The Conquests of Alexander the Great

Waldemar Heckel provides a revisionist overview of the conquests of Alexander the Great. Emphasising the aims and impact of his military expeditions, the political consequences of military action, and the use of propaganda, both for motivation and justification, his underlying premise is that the basic goals of conquest and the keys to military superiority have not changed dramatically over the millennia. Indeed, as Heckel makes clear, many aristocratic and conquest societies are remarkably similar to that of Alexander in their basic aims and organisation. Heckel rejects the view of Alexander as a reincarnation of Achilles - as an irrational youth on a heroic quest for fame and immortality. In an engaging and balanced account of key military events, Heckel shows how Alexander imposed his will on the willing and how the defeated were no longer capable of resisting his military might.

• Avoids the biographical approach that characterises most works on Alexander • Uses parallels from other periods of history, both events and institutions • Emphasises the limited nature of Alexander’s conquest (he did not set out to conquer the world, merely the Persian empire)

Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. How do we know? Sources for Alexander the Great; 3. The Macedonian background; 4. The Persian enemy; 5. Conquest of the Achaemenids; 6. Resistance on two fronts; 7. Conquest of the Punjab; 8. The ocean and the West; 9. The long road from Susa to Babylon.