Title
The treasures of Alexander the Great : how one man's wealth shaped the world / Frank L. Holt.
ISBN
9780190469702 (ebook) :
Publication
New York, NY : Oxford University Press, 2016.
Physical Description
1 online resource : illustrations (black and white).
Local Notes
Access is available to the Yale community.
Notes
Description based on online resource; title from home page (viewed on March 18, 2016).
Access and use
Access restricted by licensing agreement.
Summary
War, the most profitable economic activity in the ancient world, transferred wealth violently through the sacking of cities and the selling of survivors into slavery. One of the most notable examples occurred in the late fourth century BC, when Alexander the Great of Macedonia conquered the Persian Empire. For all of its savagery, this invasion has often been heralded as a positive economic event for all concerned. Even those harshly critical of the king tend to praise his plundering of Persia as a means of liberating the moribund resources of the East. To test that popular interpretation, this book investigates the kinds and quantities of treasure seized by the Macedonian king, from gold and silver to land and slaves. It reveals what became of the king's spoils of war, and what Alexander's redistribution of these vast resources can tell us about his much-disputed policies and priorities.
Variant and related titles
Oxford scholarship online.
Other formats
Print version :
Added to Catalog
April 26, 2016
Series
Onassis series in Hellenic culture
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.