Alexandria's founded by Alexander

Alexandria's founded by Alexander the Great (by year BC): 334 Alexandria in Troia (Turkey) - 333 Alexandria at Issus/Alexandrette (Iskenderun, Turkey) - 332 Alexandria of Caria/by the Latmos (Alinda, Turkey) - 331 Alexandria Mygdoniae - 331 Alexandria (Egypt) - 330 Alexandria Ariana (Herat, Afghanistan) - 330 Alexandria of the Prophthasia/in Dragiana/Phrada (Farah, Afghanistan) - 330 Alexandria in Arachosia (Kandahar, Afghanistan) - 330 Alexandria in the Caucasus (Begram, Afghanistan) - 329 Alexandria of the Paropanisades (Ghazni, Afghanistan) - 329 Alexandria Eschate or Ultima (Khodjend, Tajikistan) - 329 Alexandria on the Oxus (Termez, Afghanistan) - 328 Alexandria in Margiana (Merv, Turkmenistan) - 326 Alexandria Nicaea (on the Hydaspes, India) - 326 Alexandria Bucephala (on the Hydaspes, India) - 325 Alexandria Sogdia - 325 Alexandria Oreitide - 325 Alexandria in Opiene / Alexandria on the Indus (confluence of Indus & Acesines, India) - 325 Alexandria Rambacia (Bela, Pakistan) - 325 Alexandria Xylinepolis (Patala, India) - 325 Alexandria in Carminia (Gulashkird, Iran) - 324 Alexandria-on-the-Tigris/Antiochia-in-Susiana/Charax (Spasinou Charax on the Tigris, Iraq) - ?Alexandria of Carmahle? (Kahnu)

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Dancing with the Lion: Becoming by Dr. Jeanne Reames

Dancing with the Lion: Becoming by Dr. Jeanne Reames (ISBN: 978-1-62649-896-9) is a historical fiction book about the youth of Alexander the Great.

It is not fair - yet inevitable - to compare this novel to Mary Renault’s Fire from Heaven since they both handle Alexander’s coming of age where close to no resources from antiquity are available. It is interesting – and, as a matter of fact reassuring - to find that the main characters of Alexander, Hephaistion, and Philip match in both versions.

But there are many differences as well. For a start, fifty years have passed since Fire from Heaven and archaeology, especially in northern Greece and Macedonia have revealed a substantial amount of information. On that base, Jeanne Reames could set the story in a context that is much closer to the truth. There is, for instance, the more detailed description of the palaces of Pella and Aegae, the sanctuary of Dion, and the location of Mieza.

On the other hand, however, the characters in Dancing with the Lion go by their Greek/Macedonian names, and although this may tie them straightforwardly to antiquity, I find it annoying – as if reading history in a foreign language wondering about who is who. The use of Greek words, translated or not, is not really a plus either.

All in all, the book is a good read, but I could have done without the last chapter about the initiation ceremony. I agree that it is a great effort to put something like this together, but I fail to see what it is adding - if anything - to the story or to the images of Alexander or Hephaistion. This ends the book in a rather abrupt way.

I understand there is a sequel in the making, Dancing with the Lion: Rise, which I suppose is a continuation, but there is nothing to indicate this is the case. Besides, I do not understand the title. Is Alexander the lion or Hephaistion and, if so, why? Or is there a hidden meaning that will be revealed only at the end of the second book?

It is sad to come to these conclusions for the dialogues are well constructed, and as I said, the story is well-placed in its Macedonian context.

4 comments:

  1. The author explained that it was one book broken into two parts for publishing reasons:
    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2958028559

    So the second book would be a continuation and probably explains the title as well.

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  2. Thanks for pointing this out. I am looking forward to tackle the second book.
    To be continued ... right?

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  3. I think the publisher really did a disservice breaking up the book. They posted the first couple chapters
    https://riptidepublishing.com/collections/latest-additions/products/dancing-with-the-lion-rise

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