pothos.org

Terminology and misunderstandings related to Greek (mis)assumptions about ANE courts are notorious. "Cup Bearer" was actually a *military* title at the Assyrian court. That's just one example. And I still think Bagoas has been anachronistically elevated as a result of Mary Renault, and th...

This isn't a detailed history but it provides a very useful overview of the Persian Empire and how the successive powers in the area, Assyrians, Medes, Persians, Parthians, down to the Sassanids (3rd-7th century AD), took over the various sites and used the prestige and religious significance of th...

First of all a big thanks to Alexias for posting this article. I was away from a stable internet conection for a while. It is clear that this frieze is very important for us to better understand who was/were burried in the tomb and all thiswill properly show once its restoration is complete. There ...

I have finally finished my conference report at https://bookandsword.com/2018/06/23/mon ... macedonia/ "I don't always blog about Alexander, but when I do there is Pothos."

If you are thinking of Alexander capturing Darius, what would have happened next is hard to say. I suspect that some of the more distant governors would have rejected both of them unless it was clear that Alexander was about to arrive at their gate with an army. After all, Darius' claim to the thron...

Hi Susa, as best as I can recall, Persian officials above the governors of individual cities never showed an inclination to go over to Alexander until his army was about to arrive. If he wanted to rule the world, he had to march around it, performing ceremonies to the local gods at all the boundarie...

Interesting! Geoffrey Parker is a very distinguished historian of 16th and 17th century warfare, and one of the key scholars who popularized the Western Way of War theory. Historians and writers' spouses often have more to do with their works than many of them would like to admit! An English-languag...

Also, later on in Hellenistic times you get the Nabatean settlement at Humayma ... that is the site in Jordan which I know best. I do not know much from the 3rd or 2nd century BCE sorry!

Hi Ian, there are a series of ostraca from Idumaea and Arad with dates from Artaxerxes to Philip Arridaeus, showing that administration continued without major changes from the last Achaemenids to the Argeads. Those sites are on the Israeli side of the border today, but that reflects modern geopolit...

Steven Zucker has a convenient photo of the whole mosaic https://www.flickr.com/photos/profzucker/8215878366/, although the 19th century drawings which show it in a less damaged state are also useful. You can find reprints of those drawings in Carl Nylander's article.

I've always inclined to Guagamela and for the reason Sean has mentioned: the end of Dareios. The forest of spears are Macedonian as they are too long to be hoplite spears of 8-9 feet. That next to the tree is a standout example. In art perspective is all and it can be difficult to cram in all that ...

This battle depicts Gaugamela rather than Issus. Hephaestion would have been fighting beside Alexander at Issus certainly though as he may well have been appointed as a Bodyguard after Halicarnassus, and I believe at Gaugamela he was commanding the squadron of Alexander's bodyguard. He was definite...

If your life permits it, maybe you could turn the research in this thread into a journal article and dedicate it to Agesilaos' memory? I would be interested in a more compact version which shows the best arguments for all the different theories and has no personal attacks and name-calling.

Both, of course, are possible but that Alexander was told by Philip he was to be left behind in Macedonia finds no evidence in any source we have left to us. Worthington has no problem providing copious notes for much of what he writes but nothing whatsoever for this stated "fact". Ok, I ...

So, having read the book, as you say, can you point out to me where Worthington supplies evidence, any source evidence, that Philip had told Alexander that he was to be left in Macedonia, this being the motive for Alexander's involvement in his father's murder? Looking forward to it. Michael, are y...