Alexander the Great and the Macedonian Empire

by Kenneth W. Harl

18 hours 29 mins

Alexander the Great - one of the most renowned figures in antiquity - has inspired everything from medieval romances to blockbuster movies, and military leaders from Julius Caesar to Napoleon to the U.S. general Norman Schwarzkopf. But who was this great king of Macedon? And why is he so legendary?

Go beyond the myth and learn about the man who changed the face of the ancient world and laid the foundation for the great traditions of the Roman Empire - all in fewer than 12 years. These 36 spellbinding lectures take you deep inside the world of Alexander to witness the astonishing feats of military genius that made his name renowned for millennia after his death.

Through this detailed portrait, you'll go beyond the legends and the myths to truly understand what made Alexander great. Along the way, several Alexanders emerge: the military general, Macedonian king, Persian emperor, Egyptian pharaoh, and leader of the Hellenic League. You learn about the many aspects of this extraordinary individual - his passions, extraordinary talents, and the training that helped mold his character. You'll learn how battles were fought and won in the ancient world and examine Alexander's great martial achievements within this larger military history. You'll also head onto the battlefield to analyze some of Alexander's Average triumphs, including the Battle of the Granicus River and the Battle of the Hydaspes River.

Alexander's empire did not survive beyond his lifetime, but his legacy has cast a long shadow on the history of the West. Join Professor Harl for this journey into the world of Alexander and see how the Western world - and, indeed, our world - still bear the marks of this legendary conqueror.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Audiobook, Ancient History, War, Historical

19 pages, Audible Audio

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Dr. Kenneth W. Harl is Professor of Classical and Byzantine History at Tulane University in New Orleans, where he teaches courses in Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Crusader history. He earned his B.A. from Trinity College and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Yale University.

Recognized as an outstanding lecturer, Professor Harl has received numerous teaching awards at Tulane, including the coveted Sheldon H. Hackney Award two times. He has earned Tulane's annual Student Body Award for Excellence in Teaching nine times and is the recipient of Baylor University's nationwide Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teachers.

In 2007, he was the Lewis P. Jones Visiting Professor in History at Wofford College. An expert on classical Anatolia, he has taken students with him into the field on excursions and to assist in excavations of Hellenistic and Roman sites in Turkey.

Professor Harl has also published a wide variety of articles and books, including his current work on coins unearthed in an excavation of Gordion, Turkey, and a new book on Rome and her Iranian foes. A fellow and trustee of the American Numismatic Society, Professor Harl is well known for his studies of ancient coinage. He is the author of Civic Coins and Civic Politics in the Roman East, A.D. 180–275 and Coinage in the Roman Economy, 300 B.C. to A.D. 700.

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this for the most part. It's very comprehensive, beginning with a few lectures on Macedon, Greece, Persia, and Phillip II; then Alexander; then a few lectures covering the war of succession and the Macedonian Empire in partition. As a good overview to Alexander, especially if you know nothing, this is really good and well-organized, as well as entertaining (Harl has an extremely dry humor that I loved).

Harl REALLY likes Alexander, though. There seems to be no happy medium between Alexander historians who think he was the worst tyrant ever and historians who think he was the best conqueror ever. Harl falls into the trap of justifying even Alexander's worst moments.
An example of this is the question of whether Alexander was a drunk. In one lecture, Harl explains that Alex didn't drink that much, especially for a Macedonian, and was basically a social drinker. IN THE VERY NEXT LECTURE, Harl explains that it's not Alex's fault that he murdered Cleitus because he was INCREDIBLY DRUNK. Then later, re: Alexander's death, Harl dismisses poison and names "heavy drinking" as a factor.

[Ken Burkhalter · Rating 5 out of 5]

For one with limited exposure to the man and his times, this is a thorough and revealing work. It is of course of the survey model, taking a wide brush to a great life. That said, there is much here to consider, and it is surprising to what extent we can see echoes of his time in our own.

One of my interests in reading this ancient history is to understand geopolitical contexts and their parallels to Biblical history timelines. For example, I was surprised to learn that the Galatians of Paul's time were direct descendants of Celtic Gauls defeated by Julius Caesar.

I listened via the Audible.com version. Mr. Harl knows his subject well and covers the academic history with confidence and dry wit and offers his own opinion at times. He is also a numismatic expert and uses that influence to describe the art and economic organization of different kingdoms, something I found interesting as a different lens into the subject.

