Description

Johann Gustav Droysen (1808-84) belonged to a German school of historical thought influenced by Hegel, which emphasised the role of great individuals in history. A pupil of August Boeckh, his own famous students included Jacob Burckhardt. He was noted for his thorough and painstaking use of source materials, and his history of Alexander the Great (1833) remained the standard work on the subject for many years. Droysen published this pioneering two-volume study of the centuries after Alexander's death in 1836 and 1843; he coined the term 'Hellenism' to refer to this period. Volume 2 is devoted to the formation of the Hellenistic states and covers the period 280-221 BCE. It describes power struggles in the Mediterranean region involving Tarentum, Carthage, Rome, the Italic tribes and the Gauls. A substantial appendix lists the colonies founded by Alexander the Great and his successors.