Search found 403 matches

by Semiramis
Sun Jul 22, 2007 6:06 am
Forum: Discuss Alexander the Great
Topic: Alexander's mother tongue
Replies: 8
Views: 3510

Alexander had to give speeches to his troops in Greek and "Macedonian". That could suggest that the two languages/dialects were mutually unintelligible? Class might be a factor here as well?
by Semiramis
Sun Jul 22, 2007 5:49 am
Forum: Art and Culture
Topic: Alexander's physical appearence
Replies: 37
Views: 24855

I've just ordered it online. Can't wait to see it. Very Happy Be sure to let us know what you think of it. :) And yes, when Greeks say "xanthos" or "xanthe" (fair, m. and f.), we mean light-haired; this could be anything from blonde to brown. Usually we distinguish the colour by...
by Semiramis
Sun Jul 22, 2007 5:22 am
Forum: Alexander's contemporaries
Topic: Roxane
Replies: 23
Views: 9553

Not at all Vergina Sun. Your ideas are definitely worth considering. That article however... for me... from a scientific point of view...made absolutely no sense... I read a lot of anthropology/genetics/evolution papers in my line of work (genetics), but this one was kinda beyond me. It didn't seem ...
by Semiramis
Fri Jul 20, 2007 8:49 am
Forum: Discuss Alexander the Great
Topic: Alexander's Death
Replies: 14
Views: 4464

I had read some where that Aristotle was fearing for his life as his nephew had been executed by orders from Alexander or one of his generals and he may well have been in danger too. Not convinced by that one. Aristotle was sending Alexander and Hephaistion letters. Alexander was sending scientific...
by Semiramis
Fri Jul 20, 2007 8:29 am
Forum: Art and Culture
Topic: Sex, power and punishment
Replies: 64
Views: 22096

i said in an earlier post that Alexander didnt have Cyrus at the same level as Achillees. Not that he didnt admire him. And i also said that the Greeks generally, and especially these that lived at the era of the Persian wars, and fought in them, didnt think much of any Persian. OK, let's come to a...
by Semiramis
Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:55 am
Forum: Art and Culture
Topic: Sex, power and punishment
Replies: 64
Views: 22096

Semiramis, where should i start with your post? Ok, surely the Greeks had influences from neighboring civilizations. But all the things that you mentioned, from the Greek alphabet coming from the Phoenician one, to the Greek gods being borrowed by the Egyptians, are specculations or have been prove...
by Semiramis
Wed Jul 18, 2007 5:57 am
Forum: Art and Culture
Topic: Sex, power and punishment
Replies: 64
Views: 22096

I'd need to check what Curtius actually says, but I don't recall that it is even implied that the Babylonian women were raped - more that Babylon was a party town where pretty much anything went ... and that it had been for centuries. Perhaps there is an implication that the women were forced, but ...
by Semiramis
Tue Jul 17, 2007 2:12 pm
Forum: Art and Culture
Topic: Sex, power and punishment
Replies: 64
Views: 22096

I keep telling myself (perhaps naively) that Alexander didn't actually enjoy the killings. That war was only a means to an end. That if he had time, he would've done more constructive things - like building and creating trade ties. That he needed to set examples. That the actions of his army in Baby...
by Semiramis
Tue Jul 17, 2007 2:04 pm
Forum: Discuss Alexander the Great
Topic: Is this Alexander?
Replies: 16
Views: 5825

I'm just copy pasting this from another thread because it's kind of relevant. "I truly believe that Alexander had a genuine admiration of the Persian empire and culture. Amyntoros mentioned in another thread about the parallels between Cyrus the Great [and Younger, thanks Paralus ;)]and Alexand...
by Semiramis
Tue Jul 17, 2007 1:50 pm
Forum: Discuss Alexander the Great
Topic: Alexander's Death
Replies: 14
Views: 4464

While poisoning was a popular story once (with Cassander, the mule's hoof, and all), it's somewhat been concluded that no poison known at the time would have caused such a high, continuous fever, and slow death. I'm wondering though, if somebody got hold of a poison that could kill people slowly an...
by Semiramis
Tue Jul 17, 2007 2:58 am
Forum: Art and Culture
Topic: Sex, power and punishment
Replies: 64
Views: 22096

How could they have a Persian as an idol, since they defeated the Persians and their huge armies numerous times, and drove them back? Of course you could say that Cyrus was maybe better than Xexes and Darius, but for the Greeks he was just a Persian. I see where you're coming from but I'm not sure ...
by Semiramis
Tue Jul 17, 2007 2:50 am
Forum: Art and Culture
Topic: Sex, power and punishment
Replies: 64
Views: 22096

I know what you mean. To me, sometimes he seems unusually magnanimous for a conquerer. Other times he's just another brutal conquerer. Like his many of the actions in India. Or the killing fest he went on to soothe himself after Hephaistion's death. The important point to make is that all conquest i...
by Semiramis
Tue Jul 17, 2007 2:07 am
Forum: Art and Culture
Topic: Sex, power and punishment
Replies: 64
Views: 22096

I think in Babylon, Alexander promised the houses will be untouched. But that didn't include the women. Curtius' description blames the women's behaviour for their rape. Kinda implicating that it was "normal" in Babylon. But there was a tendency to blame females for their rape by ancient G...
by Semiramis
Mon Jul 16, 2007 6:34 am
Forum: Book reviews
Topic: Most Comprehensive Book
Replies: 38
Views: 12290

Oh I was so sore at Cartledge for the "dumb brute" crack... That was his segue from Bucephalas to Hephaistion... So unjustified! Assuming that's what you're talking about? :) Hehe... notice I didn't recommend Cartledge as a good biography. It's not bad... He tries to bring some originality...
by Semiramis
Mon Jul 16, 2007 3:19 am
Forum: Book reviews
Topic: Most Comprehensive Book
Replies: 38
Views: 12290

Heckel's Marshals has most on Haphaistion. Robin Lane Fox is probably the most sympathetic to Hephaistion out of all I've read. :)