Saturday, September 03, 2016

Review of Carney, King and Court in Ancient Macedonia

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW:
Elizabeth Carney, King and Court in Ancient Macedonia: Rivalry, Treason and Conspiracy. Swansea: The Classical Press of Wales, 2015. Pp. xxvi, 326. ISBN 9781905125982. $110.00.

Reviewed by Alexis Q. Castor, Franklin & Marshall College (acastor@fandm.edu)


[...]

To sum up, the collection of articles presented in this volume speaks to a clear and important theme concerning the ruling Argead clan and the expectations of the Macedonian elite. Carney has long sought to convince us that kings cannot be assessed without considering their closest companions, and the scholarly debates that she reports in the Afterword essays show how significant her work has been over the past forty years. This volume will offer my students more opportunity to delve into the family, friends, and enemies of Philip and Alexander.
Of potential background interest for Second Temple Judaism, for which Alexander's conquest of the Persian Empire was very important.