This author delves deeply into the continuity of the Greek world and its traditions, tracing their resonance into the present day. Their literary output includes anthologies and travel guides that explore this enduring fascination. A significant focus of their research has been Alexander the Great, particularly his later legendary interpretations and cross-cultural impact. Their work examines how ancient narratives and traditions persist and shape our contemporary world, offering a unique perspective on the lasting legacy of the classical past.
Tells the stories of Cyriac of Ancona's quest to record the appearance of the Parthenon; Jacques Spon's quarrel with Guillet de St-Georges about the topography of Athens; and, the painstaking expeditions of the Society of Dilettanti and the deluded forgeries of the Abbe Fourmont.
Alexander the Great conquered the ancient world. When he died in 323 BCE, his empire began to crumble. But his story lived on, endlessly mythologised across times and cultures. In this fascinating history, Richard Stoneman collects together the legends of Alexander's exploits -- showing how his life has resonated for Christians, Muslims and Jews, in Asia and Europe, for ever two thousand years
The book offers a fresh translation of Megasthenes' detailed account of India, written around 310 BCE. It serves as the most comprehensive source of information on Indian geography, history, and customs from the classical era, providing valuable insights into the culture and society of ancient India.
Mystery surrounds the parentage of Alexander, the prince born to Queen Olympias. Is his father Philip, King of Macedonia, or Nectanebo, the mysterious sorcerer who seduced the queen by trickery? One thing is certain: the boy is destined to conquer the known world. He grows up to fulfil this prophecy, building a mighty empire.
The book provides a comprehensive historical narrative that spans from prehistoric events, such as the legendary flood of Noah, to significant milestones like the early civilization of Catal Huyuk and the treasures of Troy. It explores Turkey's evolution and its current role in the global community, enriched with maps and illustrations that enhance the reader's understanding of the region's rich history.
With a climate and landscape as diverse as its past, Turkey has provided an alluring and yet sometimes challenging destination for westerners throughout the ages. This title describes the remarkable literature which Turkey has inspired for two millennia.
In this first work on the subject for many years, Richard Stoneman shows that Pindar's works, while at first seeming obscure and fragmentary, reward further study. An unmatched craftsman with words, and witness to a profoundly religious sensibility, he is a poet who takes modern readers to the heart of Greek ideas.
An exploration of how the Greeks reacted to and interacted with India from the third to first centuries BCE. When the Greeks and Macedonians in Alexander's army reached India in 326 BCE, they entered a new and strange world. They knew a few legends and travelers' tales, but their categories of thought were inadequate to encompass what they witnessed. The plants were unrecognizable, their properties unknown. The customs of the people were various and puzzling. While Alexander's conquest was brief, ending with his death in 323 BCE, the Greeks would settle in the Indian region for the next two centuries, forging an era of productive interactions between the two cultures. The Greek Experience of India explores the various ways that the Greeks reacted to and constructed life in India during this fruitful period. From observations about botany and mythology to social customs, Richard Stoneman examines the surviving evidence of those who traveled to India. Most particularly, he offers a full and valuable look at Megasthenes, ambassador of the Seleucid king Seleucus to Chandragupta Maurya, and provides a detailed discussion of Megasthenes's now-fragmentary book Indica. Stoneman considers the art, literature, and philosophy of the Indo-Greek kingdom and how cultural influences crossed in both directions, with the Greeks introducing their writing, coinage, and sculptural and architectural forms, while Greek craftsmen learned to work with new materials such as ivory and stucco and to probe the ideas of Buddhists and other ascetics