hundred years after Alexander's death,
Arrian's Campaigns of Alexander is the most reliable account of the
man and his achievements we have. Arrian's own experience as a military
commander gave him unique insights into the life of the world's greatest
conqueror. He tells of Alexander's violent suppression of the Theban
rebellion, his total defeat of Persia, and his campaigns through Egypt,
India and Babylon - establishing new cities and destroying others in his
path. While Alexander emerges from this record as an unparalleled and
charismatic leader, Arrian succeeds brilliantly in creating an objective
and fully rounded portrait of a man of boundless ambition, who was
exposed to the temptations of power and worshipped as a god in his own
lifetime.
Aubrey de Sélincourt's vivid translation is accompanied by J. R.
Hamilton's introduction, which discusses Arrian's life and times, his
synthesis of other classical sources and the composition of Alexander's
army. The edition also includes maps, a list for further reading and a
detailed index.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of
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up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
