The Diary of Alexander the Great

Book excerpt: Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) has been considered as the greatest leader of all time. He occupies an imposing position in the public imagination and is the most universally recognised ancient monarch. His influence remains widespread in Europe, the Middle East, South East Asia and beyond. Nation states still utilise his historical presence in their lands as a standard of national existence and sovereignty, whilst his administrative methods remain obligatory reading for military strategists and leadership scholars. Although there are several sources that describe his life events and a multitude of analyses deriving from these, they have been devoid of the day-to-day context of Alexander's actions and decisions. As a consequence, whilst some of the macro-chronology of his life is known through the major life events of birth, battles and death dates, much of the micro-chronology in terms of a breakdown of day-to-day events remains unknown. This lack of a combined macro- and micro-chronology has in places resulted in warped and biased evaluation of Alexander's life and actions. This book aims to offer both a macro- and micro-chronology of Alexander's life in a diary format. It is the first of its kind to offer a holistic day-to-day view of Alexander the Great's life and actions, what he did, where he did it and how long it took. As part of the meta-chronology book series, it utilises the Anabasis of Alexander by Arrian as a core on which a myriad of additional sources are applied to calculate Alexander's day-to-day events. These sources include Classical Greek and Roman, Egyptian and Babylonian Astronomical charts in addition to modern calculations of ancient solar, lunar and astronomical events. This diary therefore presents a unique chronological perspective through which to better appraise the life and times of Alexander the Great.