Christmas Present

Recommend, or otherwise, books on Alexander (fiction or non-fiction). Promote your novel here!

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system1988
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Christmas Present

Post by system1988 »

Hey all

The text is the work of a very distinuished scientist who has specialized (among other many things) on the palace of Aegae by proposing new theories about it. Some of the photos you are sure to have seen before but others are completely new, even to me.

Merry Christmas to all

Pauline

Link

http://www.latsis-foundation.org/megazi ... reloader=1
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Xenophon
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Re: Christmas Present

Post by Xenophon »

Wow!!....and double WOW!!

What a splendid Christmas present to all Pothosians!

As you say, whilst much is familiar, albeit illustrated with the most detailed photos - far better than previously published - there is also much that is new.

I have just spent several hours reading it from cover to cover, and there are some interesting revelations in the text too. For example, I was unaware that the "Alexander IV" tomb was a 'twin' tomb, with an adjoining tomb only partially completed!! This provides a new and key piece to the "identity of the occupants" puzzle, because the obvious candidate for this partially completed tomb would, one imagines, be Kynane.....

There is much, much more but I won't mention too many 'spoilers', leaving Pothosians to explore this latest publication of the Latsis foundation for themselves.............

No doubt all will enjoy !!

Thank you very much, Pauline - and a Happy Christmas and Prosperous New Year to you and your family :D

Paul Mac
system1988
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Re: Christmas Present

Post by system1988 »

Thank you so much for your reply. I think it's something that a lot are interested in. I enjoyed most of all the "Philip's Royal Palace in Aegae" chapter as well as the very interesting remarks, like the fact that the cups found in Philip's tomb were made to hold a lot less wine in them than the ammount the Athenians condemned the Macedonians for.

Moreover Philip's philosophical ideas which are apparent in the way he built his palace were something to look on. And from an emoitional point of view, to see the splendid floors and mosaics (pages 228-230) on which Alexander walked on for sure, is exhilarating!
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Paralus
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Re: Christmas Present

Post by Paralus »

I can only agree with the most "un-Xenophontic" (the Athenian homoioi) expressions of Xenophon.

I want my fibre to the house!

Merry Christmas Pauline.
Paralus
Ἐπὶ τοὺς πατέρας, ὦ κακαὶ κεφαλαί, τοὺς μετὰ Φιλίππου καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου τὰ ὅλα κατειργασμένους;
Wicked men, you sin against your fathers, who conquered the whole world under Philip and Alexander.

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Alexias
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Re: Christmas Present

Post by Alexias »

Thank you very much for this link, Pauline. How did you find it as it doesn't seem to be listed on the website's e-library?

Interesting that the picture of a young man p223 from the sanctuary of Eukleia is now tentatively being indentified as Hephaestion. When I saw this head in Oxford a couple of years ago, it did cross my mind that it might be Hephaestion, or Alexander. It certainly has been influenced by portraits of Alexander - the tilt of the head, the deep-set eyes and the parted lips - but it is the lips that make me think it isn't Hephaestion. In the other portraits described as being Hephaestion (the Thessalonika relief, the one from Alexandria, the Kyme one), the mouth is small, full and closed. This mouth looks far more like Alexander's. Early portraits of Alexander, in particular the one in the Acropolis museum, show Alexander with a bow-shaped upper lip and parted lips. This mouth is very similar.

In addition, this head appears to be twinned with the female one over the page in the book. They look very similar and could be by the same sculptor. The female head is described as perhaps being Artemis with her characteristic hairstyle, but the mouth and deep-set eyes are the same as the male head. So why isn't the male head Apollo? Maybe because it looks more like a portrait than an idealised god as it isn't particularly handsome, yet Hephaestion was supposed to be handsome, but that might be a subjective view.

Also, why would the female head be paired with Hephaestion when we know of no Macedonian woman he was connected to? And who would have erected a statue of Hephaestion in the sanctuary of a goddess connected with glory and good repute except Alexander? Is is possible that if these heads are not a god and goddess, then they might be Alexander and his sister Cleopatra? Perhaps commissioned by Cleopatra as they do not look to be of the finest quality that Alexander could have afforded.

As you say, many of the photos are shown in other publications, but there look to be some more of the ivory heads from the couches in the tomb ascribed to Philip. I shall have to give them a bit more closer study to see if I can make more sense of them.

Merry Christmas, Pauline!
system1988
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Re: Christmas Present

Post by system1988 »

Alexias, as usual your remarks are valuable and insightful.
I don 't believe it either- that the head belongs to Hephaestion. But its rather simpe: I will contact with the researcher and if she is kind enough to do so, I shall learn the motives behind her bold hypothesis (even with a questionmark)
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hiphys
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Re: Christmas Present

Post by hiphys »

I think you are right, Alexia, about the youth's head at p.223: it isn't a portrait of Hephaistion. Not only the mouth and the eyes are different from his recognized imagines, but this head is tilted to the right side, and in general it seems more likely an approximate portrait of Alexander. As to the other female head, I think it is more possibly an Artemis, rather than a Cleopatra, due to the hairstyle. Both heads seems to be sculptured by the same artist, as you rightly stressed, but IMHO they are no portrait at all: perhaps they only look as portraits, being cut after the manner of Skopas, full of pathos (rimember the Herakles' head of this artist!). But their attribution requests an in-depth study.
Season's Greetings!
athenas owl
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Re: Christmas Present

Post by athenas owl »

Oh that is a lovely thing. Thank you so much for posting that.

I'll have to set aside a good chunk of me time for that, with some nog and a cozy throw. This is my idea of Christmas cheer.

Best wishes for the holidays. :D
jan
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Re: Christmas Present

Post by jan »

Pauline, Thanks so much for this Christmas gift to Pothos. Wishing you the best for the New Year! Jan
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