TITLE - ALEXANDER THE GREAT VERSUS JULIUS CAESAR | WHO WAS THE
GREATEST COMMANDER IN THE ANCIENT WORLD?
WRITTEN BY - SIMON ELLIOTT
PUBLISHED BY - PEN & SWORD BOOKS
PUBLICATION DATE - AVAILABLE NOW
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They are two of the most accomplished military leaders in history and both knowingly destined for greatness from an early age, but if you’ve ever wondered exactly which of them was the best - Alexander the Great or Julius Caesar - then this book will help you decide.
In his quest to determine just who was the greatest military leader of all time, Simon Elliott’s book draws on surviving (but often exaggerated or incomplete) primary sources and the work of contemporary historians. An introduction sets out the structure of the book - each leader’s life and achievements considered in turn - and includes notes on terminology and timeline. Despite an admitted preference for Alexander, Simon Elliott covers each leader even-handedly. Starting with Alexander, he lucidly documents the almost continual conflict that led to Philip II (father of Alexander)’s reign.
This is history at its most violent, a time of invasions, battles and intrigues when you could lose your throne to a member of your own family at the point of a blade. There is a wealth of detail on contemporary weapons and tactics and Elliott depicts the many battles with brutal drama. Five decisive battles and/or sieges are closely examined by the author as evidence of his military prowess. Similarly, with Julius Caesar, the author provides context to the Roman leader’s life with a chapter on the violent creation of the Roman Republic, (beginning with the legend of Romulus and Remus), a concise biography and a study of his major battles and campaigns. Elliott’s depiction of Caesar’s infamous murder is brutally compelling, and contains the heartbreaking fact that Caesar’s last act was to pull his toga over his head when he saw that his friend Brutus was one of his assassins.
In a climactic round of historical “Top Trumps”, Elliott ends the book with a summing up of his findings by directly comparing the leaders on factors such as brutality, conquests, strategic skills etc, and their enduring legacies. In short order, he reaches a perfectly logical conclusion - which I won’t spoil here. The book is further enhanced with annotated colour plate photographs of artefacts, maps, locations and models of soldiers in the armour of their time. There is also a bibliography, full index, and a striking, full colour dust-jacket.
If nothing else, then Simon Elliott’s book is a fresh reappraisal of the lives and legacies of two towering historical figures, with many myths exploded along the way. Elliott freely admits that we know, or at least think we know, more about Julius Caesar than Alexander, and indeed the former has always held more of a fascination for people. Simon Elliott’s excellent book certainly goes a long way towards redressing the balance by placing Alexander the Great in a wider historical context. Displaying an unprecedented depth of research into the structure of both leaders’ armies, their battles and campaigns, this book is indispensable for military and ancient history enthusiasts.
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About Dr Simon Elliott
Dr Simon Elliott is an award winning and best selling historian, archaeologist, author, broadcaster, Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Kent, Trustee of the Council for British Archaeology, Ambassador for Museum of London Archaeology, Guide Lecturer for Andante Travels and President of the Society of Ancients. He has published many well-received books on themes related to the ancient world, most recently the Amazon no.1 best-selling "Roman Britain’s Missing Legion", and frequently appears on broadcast media as a presenter and expert on ancient world and military themes.
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