Demetrius: Sacker of Cities

by James Romm

Overview

A portrait of one of the ancient world’s first political celebrities, who veered from failure to success and back again
 
“This colorful biography of Demetrius . . . explores his rich inner life and reveals an ancient world of violence and intrigue.”—New York Times Book Review
 
The life of Demetrius (337–283 BCE) serves as a through-line to the forty years following the death of Alexander the Great (323–282 BCE), a time of unparalleled turbulence and instability in the ancient world. With no monarch able to take Alexander’s place, his empire fragmented into five pieces.
 
Capitalizing on good looks, youth, and sexual prowess, Demetrius sought to weld those pieces together and recover the dream of a single world state, with a new Alexander—himself—at its head. He succeeded temporarily, but in crucial, colossal engagements—a massive invasion of Egypt, a siege of Rhodes that went on for a full year, and the Battle of Ipsus—he came up just short. He ended his career in a rash invasion of Asia and became the target of a desperate manhunt, only to be captured and destroyed by his own son-in-law.
 
James Romm tells the story of Demetrius the Besieger’s rise and spectacular fall but also explores his vibrant inner life and family relationships to depict a real, complex, and recognizable figure.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780300274165
Publisher:	Yale University Press
Publication date:	10/17/2023
Series:	Ancient Lives
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	630,068
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

James Romm is an author, a reviewer, and the James H. Ottaway Jr. Professor of Classics at Bard College. His reviews and essays appear regularly in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Review of Books.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 His Father's Son 1

Chapter 2 The Apprenticeship of a General 15

Chapter 3 The Duel with Ptolemy (I) 23

Chapter 4 Petra and Babylon 33

Chapter 5 Athens and Megara 45

Chapter 6 The Duel with Ptolemy (II) 55

Chapter 7 The Duel with Ptolemy (III) 63

Chapter 8 Assault on Rhodes (I) 69

Chapter 9 Assault on Rhodes (II) 79

Chapter 10 Demetrius the Descender 89

Chapter 11 The War of the Five Armies 103

Chapter 12 Lord of the Isles 115

Chapter 13 In Search of a Kingdom 123

Chapter 14 "Then Don't Be a King" 133

Chapter 15 The Unraveling 143

Chapter 16 A King in Plain Clothes 149

Chapter 17 The Great Anabasis 155

Chapter 18 Twists of the Knife 165

Chapter 19 The Final Crossing 173

Epilogue 183

Chronology 185

Genealogy 187

Source Notes 189

Bibliography 197

Index 201

Editorial Reviews

Romm has long been one of the most energetic interpreters of ancient Greek history for a nonspecialist readership. . . . Romm knows how to tell a story; . . . his narrative of the epic siege of Rhodes is the most exciting I have ever read. . . . For anyone new to this tangled but thrilling period of history, Romm’s whirlwind Demetrius is now the place to start.”—Peter Thonemann, Wall Street Journal

“This colorful biography of Demetrius, the vain and ambitious Macedonian monarch who sought to reunite Alexander the Great’s kingdom in the years after his death, explores his rich inner life and reveals an ancient world of violence and intrigue.”—New York Times Book Review

“Romm offers a sensitive and well-judged account which will appeal to anyone wishing to contemplate what the 18th-century German naturalist Georg Forster called ‘the “incomprehensible force” in human nature that drives history’s conquerors, and their crimes.’”—Antony Spawforth, Literary Review

“This part of ancient history is little known, which is a shame as it’s so incredible. . . . This story of competing dynasties and empires, fighting for control of the ancient world, should attract anyone with even a passing interest.”—Oliver Webb-Carter, Aspects of History

“With great erudition, and elegance, Romm tells the story of the years after the death of Alexander the Great, revealing an ancient world whose politics, intrigue, and penchant for war will seem familiar to modern readers.”—Annette Gordon-Reed, Harvard University

“Romm brilliantly sketches the life, character, and achievements of Demetrius the Besieger, the most charismatic and unstable of the Successors of Alexander the Great—and one of the most formidable.”—Robin Waterfield, author of Creators, Conquerors, and Citizens: A History of Ancient Greece

“Romm’s gripping, sensitive biography traces the zigzagging career of Demetrius, cavalry commander at nineteen and notorious besieger of cities, as he strives to seize power as Alexander’s successor but ultimately languishes in luxury as a royal captive.”—Adrienne Mayor, author of The Poison King and The Amazons

From the Publisher

“Romm brilliantly sketches the life, character, and achievements of Demetrius the Besieger, the most charismatic and unstable of the Successors of Alexander the Great—and one of the most formidable.”—Robin Waterfield, author of Creators, Conquerors, and Citizens: A History of Ancient Greece

Robin Waterfield