Royal Traditions and the Consolidation of Power by Alexander's Successors - by John Holton (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Examining the period of political consolidation after Alexander the Great's death, John Holton reconstructs how the successors used new frameworks of royal ideology to create long-term kingships. There is a particular focus on the deeper manoeuvres within the inter-generational impact raging from the influence of religion and family relations, to succession-planning and royal funerals"--

Book Synopsis

In the wake of Alexander the Great's death, his ambitious Successors sought to solidify their positions as kings and establish a framework of new royal traditions. John Holton delves into the interconnected strategies employed by Antigonus, Demetrius, Ptolemy, Seleucus, Lysimachus and Cassander, as well as their heirs, as they consolidated their royal power between 323 and 276 BC. Through a wide-ranging examination of royal ideology and its formative impact, a set of studies explores the significance of discursive power in the new kings' toolkits, the wide spectrum of god-king relations that were developed to project royal status, the innovative development of father-son joint kingship as a successional mechanism, and the symbolic means for supporting the translation of power to a second generation of kings.

Set against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving political landscape in the early Hellenistic world, this volume offers invaluable insights into the transition from Alexander's single empire to a multipolar world of competing royal dynasties. This period was in turn foundational for the longer-term institution of Hellenistic kingship, which played a pivotal role in in the history of ancient Greece and the near east. By bringing the Successors into a single discussion, with a comparative perspective and detailed studies of diverse evidence, Holton provides a fuller picture of the origins of Hellenistic royal practice.

Review Quotes

John Holton's study powerfully and elegantly sheds light on the first 40 years of Hellenistic monarchy, and these new kings' attempts to legitimise their rule, and to consolidate their new kingdoms.

About the Author

John Holton is Senior Lecturer in Ancient History at Newcastle University, UK. His primary research expertise and publication record is in Hellenistic history and intellectual history, including the study of Alexander the Great and his successors (the diadochoi), ancient monarchies, and universal historiography.