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I too doubt the authenticity of the letter; in fact I find them all doubtful, being an arch sceptic and the provenance, probably Kleitarchos' rhetorical production, doesn't improve matters; whether he did any real research is debateable as is the existence of a collection of Hephaistion's letters b...

‘καὶ πρὸς ἡμᾶς παύου διαβαλλομένη καὶ μὴχαλέπαινε μηδὲ ἀπείλει: εἰ δὲ μή, μετρίως ἡμῖν μελήσει: οἶδας γὰρ ὅτι Ἀλέξανδρος κρείττων ἁπάντων.’ The eboldened words do mean 'we' and 'us' but I too think that it refers to H and AtG rather than the 'Royal' we or pluralis maiestas form of nosism :shock: He...

Hi Alexias, That's what I thought when I saw Agesilaos' translation. In Paul Goukowsky's(the French translator) and Agesilaos' translations Hephaistion doesn't use the royal "we".It is obviously because he doesn't talk about himself but about him and Alexander. Only the English translation...

Hello Robbie, I really believe that Olympias was a ruthless woman and that she could hate her son's lover as much as she had hated Philip's wives or Antipater or the numerous enemies she had all along her life. There isn't anything else in the ancient sources about the enmity between Hephaistion and...

Hi Robbie, It is not surprising at all that the historical Olympias was Hephaistion's enemy.Because she loved power and the most powerful man after Alexander was Hephaistion.Of course she didn't believe that Hephaistion loved Alexander for himself. I know that in the movie Olympias is not hostile to...

the alleged Hephaistion is saying Olympias' complaints will not affect Alexander as he is 'more impervious to influence than anyone.' Hi Agesilaos, Your translation is the most convincing because that is the most intelligent answer that Hephaistion could make to Olympias.She wasted her time with al...

I know that there are a lot of scholars here who can read ancient Greek. So, I would like to submit a problem of interpretation based on translations of an ancient Greek text to French and to English . It's about a letter written by Hephaistion to Olympias.It can be found in Diodorus Siculus Library...

Aresthusa, I am most certainly NOT saying that the so-called Euxenippos is Bagoas only that there is no 'Euxenippos' the manuscripts are all corrupt here and anything is a guess. We have discussed the trierarchies before and they are almost certainly of the honorary type relating to the funding of ...

But put the blame on Taphoi. He repeats endlessly that Euxenippos didn't exist and I end up believing that everybody agree with him. You won't find much I agree with Taphoi about but this is one; he is absolutely correct about this character having his origin in Heidecke's fetid imagination. The Lo...

Alexias, I can understand the debate about the trierarch Bagoas son of Pharnuches but I can't understand why you deny the existence of Euxenippos. At what point did I say that Euxenippus did not exist? You appear to be incapable of understanding the logic of what I am saying. I'm sorry Alexias, I'v...

agesilaos wrote:Aresthusa, I think it a very plausible theory.

Thanks for your answer, Agesilaos and also for all those excerpts of ancient sources. It is very interesting and very useful to the discussion.

agesilaos wrote:
Arethusa, I am not saying your theory is wrong, or even unnattractive; I am undecided, decidedly.

But please, tell me Agesilaos, do you find it plausible ? Or totally extravagant ?

Hi all, Here is the list of the trierarchs of the Hydaspes Fleet (326 BC) Arrian, Indica, 18.3-8) As trierarchs he appointed the following Macedonians : Hephaestion son of Amyntor, Leonnatus son of Eunous, Lysimachus son of Agathocles, Asclepiodorus son of Timander, Archon son of Clinias, Demonicus ...

Aresthusa, I am not saying that Pharnuches has to be the father of the eunuch Bagoas, I just wonder why Andrew is so insistent that it cannot be, why else this theory of a textual error? Hi Agesilaos, Even if we consider as purely honorific, the title of trierarch, I just can't imagine the historic...

Arethusa, you have misunderstood. I am not arguing against your theory that Bagoas was left behind. What I am saying is that you cannot say that Euxenippus and Bagoas son of Pharnabuces cannot be Bagoas the eunuch because Bagoas the eunuch was left behind in Hyrcania, when you do not know with cert...