Overall, a very good starting point.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harl is at his best in this 36-lecture series on Alexander the Great, his empire, and his legacy - as long as one can overlook his pronunciation of "allies" which makes me cringe every time. His delivery, which in other lectures of his I've listened to has at times been less than stellar, is engaging and infused with his palpable enthusiasm for the subject, and the lectures themselves are detailed and informative. Of course, Prof Harl evidently also subscribes to the image of Alexander the Great, that famous womanizer, who definitely absolutely by no means whatsoever was anything less than 100% heterosexual and let noone so much as imply otherwise in any shape, form or way, which... really, are we still doing that? *sigh*

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a history of Phillip II, Alexander and the Succession States that follow. I especially like the parts on Phillip and Alexander in the East.

Harl is my favorite lecturer in the Great Courses series and he doesn't disappoint in this one. These lectures are well laid out, argued and discussed. He acknowledges and states his own biases and give other arguments and how he believes they are mistaken. If you at all interested in Alexander these lectures will give you a good base to dive in to the parts that you want to know more of. Well worth the considerable time commitment (36 45 minute lectures).

[Yoly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A history of Alexander the Great and his father Phillip II. I liked that the course didn't only focus on Alexander but also spent some time giving us enough backstory in about 10 lectures about his father Phillip. Professor Kenneth Harl is a very good lecturer, he knows the material very well and his way of teaching is very engaging. I had previously listened to his The Vikings course and loved it. I highly recommend this course if you want to get a complete and detailed view of the life of Alexander the Great and his impact on the world.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better Great Courses series, despite Harl's insane pronunciation of "allies" as "al-LIES." He gives a thorough overview of both Philip II's and Alexander's conquests. The course does cover the Wars of the Diadochi, but in such a rushed manner that I found it difficult to follow. Considering how much time is given to the 11 years of Alexander's conquests, you'd think they'd take more care covering the following 40+.

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thorough and extensive. For anyone who wants a college level course on Alexander this is a great place to start.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything Kenneth Harl does is gold! I am a fan and I think, with regard to professors of history, that’s a compliment…;)

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second time through these audio lectures (36 30 minute lectures), (for those considering purchasing you might consider the video version since the accompanying text/pdf version is dismally inadequate...or you can supplement with internet research). My first time through the lectures I had not had the benefit of the background or context provided by courses like the GREEK and PERSIAN WARS and the PELOPONESIAN WAR.
There are many fine reviews included here on the Great Courses web page, so I won't restate the details...suffice it to say that Dr Harl again provides a wonderfully detailed account of possibly the most fascinating and complex figure in classical history. Alexander was a man of his times, not ours. His method of conquest (brutality and plunder) were in step with 4th BCE methods. His actions were well planned yet dictated by the moment...his motives, well, were his motives (whatever that means...from just wanting Mom to be proud to megalomania). His results...his impact on history is enormous, almost beyond comprehension. As Dr Harl summarizes (and I paraphrase): "If there had been no Alexander the Great, there would have been no Caesar, no Christ, no western civilization as we know it....and, Ladies and Gentlemen, we wouldn't be here right now!"
Highly recommended...it is often on sale, and coupons help a lot.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harl is one of the finest professors that the Great Courses have in their stable. This course is less social history and more military campaign oriented.

[Aaron Kimpton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished this yesterday. It rounded out my Helen and Hellenistic history. On to Rome! It is fascinating history.

[Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alexander the Great and the Macedonian Empire is another great volume in the Great Courses series. Led by Kenneth Harl, a prominent scholar in the Classics and Ancient Coinage, the course not only takes you through the life of Alexander, but it charts the rise of the Macedonian Empire in its ancient Greece context and its impact on the overall ancient world. Professor Harl establishes his source materials well (e.g. Plutarch, Arrian, etc), founding this work as primarily a scholarly endeavor; but at the same time makes Alexander accessible to everyone.

Professor Harl emphasizes the influence of Philip (Alexander's father) as being key to Alexander's success. Philip had been planning the Persian campaign for decades and no doubt Alexander used Philip's planning to fuel his success. But less widely known were Philip's reforms of the military. In contrast to most of the Greek city states, Philip created a professional standing army, rather than always relying on volunteers. He also pioneered flexible infantry and military logistics which focused on speed and avoided using long wagon trains and unwieldly convoys.

