Office of External Communications

Houston, TX 77204-5017 Fax: 713.743.8199

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 22, 2004

Contact: Angie Joe
713.743.8153 (office)
713.617.7138 (pager)
ajoe@uh.edu

With the release of Oliver Stone’s much-anticipated epic film “Alexander,” University of Houston ancient history professor Frank Holt now finds himself in the media spotlight as an expert about the celebrated and controversial warrior.

“More has been written about Alexander the Great than any other king or conqueror in history,” Holt says. “There are many different views of Alexander because 2300 years of history, myth and legend make it possible to fashion whatever Alexander you want. Fifty years ago, Alexander was considered a kind-hearted dreamer who believed in the brotherhood of all mankind. Today, many scholars consider him a monster driven mad by megalomania and alcoholism. I have argued for a more balanced view.”

Holt’s recent contributions include:

• An upcoming review, “Much Ado about Alexander,” of the movie and four recent books in the prestigious Chronicle of Higher Education. He characterizes the film as “a disappointment historically and artistically.”
• Extensive quotes recently in The New Republic article “To Hellas and Back” (11/15/04); Archeology Magazine article “The Forgotten Realm of Alexander” (Nov/Dec 2004) and Smithsonian Magazine article “Mighty Macedonian Alexander the Great” (Nov 2004).
• His own forthcoming book, “Into the Land of Bones: Alexander the Great in Afghanistan,” which treats Alexander as a military genius whose campaigns nevertheless could bring out a cruel determination to succeed. The book is the fullest narrative of Alexander’s campaigns in Afghanistan available in English, according to its publisher, the University of California Press. It encompasses a comprehensive knowledge of the ancient sources, geography and archaeology of Afghanistan, and it uses the history of Alexander to raise provocative questions about current affairs.
• Publication of two other books about Alexander’s reign, “Alexander the Great and the Mystery of the Elephant Medallions” and “Alexander the Great and Bactria: The Formation of a Greek Frontier in Central Asia.”
• Honors such as the Aristotle Prize, international research award from the Greek government (2000); the Gold Alexander the Great Medal from the International Pan-Macedonian Association (2000); and the Silver Alexander the Great Medal from the Pan-Macedonian Association (1995).

Holt teaches courses on Alexander the Great, the 12 Caesars, western civilization and Greek and Roman history. He is available to offer his expertise on one of history’s most enigmatic figures. Contact him directly at (713) 743-3127 or fholt@uh.edu.

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