The hellenistic royal families, from Alexander the Great to the
last Cleopatra, took part in dynastic in-fighting that was vicious,
colourful and instructive. In this they anticipated by centuries
the better-known excesses under Roman potentates such as Claudius
and Nero. This major new study explores the intricate quarrels and
violence within the ruling hellenistic families. A main theme is
the role of 'amphimetric' disputes, competition between a ruler's
offspring from different women, and especially between the women
themselves. The book also includes a full exploration of the role
of courtesans in the political and sexual intrigues of the hellenistic
courts.
The author: Daniel Ogden is Professor of Ancient History
in the University of Exeter, after teaching in Swansea between 1991
and 2003. With the Classical Press of Wales he has also published
The Hellenistic World (2002; pbk2023); Aristomenes of
Messene (2003); In Search of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice: The Traditional Tales
of Lucian’s Lover of Lies (2007). His books for other presses include
Greek Bastardy (OUP, 1996); Greek and Roman Necromancy (Princeton,
2001); Magic, Witchcraft and Ghosts in the Greek and Roman Worlds (OUP, 2nd ed., 2009); Alexander
the Great: Myth, Genesis and Sexuality (UEP, 2011); Drakon:
Dragon Myth and Serpent Cult in the Greek and Roman World (OUP, 2013); Dragons,
Serpents and Slayers in the Classical and Early Christian Worlds (OUP, 2013); The
Legend of Seleucus (CUP,
2017); The Werewolf in the Ancient World (OUP, 2021); The
Strix-Witch (CUP, 2021); and The Dragon in the
West (OUP, 2021). Polygamy, Alexander
and Seleucus together form a loose trilogy.
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