Heckel, 'Macedonia from Philip II to the Roman Conquest', Bryn Mawr Classical Review 9501
URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/bmcr/bmcr-9501-heckel-macedonia

@@@@95.1.2, Ginouves et al., Macedonia < Phil. II --> Roman Conq.

Rene Ginouves (General editor), Miltiades B. Hatzopoulos
(Editor of the English edition) et al., <i>Macedonia from
Philip II to the Roman Conquest.</i> Princeton: Princeton
University Press, 1994. Pp 254. $75.00. ISBN: 0-691-03635-7.
	Reviewed by Waldemar Heckel -- University of Calgary


     In the 'Preface' (p. 9), the General Editor expresses the
hope that this book 'would interest enthusiasts of unusual
archaeological discoveries and devotees of history; ... would
please lovers of fine books and fine pictures and would be of
use to teachers and to students; ... would offer an accessible
synthesis to curious readers and make available to researchers
as much factual and bibliographical information as possible,
particularly with regard to recent discoveries.' In short, a
'coffee table' book for those who love Macedonia and its
physical remains. And, in this light, it must be evaluated.

     After a brief 'Preface' and 'Introduction', the book
comprises seven chapters ('The Emergence of Macedonia'
16-43; 'The Macedonia of Philip II' 44-57; 'Alexander and the
Diadochi' 58-81; 'Cities and Sanctuaries of Macedonia'
82-143; 'The "Macedonian tombs"' 144-91; 'Macedonian
dedications outside Macedonia' 192-219; 'The end of the
kingdom of Macedonia' 220-30), notes, bibliography, indices,
glossary, list of figures, list of contributors, and 'Table of
Contents'. The text has been translated from the French into
highly readable English by David Hardy.

     About two-thirds of the book concerns itself with
archaeology and physical remains--even more than that, if the
pictures which accompany the 'historical' narrative are taken
into account. The professional historian, whose field is
Makedonika, will learn little that is new from the book, which
offers an overview of material published with greater precision
elsewhere. The teacher of history, art history or archaeology,
for whom the Macedonian world is not a primary area of
research, will find it a valuable tool and, in the Meditebeen too little
known.

     As with most, if not all, 'coffee table' books the
narrative is thin and occasionally misleading (though
preposterous remarks--like that on p. 59, which claims that
the panel on the Alexander Sarcophagus showing the battle of
Issos or, possibly, Gaugamela 'may depict Demetrios
Poliorketes and Antigonos Monophthalmos'--are rare).
Similarly the book's aim to 'make available as much factual
and bibliographical information as possible' must be taken to
mean, 'as much as one can possibly squeeze in between or
around the photographs'. Of course, such books never are
terribly detailed, but the notes and bibliography show clear
signs of the book's origins as a French and Greek enterprise:
the contributions of Greek and French scholars predominate.
Now, in the French edition, such a bias is accepment his reader whose first
(and perhaps only) language is English will find the literature
provided on pp. 236-41 less helpful; and, indeed, many
English titles are, in fact, those of articles published in modern
Greek.

     Predictably, the strong point of the book is the excellent
discussion of the Macedonian tombs excavated at Vergina in
the last two decades by M. Andronicos and his colleagues
(Chapter 5), and those at Lefkadia and Derveni found earlier.
Here we are treated to succinct but informative descriptions,
complete with dimensions, line-drawings, floor-plans and
beautifully detailed photographs (note, for example, the
treatment of the painting of the 'Abduction of Persephone',
pp. 154-6, or the detail of the Derveni krater, pp. 188-91).
The identifications of certain more interesting tombs as those
of Eurydike (mother of Philip II), Philip II and 'the Prince'
(possibly Alexander IV) reassert, naturally enough, conclusions
drawn by Andronicos, Hammond and their supporters.
Chapter 6, especially the sections on Delos and Samothrace,
are equally remarkable ence, howI to the Roman Conquest</i> is
the understandable, and not unwelcome, desire to put on
display the splendid sites and artifacts of the Macedonian
world. The end result is what looks and reads like a
<i>National Geographic</i> article that seems never to end.
And I trust that there will be many who will regard the
purchase of the book for $75.00 as a good investment and
will display it proudly in their livingrooms or studies.