Hephaestion's Relief

[marcus]

The quote is from Hypereides speech, 'Against Demosthenes' but he is saying that this was Demosthenes' comment.

Ignore me, I was being very thick. I read your post as if you were saying "This is what Hyperides said, against which, Demosthenes says ... in 5.7." Of course I know the Hyperides quote ... doh!

ATB

[Paralus]

Made a visit to the British Museum on Monday and finally have a moment in Glasgow to post a picture or two.

The picture below shows one half of the Museum's Parthenon Frieze collection. A glance immediately disabuses one of any silly notion that a two by two relief is in any way comparable. Try as I might I failed to locate any dedicatory "signatures" on the the frieze pieces.

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I did, though, manage to locate a couple of exhibits signed by "Alexander" (excuse the poor quality: glass tends to disrupt photos no matter how one tries to compensate)....

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Seems he was a linen maker in Egypt. Gets around does our Diogenes.

[marcus]

I did, though, manage to locate a couple of exhibits signed by "Alexander" (excuse the poor quality: glass tends to disrupt photos no matter how one tries to compensate)....
...

Seems he was a linen maker in Egypt. Gets around does our Diogenes.

Excellent! I'm surprised these aren't mentioned more often in biographies of Alexander. Maybe he didn't actually die in Babylon, but went to Egypt having pretended to pop his clogs. Fed up with twelve years of constant warfare, he chose a simple retirement as a linen maker on the banks of the Nile, shaking his head over the hubris and power-avarice of his former generals. Very possibly he read Ptolemy's memoirs before he died somewhere around 275 BC (if he was 81), on the same day as the Chinese philosopher Shen Dao; or 266 BC (if he was 90), on the same day as Mithridates I Ctistes of Pontus ...

I hope the conference in Glasgow goes well, and your travels thereafter.

ATB

[system1988]

Made a visit to the British Museum on Monday and finally have a moment in Glasgow to post a picture or two.

The picture below shows one half of the Museum's Parthenon Frieze collection. A glance immediately disabuses one of any silly notion that a two by two relief is in any way comparable. Try as I might I failed to locate any dedicatory "signatures" on the the frieze pieces.

I know that you are only kidding about finding dedicatory "signatures" on the frieze pieces. If you indeed manage to find any you would change the direction of the history of world art! But let me add something here : Only two inscriptions have been found (as far as I know) during the removal of the architecrural parts of the Parthenon for the reasons of their conservation which are part of the huge program of the "Conservation of the Monuments of Acropolis" funded by the Ministry of Culture. One contained the names of the workers they themselves had carved (during a break probably). Without this being officialy published though I cannot make any more comments with certainty.
The history of the second one is as follows: in 1989 , during the removal of the metopes of the Parthenon, while extracting a certain one that had never been moved from its place since the time of Pericles, the scientists discovered a faded inscription on the stone behind the metope that held it in place. It is the famous stone "number 29"


The academic community of the world literary held its breath: the inscription was painted with red paint made from minium (in ancient Greek "μίλτος") which said: Xanthias Thracian. It is hypothesized to be the name of the metic or the slave who took part in the building of the Parhtenon. I managed to find a picture of the inscription as well as a lear transcription of the epigraphy.

I am sorry for the poor quality of the photos

Best regards

Pauline

[Paralus]

I know that you are only kidding about finding dedicatory "signatures" on the frieze pieces. If you indeed manage to find any you would change the direction of the history of world art!

A good thing I didn't.

Like those examples you gave us: got to love those graffiti makers of antiquity. Bit like those Greek scratchings on Egyptian monuments - leaving a marker for posterity. Seems certain aspects of humankind never change - including the tendency to postulate the molehill as mountain and then obstinately defend it as such.

[marcus]

Seems certain aspects of humankind never change - including the tendency to postulate the molehill as mountain and then obstinately defend it as such.

I can only go =

I hope the Diodorus conference was good - will you feed anything back to Pothos?

Oh, and your subsequent travels?

ATB

[Paralus]

I hope the Diodorus conference was good - will you feed anything back to Pothos?

Oh, and your subsequent travels?

ATB

The conference was quite good. There was very little that would come under the aegis of this site and some of the material was on the arcane side. The keynote addresses were quite good: Sacks has moved from his original position (having not indulged in Diodorus for quite some time) and Rubincam, too, has moderated some views of the "slavish copyist".

Roisman's paper, delivered via video conferencing due to the hurricane, was interesting. The interminable debate over Hieronymus surfaced for a time and he is blamed for the not so laudatory description of Antigonus' performances at Paraetecene and Gabiene. This was all manna from heaven for that inveterate "Monophthalmid" Richard Billows who resembled the Chesire cat. I dissented, naturally. That the Cardian could so malign the founder of the Antigonid dynasty (calling him a rebel amongst other things) is most difficult to allow. Ditto the laudatory descriptions of his bitter enemy Ptolemy. This was explained as Diodorus using a Ptolemaic source or even Ptolemy himself. I would claim that if the glowing descriptions of Ptolemy cannot be Hieronymus then nor can the minimalising and derogatory descriptions of Antigonus be the Cardian.

The blaming of Peucestas for the Eumenid defeat is also laid at the Cardian's feet: he has blackened the former somatophylax to exculpate Eumenes. More manna from heaven. Whilst this is possible it is more likely exaggeration on the Cardian's behalf. What is clear is that Peucestas is found well ensconced in Antigonus' entourage for years after the battle (though not as a satrap). Antigonus has, again, suborned a commander of the opposing side.

Roisman has a book due next year on the subject of Alexander's veterans in the years after his death. This will be a most interesting read. Another presenter, John Walsh, is to publish a book on Antipater next year as well. He needs to find "six months" free of academic responsibilities (and me luring him to pubs) to finalise. I will be interested in that as well.

The subsequent travels went very well thank you. Managed to get to Vindolanda in the ever-present drizzle/showers and the Eagle and Child (in Stavely, Cumbria) was reached despite the difficulties of fifteen yard visibility through the surrounds of Kirkstone Pass. Dunster is a pretty village and the Stag's Head a wonderful overnighter - not to mention centuries old bar. The castle wasn't bad either. The drive through Exmoor NP was fascinatingly full of pheasants. Bodinick-by-Fowey was charming for three nights if wet and wild in the first and Salaminia thought Mevagissey charming. Keith Floyd's old Malster's Arms in Tuckenhay was nice as well. Many a real ale consumed. It is gradually appearing on Facebook.

[marcus]

The conference sounds really interesting. I'm no great Diodorus afficionado, but I wish I had been able to go!

Yes, Dunster is very pretty, and the Stag's Head is excellent - I had a very good meal there a few months ago. My uncle lives just behind the church - from his house you get a fantastic view of the church and the castle!

Glad you had a good time - I look forward to seeing the FB pictures.

ATB

[Paralus]

I look forward to seeing the FB pictures.

ATB

Meant to post this earlier. Love the propaganda embodied in coins and nothing quite like Demetrius Poliorcetes, post Salamis, in full bluster...

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