A Hephaistion Quiz!

[athenas owl]

I know the arguments about Foot Companions and so on, but I think that was more of a battle honour than an indication of pedigree. And that's because I just don't see noblemen being willing to stand in ranks and march everywhere like common infantry. Philip and Alexander rode horses into battle and their entourage would have galloped along behind. The Companion cavalry; the name says it all.

Wouldn't this mean, therefore, that Hephaistion's first appointment was most likely a command in the infantry - he wasn't a member of the Macedonian nobility after all?

Best regards,

Was he or wasn't he, though? That's the most interesting thing to me. Sometimes I think of him rising out of the sea foam on a clam shell (Baz Luhrmann would have done that scene proud... ) he appears so unconnected to anyone else in Macedon.

If Demetrios was his grandfather, we can only conjecture that his origins were not originally Macedonian (that and the non-Macedonian spelling of his father and possibly his briother). Possibly Hephaistion's family came up north or went west (from Samos or Magnesia or Samothrace, other places that venerated Hephaistos or where the name Hephaistion was not so darn unusual) during the reign of Archelaus.

Perhaps leaving Athens during the Thirty or the 400, or leaving Samos during the same time taking their money with them. Or they just wanted to move to a place of better opportunity, like many did around 400 B.C. Who knows what his family's station was in Macedon? Hephaistion's biographies are not among the survivors, and I am certain he had at least one.

Taphoi raises a good point, worth thinking about anyway, that when it was said at Guagamela that Hephaistion led the bodyguards, it was the somatophylaxes and not the Companions. I may have read it wrong, but my inpression was that Hephaistion was injured in the scuffle that ensued after the chase for Darius and the horsemen where returning to relieve Parmenion. Of course, I may have comepletely read that wrong.

Lysimachus was one of the somatophylaxes and he was from Thessaly. Was the "nobility" of the Macedonian region fluid and open to new blood? Certainly I think by Philip's time.

Karen, I agree. Philip would be rolling over in his grave. I've seen that quiz before, and the question that I missed was this one.

[karen]

If Demtrios was his grandfather, we can only conjecture that his origins were not originally Macedonian (that and the non-Macedonian spelling of his father and possibly his briother). Possibly Hephaistion's family came up north or went west (from Samos or Magnesia or Samothrace, other places that venerated Hephaistos or where the name Hephaistion was not so darn unusual) during the reigh of Archelaus.

Cites please, AO! I need this for novel research!

Hephaistion had a brother? I'd never heard that.

From whence comes the info that his grandfather was named Demetrios?

And is there evidence the name Hephaistion was more common in other places? I've never heard of a Hephaistion other than ours.

Warmly,
Karen

[athenas owl]

If Demtrios was his grandfather, we can only conjecture that his origins were not originally Macedonian (that and the non-Macedonian spelling of his father and possibly his briother). Possibly Hephaistion's family came up north or went west (from Samos or Magnesia or Samothrace, other places that venerated Hephaistos or where the name Hephaistion was not so darn unusual) during the reigh of Archelaus.

Cites please, AO! I need this for novel research!

Hephaistion had a brother? I'd never heard that.

From whence comes the info that his grandfather was named Demetrios?

And is there evidence the name Hephaistion was more common in other places? I've never heard of a Hephaistion other than ours.

Warmly,
Karen

The quickest is Jeanne Reames-Zimmerman's dissertatiion. If you don't have it, I really suggest getting it.

As for veneration of Hephaistos and the areas where it was common, that can be easily checked on google I think. The name is found in Athens before "our" Hephaistion. JRZ has some graphics in her work showing locations where it was located before him, to preclude those named who would have been his namesakes afterword.

Heckel mentions the grant of citizenship by Athens to an Amyntor, son of Demtrios in 334 (I think, I'm going from memory) so that should be easy to find I'm loving his "Who's who in the Age of Alexander the Great: Prosopography of Alexander's Empire". Best c-note I ever spent.

JRZ points out in her dissertation that an engraving found at Kolophon in regards to rebuilding the city walls names an Amyntor son of Amyntor, of Makedon donated 500,000 (!!!!) gold pieces to the project sometime after 311 (again I am going from memory). As Amyntor as far as "Macedonians" go is a unique spelling, and the guy was obviously loaded (inherited from his late brother?), that this Amyntor might be a brother (younger or infirm, perhaps like Harapalus) of Hephaistion is quite compelling to me.

One thing Jeanne says I have a qualm about. She says that this younger brother was not mentioned in regards to Hephaistion's funeral or during that period, but where is Hephaistion's actual funeral mentioned anywhere? We know, possibly, what the pyre looked like, but the actual funeral is not mentioned, if memory serves (as it often does not ).

It was this location that made me think about Hephaistion's family origins not neccessarily comng from Athens. Samos is very close to Kolophon, as is Magnesia. Not saying any of this is anywhere near the truth, but like others close to Alexander..Nearchus, Laomedon, and Erigyius were not "Macedonians" yet they were laready close enough to the young Alexander to be exiled over the Carian marriage fiasco.

I lost ALL my links when my old comp died quite suddenly (it didn't suffer, death was quick). I'm still rebuilding slowly, so bear with me.

[derek]

Amyntoros,

For nobility, read upper class. If Hephaestion had been a nobody he wouldn't have gained admittance to the young Prince Alexander's circle of friends. Even if he didn't come from nobility, then he must have at least come from a wealthy upper class background that was acceptable to nobility. His status must have qualified him as an officer or he'd have never commanded anything. He'd have been given a sarissa and told to get back in line.

