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Any Recommendation for a volume covering Alexander to Augustus?

Started by Tim, July 02, 2017, 02:47:15 PM

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Tim

On the Slitherine forum there is an announcement of an new PC game called Field of Glory II. From the screenshots it seems as if the game will cover Alexander to Augustus.  Someone has asked is there a single volume that covers the history of that period from the Indus to Hispania?  I can't think of any.  Do this team have a suggestion?

Duncan Head

Can't think of one offhand. RM Errington, A History of the Hellenistic World: 323 - 30 BC covers the whole period up to Augustus, but not the Western Med.
Duncan Head

Andreas Johansson

Peter Green's Alexander to Actium covers the same period, but again, not the Western Med. Nor, to be honest, doesn't have a lot to say about Iran and points east.  (Then again, from a historical rather than arcaheological point of view, I don't know if there's all that much that could be said about the area from the Zagros to the Indus in Hellenistic times - our sources simply don't have too much to say about the region.)

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Mark G

Alex to actium covers the period in question, but it's of the old school, so has big chapters on art and science, architecture, religion, philosophy, dish washing, repair of chariot wheels, etc, etc.
You would be advised to borrow it from a library unless you have the shelf space.

And if you have shelf space, you will want twenty books to cover that period.

Patrick Waterson

Diodorus Siculus is pre-480 BC to c.60 BC, so he is probably your best bet, at least for something which covers the period without needing a bookshelf.  Gets a bit fragmentary after 301 BC, though.
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Tim

Quote from: Duncan Head on July 02, 2017, 03:49:39 PM
Can't think of one offhand.

Interestingly RBS eventually came up with a recommendation; Armies of the M&P Wars by someone called D. Head.  Long out of print but the best on the subject according to the game's author...

Erpingham

Quote from: Tim on July 05, 2017, 11:15:06 AM
Quote from: Duncan Head on July 02, 2017, 03:49:39 PM
Can't think of one offhand.

Interestingly RBS eventually came up with a recommendation; Armies of the M&P Wars by someone called D. Head.  Long out of print but the best on the subject according to the game's author...

Wasn't a revised edition published last year? 

Duncan Head

Quote from: Erpingham on July 05, 2017, 11:21:31 AM
Quote from: Tim on July 05, 2017, 11:15:06 AM
Interestingly RBS eventually came up with a recommendation; Armies of the M&P Wars by someone called D. Head.  Long out of print but the best on the subject according to the game's author...

Wasn't a revised edition published last year?

Indeed, and mentioned in this forum.

It only professes to go up to 146, though, not to Augustus; and only covers the armies rather than being a history of the period. Still not a bad book, though   ;)
Duncan Head

Jim Webster

Quote from: Duncan Head on July 05, 2017, 03:51:14 PM
Quote from: Erpingham on July 05, 2017, 11:21:31 AM
Quote from: Tim on July 05, 2017, 11:15:06 AM
Interestingly RBS eventually came up with a recommendation; Armies of the M&P Wars by someone called D. Head.  Long out of print but the best on the subject according to the game's author...

Wasn't a revised edition published last year?

Indeed, and mentioned in this forum.

It only professes to go up to 146, though, not to Augustus; and only covers the armies rather than being a history of the period. Still not a bad book, though   ;)
I'd go so far as to suggest that it's worth the read  ;)