Ancient Macedonia

The first English-language monograph on ancient Macedonia in almost thirty years, Carol J. King's book provides a detailed narrative account of the rise and fall of Macedonian power in the Balkan Peninsula and the Aegean region during the five-hundred-year period of the Macedonian monarchy from the seventh to the second century BCE. King draws largely on ancient literary sources for her account, citing both contemporary and later classical authors. Material evidence from the fields of archaeology, epigraphy, and numismatics is also explored.

Ancient Macedonia balances historical evidence with interpretations-those of the author as well as other historians-and encourages the reader to engage closely with the source material and the historical questions that material often raises. This volume will be of great interest to both under- and post-graduate students, and those looking to understand the fundamentals of the period.

Review:

This authoritative, well-written narrative history of ancient Macedonia, from its early days to absorption by Rome, is sorely needed, and will become a staple of university courses to do with ancient Greece and Macedonia. The numerous illustrations help to bring the text alive, and a stand-alone chapter on the Macedonian military helps to show how and why the army was the most feared and successful before that of Rome.

- Professor Ian Worthington, University of Missouri, USA