Kazan. KSU Publishing House, 1984, 224 p.

In recent decades, the study of the Hellenistic era has occupied an important place in the works of Soviet antiquities. Much has been done to clarify the economic and social history of Hellenism, and issues of culture, ideology, and politics are also widely considered. Prof. Kazan State University Doctor of Historical Sciences A. S. Shofman 1 . In his new monograph, he gave a comprehensive coverage of the socio-economic and military-political problems of the collapse of the state of Alexander the Great, the creation and functioning of the system of Hellenistic monarchies.

The book is written on the basis of a wide range of very diverse sources. The author drew on all the narrative materials available to modern scientists, which are often sparse and contradictory, and also suffer from subjectivism. Along with the works of Diodorus, Plutarch, Justin, Curtius Rufus, and others, A. S. Shofman examines inscriptions and coins. This significantly expanded the source base of the monograph and allowed us to introduce previously unknown materials into science.

1 Shofman A. S. Istoriya antichnoi Makedonii [History of Ancient Macedonia]. Hh. I-P. Kazan. 1960-1963; his own. The Eastern policy of Alexander the Great. Kazan. 1976; see the review by A.M. Remennikov and M. M. Slonimsky. - Voprosy istorii, 1977, N 5.

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facts, see some new facets of the historical process.

The author fully takes into account the rich historiography of the Hellenistic era. Almost all the special domestic literature and foreign studies devoted to diadochs were used. While recognizing certain specific observations and conclusions of bourgeois scientists, A. S. Shofman critically analyzes the concepts of P. Kloche, M. Fontana, M. Rostovtsev and others, enters into polemics with them, and convincingly shows the inconsistency of their methodological positions.

The author convincingly shows that the turbulent and changing era in which historical figures who fought for his inheritance after Alexander's death lived and acted left an indelible imprint on their psychology. Assessing the nature of the civil strife in which these people participated, A. S. Shofman writes: "The fierce and fruitless struggle of various personalities among themselves created the false impression that they were the ones who determined the fate of Alexander's vast inheritance. In reality, real socio-economic necessity worked its way through numerous military conflicts to more limited, but more compact and solid state associations and rejected the possibility of preserving the integrity of the former huge conglomerate state" (pp. 67-68).

Drawing a colorful and reliable picture of wars and diplomatic actions, A. S. Shofman focuses on revealing the essence of the struggle of the diadochi, during which the question of whether or not to be the dynasty of Alexander was decided. With the death of one of its most important generals, Antigonus, the idea of preserving a unified empire collapsed. The author rightly believes that the Battle of Ipsus, in which Antigonus died, unleashed centrifugal forces and strengthened separatist tendencies among the Diadochi (p. 116). The socio-economic relations of that era and the class-class contradictions inherent in it are central to the reviewed work. The author successfully solves a number of scientific problems. Thus, he carefully analyzes the reasons and nature of the active urban planning policy of the diadochi. "The policy of Sinoikism2," the book emphasizes, " contributed to the expansion of production, strengthening finances, and improving trade. It drew backward regions into the trade exchange, eliminated the fragmentation of poleis, led to an increase in the urban population, and brought the Greeks and Macedonians closer to the Asian peoples" (p.139).

Reconstructing the picture of economic development, the author notes the inconsistency of economic processes caused by the peculiarities of the development of the polis and the economically independent unions of Greece, which in the East met with the already established complexes of various types of economic organization (p. 150). Clarifying the thoughts expressed by A. B. Ranovich about the fate of Greece after the death of Alexander 3, A. S. Shofman comes to the conclusion that as a result of the movement of shopping centers to the East, not all of Greece experienced decline. It is also important to conclude that the economic development of the Diadochi era faced a number of insurmountable difficulties that prevented the establishment of a lasting economic unity. These include, first of all, the uneven socio-economic development of various parts of Alexander's state (p.149).

