<p>The vast empire that Alexander the Great left at his death in 323 BC has few parallels. For the next three hundred years the Greeks controlled a complex of monarchies and city-states that stretched from the Adriatic Sea to India. Walbank's lucid and authoritative history of that Hellenistic world examines political events, describes the different social systems and <i>mores</i> of the people under Greek rule, traces important developments in literature and science, and discusses the new religious movements.</p>