The body of Alexander the Great is still warm when the power struggles start. At stake is control of the greatest empire ever assembled.
In his brief lifespan, Alexander managed to conquer most of the known world. What he failed to do is provide for a clear line of succession.
And so, the players assemble on the playing field. There is his eight-year-old son with his long-term mistress, his posthumous son with his new wife, his half-wit half-brother, his willful and widely reviled mother, his sweet and inoffensive sister, his semi-barbarian half-sister, and some other distant relatives. None of them looks to be promising emperor material.
Enter the generals. By long Macedonian tradition, it’s the army that chooses the next leader. Will they decide to follow Perdiccas, Ptolemy I Soter, Antigonus the One-Eyed, Antipater, or some other dark-horse candidate?
One thing is for sure. There will be intrigue, alliances formed and broken, heroism, human frailty, love and decency, and endless bloodshed. But who will emerge as the winner in this ultimate game of thrones? Only history knows for sure. Read Book Five of the Ptolemaios Saga to find out.