The Treasures of Alexander the Great: How One Man's Wealth Shaped the World
Frank L. Holt
Abstract
War, the most profitable economic activity in the ancient world, transferred wealth violently through the sacking of cities and the selling of survivors into slavery. One of the most notable examples occurred in the late fourth century BC, when Alexander the Great of Macedonia conquered the Persian Empire. For all of its savagery, this invasion has often been heralded as a positive economic event for all concerned. Even those harshly critical of the king tend to praise his plundering of Persia as a means of liberating the moribund resources of the East. To test that popular interpretation, thi ... More
War, the most profitable economic activity in the ancient world, transferred wealth violently through the sacking of cities and the selling of survivors into slavery. One of the most notable examples occurred in the late fourth century BC, when Alexander the Great of Macedonia conquered the Persian Empire. For all of its savagery, this invasion has often been heralded as a positive economic event for all concerned. Even those harshly critical of the king tend to praise his plundering of Persia as a means of liberating the moribund resources of the East. To test that popular interpretation, this book investigates the kinds and quantities of treasure seized by the Macedonian king, from gold and silver to land and slaves. It reveals what became of the king’s spoils of war, and what Alexander’s redistribution of these vast resources can tell us about his much-disputed policies and priorities. Although war made Alexander unbelievably wealthy, it distracted him from managing his spoils effectively. Much was wasted, embezzled, deliberately destroyed, or idled again unprofitably. These facts force us to reassess the notion, prevalent since the nineteenth century, that Alexander the Great used the profits of war to improve the ancient economies of the lands that he conquered. Appendices catalog Alexander’s assets and expenditures, and show where Alexander’s treasures can still be seen today.
Keywords:
Alexander the Great,
Macedonia,
Persian Empire,
War,
Wealth,
Plunder,
Spoils,
Ancient economies,
Treasure
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2016 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780199950966 |
| Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: April 2016 |
DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199950966.001.0001 |
