The assumption that imitation of Alexander the Great played a key role in the image of Demetrius Poliorcetes has been broadly accepted by many researchers. The main source on this subject is Plutarch’s Life of Demetrius where the author directly compares these two Macedonian kings and depicts Demetrius as a failed imitator of Alexnader. However, the juxtaposition of numerous other parts in that biography with fragments of Life of Alexander demonstrates that Plutarch purpose was creating the image of Demetrius as a sort of anti-Alexander.

Demetrius Poliorcetes was one of the most colourful figures in the age of conflicts that erupted after the death of Alexander the Great; yet, few scholars have attempted to study this ancient ruler's life. Among those who did, we ought to note in particular the seminal works of G. Elkeles, E. Manni, and C. Wehrli, still relevant despite having been written several decades ago. 1 Given the continued development of scholarship on Demetrius, however, these texts can no longer serve as essential handbooks on the subject. Consequently, the new and timely biography of Demetrius (Demetrius the Besieger), published more than fifty years after the preceding one, fills a significant gap that yawned in the studies on the Besieger's life. The publication of this monograph falls into an emergent pattern observable in contemporary historiography: that is, to devote greater attention to the period following Alexander's death. This renewed interest, first noted in the 1990s, resulted in a number of biographies of leading figures associated with the Wars of the Successors: a number of studies, for instance, examined lives of Demetrius' father Antigonus, Seleucus, Cassander, Lysimachus, and Ptolemy. 2 The reviewed biography divides into a Preface, List of Abbreviations, Maps and Figures, Introduction, 27 chapters, Conclusion, Bibliography, and an Index. It also features two Appendices: the first one discusses aspects of the construction of the Colossus of , while the second one outlines the chronology of Demetrius' life (pp. 449-451), patterned after the "High chronology" of the Wars of the Successors. The monograph includes valuable addenda: maps of the key battles in which Demetrius took part (the battles of Gabiene, Gaza, and Ipsus), as well as a collection of photographs documenting the ruler's representations in sculpture and coinage. This iconographic material offers considerable assistance to the reader.Dissatisfied by the current status questionis in studies on Demetrius, the authors of the volume sought to advance a more balanced understanding of this ruler (p. 7). They justly argue that the finale of Demetrius' rule in Macedonia and his inglorious death in captivity should not unduly influence the general evaluation of Demetrius' significant

Artykuł podejmuje problem naśladowania Aleksandra Wielkiego przez Demetriusza Poliorketesa. Pogląd, że imitatio Alexandri stanowiło dominujący stosunek tego władcy do pamięci o Aleksandrze został szeroko zaakceptowany przez współczesnych badaczy. Z tego powodu porównują oni obu władców i oceniają Demetriusza przez pryzmat osiągnięć Aleksandra. Autor stara się zwrócić uwagę na problemy takiego podejścia dla ukazania osiągnięć Poliorketesa. Wskazuje również, że utrudnia nam ono poznanie rzeczywistych celów władcy.