This is the first part in what I hope will be a weekly series (at least for a while). At the moment I intend for it to go on for at least six week, although that might blow out if I accidently miss a week (it happens, reality has a way of intruding on activities related to the interwebz) or if I find myself going off topic (which also happens).
The purpose of this series is to explore a particularly fascinating period of history (at least for me, and I hope, others too) which is the Hellenistic Age – the years after the death of Alexander the Great to the ascension of Rome as the preeminent power in the Ancient World.
Specifically, I want to concentrate on a single, defining question: Who was Alexander’s true successor?
There are plenty of candidates, and if you’re like me you know that there are some who will always argue for or against each. So that’s what we’re going to do: examine the arguments, draw our conclusions, and hopefully, get an answer.
It won’t be easy – there’s a lot of history to cover, and considering this is a blog and not a weighty academic tome, some of it is bound to get glossed over. But if you’re willing to take the plunge and wade through the mire of blood, sand, fire and filth that was Alexander’s legacy (not to mention gold, slaves, and awe-inspiring architecture) then maybe, just maybe, we can have some fun with this too…
Next week: Alexander’s Empire.