Philip re-arranged the standard phalanx battalion to 4,096 men, with 16 men deep formations. He also equipped the Macedonians with a sarissa, a 13 to 21 foot spear with a knife on the end. This was much longer than the standard 7ft hoplite spear. This enabled the phalanx to make the first attack and dictate the terms of any infantry engagement. Philip was one of the first to understand that infantry alone may not be sufficient to wage a long military campaign. Phillip also strengthened the cavalry and made them the primary force on the field, equipped with a 9 foot javelin. Philip radically increased the amount of cavalry in each standing army relative to the Persians and most other nations, no doubt the impact of having to constantly battle the Illyrians and Scythians. A powerful phalanx, massive calvary numbers combined with innovative logistics meant Macedonian forces would have no equal on the battlefield for centuries. This force could move quickly over vast and varied expanses, surprising enemies and giving them mastery over the battlefield terrain.

Perhaps no one in history, even up to today, has accomplished more by the age of 33 than Alexander. He remade the landscape of most of the known world in a little less than 12 years. While his miltary endeavors are perhaps the most widely known, his accomplishments are no less stellar in administration, governance, religion, and culture. For example, after the battles of Granicus and Issus, Alexander does not rush to Babylon, but he focuses on ensuring he has his back covered while ensuring all the major ports (Tyre, Egypt, etc) are in his control before he ventures into the heart of the Levant. He uses the historical Greek influence with the Egyptians to become their pharaoh and leverages his charisma to capture their grain storehouses.

Alexander's master stroke was to successfully link the Greek pantheon and his own traditions to the Ancient Egyptian traditions. While in Egypt, he sought the blessing of the oracle at Siwa, who blessed him as pharaoh. Alexander shows great nuance in understanding the cultures he conquered and was able to successfully use them to assist in governance. He does not conquer in brutal force like the Romans, but once the battles were over, he was able to successfully woo conquered peoples as equals according to their own traditions. He often arranged marriages with himself and with key Macedonian nobles to permanently link his world to those he conquered (a policy appalling to the Greeks). He was able to use this same type of strategy to triangulate and win the hearts and minds of Darius's followers.

After conquering Greece, Egypt and most of ancient Persia (which encompassed all of modern day Middle East, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan), Alexander's army finally asked him to stop. We don't know how good a governor Alexander would be as his life came to an abrupt end soon after his military campaign ended in India. Harl does not speculate whether he was poisoned or whether he died due to sickness brought on by the death of dear friend, Hephastion. The sources are mixed on this question so this remains a mystery to most honest historians to this day. Each of his key generals would eventually wind up ruling part of his empire.

Finally, Professor Harl takes great care to help us understand the succession wars. Only Alexander and the force of his charisma could keep such a vast empire together. Perhaps Alexander's and the ancient world's 'Achillees Heel' was succession. Professor Harl outlined all the wars between the successors and sets up the context right before the Roman occupation of the early second century. No doubt, this is a thorough and important survey regarding understanding the ancient world before Rome.

[Dimitris Dervenis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mr Harl's position on calling the 359 BC Macedonian kingdom as a 'barbarian' one is not based on archaeological data contrary to what he claims. His position is in fact based mostly on Borza's thesis, who in turn ignored or had minimal access to archaeological discoveries which support the Hellenic nature of the Macedonians as Herodotus describes: a Dorian tribe.
Archaeological discoveries of the last decade or so confirm that Macedonians were Dorians, with the discovery of at least 4 doric inscriptions and several attic or koine inscriptions using local 'doricisms' accidentally inserted by the local Macedonian stonecutters, while some of the glosses observed in Hesychius' lexicon have been used in Greek inscriptions in Macedonia.
One wonders why the self-determination of Macedonian kings who included themselves in the Hellenic world (e.g. Alexander I, Philip II, Alexander III, Philip V) is completely ignored, along with other factors indicating the Greekness of Macedonians: participation in Olympics, Macedonian calendar using Greek months, Macedonians having Greek names, Greek toponyms in Macedonia, Macedonians worshiping Greek gods and heroes, Persians calling them 'Ionians (Greeks) with shield-hats', ancient sources explicitly including them among Greeks, etc.
On the other hand, quotations of the Macedonian tongue not easily understood by the other Greeks is interpreted as it being non-Greek, while in reality it was a rough doric dialect which Athenians and other Ionians had a hard time understanding.
I am curious how he would explain the above, and especially how he would explain that common Macedonian folk of the 5th c BC wrote their (Greek) names on their tombstones.

[Fawwaz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a course in an audiobook format but I will review it as an audiobook because it's Goodreads but that might be unfair so take care.