Emphasizing the role of economic factors, the author carefully traces the specific contradictions that destroyed a huge power. In the convincing opinion of A. S. Shofman, it collapsed not only as a result of wars and clashes of ambitious personalities, but mainly because of the fierce social and class struggle, the liberation movements of the Greeks and Eastern peoples who were burdened by Macedonian oppression (pp. 191-192). The author analyzes the situation in Athens, Cyrene, and Seleucid Asia, and gives an assessment of popular actions in these regions and their effectiveness. Analyzing events that were previously considered only episodes of military conflicts, A. S. Shofman examines them mainly through the prism of the clash of various class forces.

The author concludes the analysis of extensive factual material by considering the question of the continuity of the policy of Alexander and the Diadochi. The monograph is made based on-

2 Sinoikism - in ancient Greece, the union of several settlements or cities into a single polis. Since the time of the Diadochi, the new cities have abandoned the former isolation of the Greek polis.

3 Ranovich A. B. Hellenism and its historical role M.-L. 1950, p. 29.

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The obvious conclusion is that the diadochi took a lot from Alexander's policies, but they also rejected a lot of them. They rejected the conquering plans of their general, outlined to them shortly before his death. But they have embraced the main aspects of his economic policy, modifying and improving it. They especially adopted urban planning policies, although they broke with Alexander's traditions regarding the way the civilian population was formed, using the polis structure characteristic of Greece. At the same time, the author believes that the Eastern factor in their policy was very significant. "Whatever side of the diadoch policy we take, we can always trace a peculiar pattern. The Diadochi in many respects joined Alexander's orientalism and even went further, returning in many respects to the Persian order or strengthening the corresponding measure of Alexander" (p. 198).

A. S. Shofman offers a convincing periodization of the Diadochus era, dividing it into three stages: from the death of Alexander to the beginning of Antigonus ' struggle for world domination (323-316 BC); the history of this struggle up to the tragic battle of Ipsus for Antigonus (316-301 BC); and the strengthening of separatist tendencies (300-280 BC). This periodization in the monograph is convincingly justified, because it explains the main leading trends of the epoch not so much by the will of individual diadochs, but by the economic and political aspirations of social groups of Greek-Macedonian and, to some extent, Eastern society. This periodization helps to better understand the material contained in the book, focuses on the main frontiers of a complex, eventful era. An attempt to systematize the military history of the diadochi by region of their activity is also successful: in parallel, events in the Balkan Peninsula, on the one hand, and in Asia, on the other, are described, which allowed us to group events in certain series and reveal the essence and trends of development. For example, in very frequent armed clashes between diadochs, the author was able to distinguish three main leading trends: the desire to preserve the monarchy - Alexander for his descendants; to keep it under the personal rule of individual diadochs; the desire of the latter to dismember the empire into its constituent parts (p. 32).

The author's unique artistic and historical method, vivid and imaginative presentation of the material, which makes the monograph accessible and fascinating for a wide range of readers, helps to reproduce the era of Diadochs. The portraits of historical figures drawn by the author organically combine the heroic and the ordinary, due to both the situation and specific human characters. All this helps to better understand the situation at that time.

The book examines the process of disintegration of one of the conglomerate states of antiquity from different angles. The author applies this very concept - "conglomerate state" - not only to the ancient states (Assyria, Persia, Alexander's power, Rome), but also to the medieval states of the Carolingians in Europe, the Mongols in Asia, as well as to the colonial empires of modern times. Thus, the author throws a bridge to the present, proving from historical experience that the implementation of the world-autocratic plans of imperialist reaction in our time is groundless.

When analyzing the economy and trade of the Diadoch period, A. S. Shofman could have used more archaeological material. Unfortunately, the ideological side of the processes that were taking place at that time did not receive a special reflection. Consideration of the problem of synthesis of Eastern and Greek principles in the sphere of ideology and culture would enrich the content of the book. It seems that the author somewhat exaggerates the diplomatic abilities of Seleucus, shown by him during the settlement of the conflict with Chandragupta (p. 49). After all, although Chandragupta gave Seleucus several hundred elephants, the territorial losses of the Syrian power were very significant and could hardly be compensated in this way. In addition to the index of names, it would be desirable to provide the book with an index of geographical names.

The work done by A. S. Shofman deserves high praise as a fascinating written study, important in theoretical and concrete historical terms.

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