History of Alexander the Great of Macedon

The epochal work of Curtius Rufus is not just a great book about the greatest military leader in the history of mankind, "The History of Alexander the Great of Macedon" is also a kind of luxurious mirror, reflecting in relief and in many colors the glorious times long gone, which gave rise to a powerful wave of legends that captivate the imagination even today. The reader is offered the first full Russian translation, masterfully executed by R.L. Shmarakov, who managed to convey a lively and figurative language of the famous Roman historian, who created in the I century A.D. The author of one of the most detailed and undoubtedly the best biographies of Alexander the Great, the conqueror of the East and West, who reached the very limits of the Earth, focuses on his Asian campaign and, in general, his era. The immortal work of Curtius, being the most important document of the ancient epoch, is read as a fascinating historical novel. The reader is waiting for Asian colorful pictures: brutal battles at sea and on land, sieges and storms of cities, unseen tribes and outlandish animals, lavish celebrations, feasts and fires, chariots and war elephants. And then - clever intrigues, secret whispers of conspirators, assassination attempts in the moonless night ... And in the center of it all - like a magnificent golden statue - the image of a great king, a darling of Fortune, blessed, generous ruler, who gradually, intoxicated by victories and Asian wine, turns into an autocratic despot. The "Supplements" section contains selected fragments from medieval writings on Alexander's personality, from biblical exegetes to chroniclers and storytelling poets, all in the same excellent translation by R.L. Shmarakov, which leaves an aftertaste of antiquity. Finally, another pearl of this volume can be called a large chapter from the translation of S.P. Krasheninnikov - a magnificent text of the XVIII century, which has carried through the centuries of archaic beauty and is rightly considered one of the great monuments of that era rich in talent. The reader will be helped to plunge into the times of Alexander the Great by wonderful articles: R.L. Shmarakov - on the personality and changeable Fortune of the Macedonian commander; A.A. Kleimenov - on the historical context in which the grandiose work of Curtius Rufus appeared; and S.I. Nikolaev, a specialist in Russian literature, who immerses "The History of Alexander" in the domestic context and offers an overview of the history of its translations. A great help for the reader will be a detailed commentary, not only explaining the realities and contexts, but also unfolding a broad literary canvas, on which the work of Curtius Rufus is correlated with the works of other great historians - Diodorus, Plutarch, Arrian, Joseph Flavius ... Finally, another opportunity to look into ancient times will be a colorful album, which reproduces the images of that distant era: bright frescoes and ancient statues, images of warriors and inhabitants of conquered lands, silver coins and jewelry, helmets and armor. Recommended for a wide range of readers.