I had many problems with this audiobook. For one, it's boring like an actual university course. He rushes through the topics and I feel some sequences deserve more details. Each chapter is 30 minutes long (like a lecture) so he can't spend too long on one topic.

He doesn't explain the events like a story as much as I like. For example, he doesn't care about spoilers. He can introduce a character in the beginning then say that this guy will betray Alexander later. It makes sense from an academic sense but not from a storytelling one.

The story is still fun during Philip and Alexander's parts. I kinda got bored during the end after Alexander's death. I got all those characters mixed up because he just throws a name and you're supposed to remember them without spending too much time on their personality. Speaking of personality, this course focuses more on the battles and not on the personalities.

All in all, this still made me really excited to read novels or historical fiction about Alexander the Great.

[Aron · Rating 5 out of 5]

The great courses almost always live up to their name and this one was exceptionally great. The lecturer is passionate, brilliant, and entertaining. A huge admirer of Phillip II and Alexander, he nonetheless consistently focuses on providing persuasive evidence and cogent arguments to back up his strong opinions. Whatever you think about Alexander the man, there is no doubt he changed the course of history as few others have. Whether you agree or not, you will come away having learned a tremendous amount on the period from the end of the Classical Greek world to the beginning of the Roman empire and the enduring influence and impact of Alexander and his conquest of much of the ancient Eurasian world.

[Joe Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tour de force through the legend of Alexander by a fine teacher who clearly enjoys his subject. This is one for history buffs who like to go a bit deeper than overview courses. I thought I understood Al and his world moderately well until I took this lecture series. I learned a ton about the world before and after Al and especially about his campaigns to pacify eastern Persia and invade India.
If you aren't really a history fan, this is likely more depth than you want. For people who think history should be a topic around the water cooler instead of silly fades like the NBA and MLB, this is your course.

[Akil Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well thought out and executed course that give you a different perspective of Alexander the Great. Learning a little about his father Philp the 2nd, the believed culture at the time of Alexander's conquests and the impact of his conquests on the world after he died, provides a full picture of who this man was. One of the professor's closing comments really sums up Alexander's importance on the modern world:

“If there was not, Alexander, there would have been no Julius Caesar, and in turn there would have been no Jesus”.

This is a great lecture series for anyone looking to learn a little more about the ancient world.

[Draper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Harl, and this is one of his best. It falls off a bit for the final 6 lectures, but the first 30 are riveting insightful, and critically important for understanding the ancient world. I especially appreciate the time devoted to Philip. I was fairly familiar with Greece through the Peloponnesian War and then a bit with Alexander, but I was missing the intervening history, which this covered beautifully.

[Melodie Wendel-Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dvd companion piece has more detail and shows the military strategies used. I've always been curious about this man, and movies Hollywood made are confusing (jump all over in time). There are enough books written about him to make an interesting movie. Good breakdown of history, covering both him and his father Philip; like the book resources; good discussion questions; and like timeline for quick reference.

[Kristi Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning about the Macedonian Empire. The story of Alexander is just a small part of these lectures.
His legacy were his generals that continued to rule the world until the Romans took over.
Even the Romans incorporated the Hellenic beliefs into their empire.
A very good lecturer and I learned a lot.

[Joshua Dew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-organized lecture series which was fascinating from start to finish although hard to follow in spots, particularly when dealing with the plethora of generals, rivals, successors, etc. I also had difficulty following descriptions of the various battles, though I'm admittedly inept at battlefield visualization.

[Romantical Skeptic · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked every part of it that dealt directly with Alexander himself and the beginning bit about his father Phillip and the last part about the breakup of Alexander's empire I was just less interested in...such is the charisma of Alex even over the span of millenia!

[Gebo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative, albeit a little dry. The lecturer is not the world’s most captivating speaker, but he makes up for it with knowledge and interesting asides. Highly recommended to anyone interested in Macedonian history.

[Loren Shultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting presentation as a series of lectures. Good info but a bit too academic at times.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed learning about Alexander the Great!

[Lenny Isf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great but misses a bit of detail I think at times. Companion PDF is excellent.

[Enrico · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome course about Philip II, Alexander the Great, the Diadochi and the lasting impacts on the world by Alexanders Life.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great history. Dr. Kenneth Harl is my favorite history prof to listen to.

[Christopher Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to hear about the ancient world, the logistics behind Alexander’s conquest and who he was.

[Nolan Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative