The transformation of Alexander's court : the kingship, royal insignia and eastern court personnel of Alexander the Great

Abstract

This thesis examines Alexander's conception of kingship, his relationship with royal traditions in the three great kingdoms of the Near East, and the concomitant transformation of the king's court by which Alexander created a distinctive royal insignia and introduced new court personnel and protocol. Section I ("Alexander and Near Eastern Kingship") contains Chapters I, II, and III. Section II ("The Transformation") comprises Chapters IV to VI. In Chapter I, I examine the Macedonian background of Alexander's court and his native conception of kingship. Chapter II is a study of the kingship of Egypt. Chapter III deals with the kingship of Babylon and Persia. I then turn to an analysis of Alexander's policies towards the Persians and the concept of the "kingship of Asia," as this was understood by Alexander. This crucial concept is to be distinguished from the kingship of Persia, a position which Alexander supplanted and replaced with his personal kingship of Asia. In Section II, three chapters are devoted to an analysis of the transformation of Alexander's court. Chapter IV covers the origin and significance of Alexander's royal insignia. Chapter V examines the introduction of, and the role played by, Persians and easterners in the king's court; and Chapter VI the significance of other Persian court offices.