Alexander the Great, arguably the most exciting figure from antiquity, waged war as a Homeric hero and lived as one, conquering native peoples and territories on a superhuman scale. From the time he invaded Asia in 334 to his death in 323, he expanded the Macedonian empire from Greece in the west to Asia Minor, the Levant, Egypt, Central Asia and "India" (Pakistan and Kashmir) in the east. Although many other kings and generals forged empires, Alexander produced one that was without parallel, even if it was short-lived.Contents:Preface viiAcknowledgments ixList of Maps and Figures xiAncient Works and Abbreviations xiiiFigure 1. Facial reconstruction of Philip II. xvFigure 2. Head of Alexander the Great (Pella). xviMap 1. Greece. xviiMap 2. Macedonia. xviiiMap 3. The Balkan area. xixMap 4. Macedonia’s frontiers and Philip’s mines. xxMap 5. Alexander’s empire. xxiIntroduction: The Architect and the Master Builder 11. Greece and Macedonia 72. Philip II and the Rise of Macedonia 253. The New Player in Greek Politics 474. The Gathering War Clouds 675. The Downfall of Greece 816. Philip’s Assassination and Legacy 1037. Alexander’s Early Kingship—and Persia 1218. From Europe to Asia 1399. Alexander: Master Strategist and Emerging God 16310. The Fall of the Persian Empire 18511. The War in Afghanistan 20912. Passage to India 23113. Retreat from India 25114. Alexander’s Final Years 27315. Death in Babylon and Alexander’s Legacy 293Appendix: The Sources of Information 311Timeline 321Cast of Principal Characters 327Notes 335Bibliography 365Select Index 383