Dr. Julian Degen | University of Innsbruck

Contesting the Empire: Alexander the Great and Ancient Near Eastern Traditions

Chair: Samantha Sink | Trinity College Dublin

Abstract | How did Alexander take control of the Achaemenid Empire? While scholars typically analyze his campaign primarily as a military enterprise, my talk focuses on his engagement with imperial elites. I argue that Alexander crafted a multifaceted persona to accommodate diverse elite groups across his empire. Because most of these elites were accustomed to Achaemenid models of monarchy and empire, Alexander both adopted elements of an Achaemenid imperial script and, at the same time, emphasized the Macedonian character of his kingship. To address this question, I situate Alexander within the broader context of Ancient Near Eastern imperial traditions spanning the first half of the first millennium BCE.