Alexander the Great in Current Scholarship

ABSTRACT

Interest in Alexander the Great has never flagged from the time of his death until the present day. The bibliography of Alexander the Great continues to grow at near exponential rates. He was a commander of outstanding ability whose legacy was a world forever changed. However, plagued by a dearth of contemporary sources, scholars still debate his goals, his methods, and his true legacy. Did he envision and work towards a world where the races would be fused into one? Or was he an insatiable conqueror whose values were those of a Genghis Khan or a Tamarlane? Was his empire built on expediency or was it an attempt at a new world order under an absolute monarch. Finally, did Alexander order his own deification, and was this the result of practical administrative and political calculations, or was it the consequence of growing megalomaniacy. All of these interpretations have modern scholarly adherents, although some have come to dominate most current scholarship.