Demetrius

A portrait of one of the ancient world’s first political celebrities, who veered from failure to success and back again&,nbsp,“This colorful biography of Demetrius . . . explores his rich inner life and reveals an ancient world of violence and intrigue.”?New York Times Book Review&,nbsp,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.&,nbsp,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.&,nbsp,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.