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 new enhanced and revised edition of a major 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.



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 Aristomenes of Messene (2003); In Search of the Sorcerer's Apprentice: The Traditional Tales of Lucian's Lover of Lies (2007); and, as editor, The Hellenistic World: New Perspectives (2002). 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.



Part I. POLYGAMY AND DEATH IN THE MACEDONIAN AND -- HELLENISTIC COURTS 1. Argead Macedon 2. Alexander 3. Cassander and Lysimachus 4. The Ptolemies 5. The Seleucids 6. The Antigonids 7. The Attalids Part II. HELLENISTIC ROYAL COURTESANS 8. Methodology and evidence 9. Status and career 10. Courtesans at work Part III. SUPPLEMENT FOR THE SECOND EDITION 11. A quarter of a century of Polygamy Appendix 1. Women's quarters in hellenistic royal palaces Appendix 2. Repertorium of sources for hellenistic royal courtesa-s - Appendix 3. King lists of the Argead and hellenistic dynasties