An Unofficial 'The MeatEater Podcast' Reading List
Alexander the Great, with Mary Beard
October 16, 2025
Description
No one was like him, terrible were his crimes… Where was Alexander the Great born, and who were his parents? What drove him to go beyond the Aegean empire he had already carved out for himself,...
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Books Referenced
Anabasis
Author: Xenophon
Context:
Referenced as 'a famous account written by the Athenian Xenophon' describing Greek mercenaries who marched through the Persian Empire. This classical work is cited to explain why Greeks believed they could militarily challenge Persia.
The Quran
Author: Islamic Scripture
Context:
Mentioned to illustrate Alexander the Great's mythic status extending beyond Western civilization, noting that 'he appears in the Quran, amazingly.'