Modern historians about Macedonia – John Pentland Mahaffy

 

Quote:

‘’… Philip of Macedon,the father of our hero; nor is  this the bad place in the history of Greece,for with Alexander, the stage of Greek influence spread across the world.’’

 John Pentland Mahaffy,“Alexander’s Empire”,page 2

 The classical scholar J. P. Mahaffy (1839-1919) is known equally for his work on Greek texts and Egyptian papyri (his edition of The Flinders Petrie Papyri is reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection). He graduated from Trinity College, Dublin, and spent the rest of his working life there, ultimately as provost from 1914 until his death.

 In this illustrated 1887 work, Mahaffy describes Alexander's extraordinary conquest of territories in Europe, Africa and Asia, the collapse of his empire after his death, and the later subjugation of the successor kingdoms to the power of Rome. With his American collaborator Arthur Gilman (1837-1909), Mahaffy discusses Alexander's place in history before giving a close account of his career and death. The successor dynasties, and dominant rulers such as Demetrius II and Pyrrhus, their feuds and their attempted resistance to the rise of Rome, are depicted in an engaging and dramatic narrative.

Modern Historians about Macedonia – William Woodthorpe Tarn

 

Quote:

“Through both his parents claimed Greek descend...”

page 1

 

Quote:

 “The primary reason why Alexander invaded Persia  was,  no doubt,  that he  never  thought of not  doing it; it was his inheritance.  Doubtless,  too,  adventure attracted him;  and weight must also  be  given  to the official reason. For officially,  as  is  shown  by  the  political  manifesto  which  he  afterwards sent to Darius  from Marathus (p.36), the invasion was that Pan-hellenic  war of revenge which Isocrates had preached;  and  Alexander  did set out with pan-hellenic ideas:  he was the champion of Hellas. It seems quite certain  that  he had read,  and was influenced by, Isocrates Philippus.”

pages 8-9

Quote:

  “Generally speaking, the  League infantry was used  mainly  for garrisons and communications;  but  the  Cretan archers,  who  were not League  troops, were as indispensable as the Agrianians  themselves,  and  their loss of five commanders successively shows how heavily they were engaged.”                          

page 10

Quote:

  “Besides the Staff,  Alexander  had  about him a body of men of high position  to whom  the name Companions properly belongs, number unknown,…They included his personal friends… Nearchus;  …and a few Greeks  like  Demaratus,  Stasanor  and Laomedon,… as a civilian.”                 

 

      page 12

 

  “Besides his Macedonian generals, Alexander  had with him a number of Greek technicians, of whom  too little is known … seaman,… before Bactra”.

  pages 12-13

 

  “That Asia was not more hellenised  than  it  was arose simply from there not being enough Greeks in the world. They  had  to  be collected into  comparatively few towns;…”

page 134

 

Quote:

  “Most  of  what we know about Alexander’s  towns relates to Alexandria by Egypt, and there it is  impossible to distinguish  what is original and  what not; but the type was doubtless due to Alexander,  for  Ptolemy I’s foundation  Ptolemais was an autonomous Greek city.”       

 

  page 134

 

Quote:

  “What  Alexander  did  achieve  was  again  done through the cities,  both  his  own  and  those  which he inspired Seleucus to found, and it was a great enough achievement; the cities radiated Greek culture throughout Asia  till  ultimately the bulk of the upper classes over considerable districts became partially hellenised, and Demetrius of Bactria  led Greeks  for a second time  beyond the Hindu Kush,  to succeed for a moment    where Alexander had failed  and  rule  northern  India for a few years from Pataliputra to Kathiawar.”                             

 

page 138

 

Alexander the Great,by Tarn, W. W. (William Woodthorpe), 1869-1957

Sir William Woodthorpe Tarn (1869-1957) was a British ancient historian who wrote numerous works on the Hellenistic world. Tarn's Alexander the Great, first published in two volumes during 1948, has become a classic text and its importance for subsequent Alexander studies can hardly be exaggerated. Based on a lifetime's work and elegantly and persuasively written, both volumes evoked immediate admiration - and very soon sharp reaction. Volume I presents a 'comependious' narrative of Alexander's life and achievements; volume II focuses on providing a detailed analysis of sources and discussion relating to key historical cruces. This is a fascinating work that will be of value to anyone with an interest in the writings of Tarn, ancient history and Alexander the Great.

 from back cover 

Modern Historians about Macedonia – John Clarke Stobart

 

Quote:

His Macedonians murmured at his Oriental dress and manners, but Alexander was always a Greek at heart, the lines of Homer always rang in his ears, and he fancied himself a reincarnation of Achilles pursuing his Phrygian Hectors over the dusty plains of Troy.

page 243

 

Quote:

Oriental life and language continued, but in the towns and for purposes of government both the language and the civilisation were Greek. Thus Alexander had done his work. He had actually added the whole of Asia Minor, Phœnicia, and Egypt to the Greek world. Curious traces of Hellenism are found even in distant India.

page 244

 

The Glory that was Greece: A Survey of Hellenic Culture & Civilisation by Stobart, J. C.  Lippincott ,1911