Alexander the Great: The Invisible Enemy

O'Brien, John Maxwell

ISBN 10: 0415072549 / ISBN 13: 9780415072540

Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd, 1992

About this Item

Focuses on the role of alcohol in the life of Alexander the Great, O'Brien using Dionysus as a symbol of the destructive effects of alcohol on Alexander's psyche. A cluster of ambivalent considerations is explored: the heroic and the Dionysiac, the rational and the irrational, sanity and madness. Num Pages: 360 pages, 6 maps, 1 table. BIC Classification: 1QDAG; BGH; HBJD; HBLA. Category: (P) Professional & Vocational; (UP) Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly; (UU) Undergraduate. Dimension: 234 x 156 x 21. Weight in Grams: 771. . 1992. Hardback. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland.

Seller Inventory # V9780415072540

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Alexander the Great: The Invisible Enemy
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Publication Date: 1992
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0415072549
• ISBN 13: 9780415072540
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

Despite Alexander the Great's unprecedented accomplishments, during the last seven years of his life, this indomitable warrior became increasingly unpredictable, sporadically violent, megalomaniacal, and suspicious of friends as well as enemies. What could have caused such a lamentable transformation? This biography seeks to answer that question by assessing the role of alcohol in Alexander the Great's life, using the figure of Dionysus as a symbol of its destructive effects on his psyche. The unique methodology employed in this book explores various aspects of Alexander's life while maintaining an historical framework. The exposition of the main theme is handled in such a way that the biography will appeal to general readers as well as scholars.

About the Author

John Maxwell O'Brien is Professor of History at Queens College of the City University of New York.