I see the Companions as the officer pool. All nobles/upper class/wealthy started out in the Companions. When one of them stood out for promotion, he'd go where there was a suitable vacancy, be it infantry, cavalry, whatever. Bear in mind that arms of service were interchangeable. Coenus switched from infantry to cavalry at the Hydaspes, and Nearchus was (presumably) a Companion, before being made a satrap for a while, then back to the Companions, and then appointed an admiral. The thing is that all officers started in the Companions. Some may have stayed there, some got promoted and moved on, some may have come back when they became unassigned, but they all started in the Companions. At least, that's how I imagined it.

Derek

[karen]

Hi AO:

The quickest is Jeanne Reames-Zimmerman's dissertatiion. If you don't have it, I really suggest getting it.

You're right... been putting it off... just ordered it.

Heckel mentions the grant of citizenship by Athens to an Amyntor, son of Demtrios in 334 (I think, I'm going from memory) so that should be easy to find

Citizenship to Athens? But do we know this Amyntor son of Demetrios (you keep spelling it Demtrios but I assume you mean Demetrios) was even Makedonian?

JRZ points out in her dissertation that an engraving found at Kolophon in regards to rebuilding the city walls names an Amyntor son of Amyntor, of Makedon donated 500,000 (!!!!) gold pieces to the project sometime after 311 (again I am going from memory). As Amyntor as far as "Macedonians" go is a unique spelling, and the guy was obviously loaded (inherited from his late brother?), that this Amyntor might be a brother (younger or infirm, perhaps like Harapalus) of Hephaistion is quite compelling to me.

Interesting theory -- I can see why JRZ formed it. But I would think the boy named after the father would be the firstborn boy, would he not?

Due to the rarity of both Hephaistion and Amyntor (rather than Amyntas) as names in Makedonia, I've always figured Hephaistion's family was from somewhere else.

One thing Jeanne says I have a qualm about. She says that this younger brother was not mentioned in regards to Hephaistion's funeral or during that period, but where is Hephaistion's actual funeral mentioned anywhere? We know, possibly, what the pyre looked like, but the actual funeral is not mentioned, if memory serves (as it often does not ).

Good question... hitting RLF... he has it in Diodoros 17.114-115. There is reference to timing -- the funeral happening at the same time as envoys came back from Siwa saying Hephaistion could be considered a hero, also the sacrifice of 10,000 animals. In 116 Diodoros starts "After the funeral..." so we do indeed have mention that it was started, and finished.

Thanks,
Karen

[marcus]

Due to the rarity of both Hephaistion and Amyntor (rather than Amyntas) as names in Makedonia, I've always figured Hephaistion's family was from somewhere else.

Even if they did, it doesn't mean that Philip wouldn't have given them (Amyntor first) Macedonian citizenship, and even enrolled him as a Companion - by that time I don't think there was any stricture on Companions having to be pure-blood Macedonians. When we consider that Nearchos was Cretan, whose father presumably was the one who first settled in Macedonia, as were Erigyios and Laomedon ... half the people who were "boyhood friends" of Alexander, or slightly older "mentors" (See Heckel's "Marshalls" about people like Erigyios and Laomedon) were non-Macedonian, and yet were presumably held in high enough favour by Philip.

And in Macedonia, with the "feudal" system that operated there, the favour of the king was what conferred "nobility", rather than purely a bloodline.

ATB

[Paralus]

Taphoi raises a good point, worth thinking about anyway, that when it was said at Guagamela that Hephaistion led the bodyguards, it was the somatophylaxes and not the Companions.

That will have been me. And yes, Diodorus clearly describes Hephaestion as in command of the “bodyguard”. The “Seven” had no such commander and what is referred to here is, almost certainly, the “Royal Shield Bearers” or agema of the hypaspists (“Royal” Hypaspists).

I know the arguments about Foot Companions and so on, but I think that was more of a battle honour than an indication of pedigree. And that's because I just don't see noblemen being willing to stand in ranks and march everywhere like common infantry. Philip and Alexander rode horses into battle and their entourage would have galloped along behind. The Companion cavalry; the name says it all.

No. “Battle honours”, physical stature and ability enabled selection for the hypaspists – the “foot guards” or “Shield bearers” - those who later will take the name "Silver Shields" or "Argyraspids". The “Royal Hypaspists” or “Royal Guards” were the agema of the hypaspists. This was a hypaspist unit made up of Macedonian nobility. It will not have been commanded by the average non-noble soldier such as Antigenes (hence Seleucus later).

The peasant draftee was not promoted to the Royal Hypaspists but pages will have been on becoming “men” at somewhere between eighteen and twenty.

[Fiona]

Was he or wasn't he, though? That's the most interesting thing to me. Sometimes I think of him rising out of the sea foam on a clam shell (Baz Luhrmann would have done that scene proud... ) he appears so unconnected to anyone else in Macedon.

Nice image - love it! Or the Terrence Malick version - the mysterious stranger emerging from the mist-wreathed forest...

If Demetrios was his grandfather, we can only conjecture that his origins were not originally Macedonian (that and the non-Macedonian spelling of his father and possibly his briother). Possibly Hephaistion's family came up north or went west (from Samos or Magnesia or Samothrace, other places that venerated Hephaistos or where the name Hephaistion was not so darn unusual) during the reign of Archelaus.

If the family was from somewhere else - and those places sound very feasible - I think we can be sure that Hephaistion himself was born in Macedon, because of the quote that says he was from Pella. That would fit in with his being brought up and educated with Alexander - his family being from elsewhere wouldn't have been a hindrance to that, if they were rich enough and had become accepted as part of the local nobility.
Or maybe his family just couldn't spell...

Taphoi raises a good point, worth thinking about anyway, that when it was said at Guagamela that Hephaistion led the bodyguards, it was the somatophylaxes and not the Companions.

A brilliant point, I thought. IMHO the only explanation that makes complete sense.

Fiona




]

[Callisto]

If Demetrios was his grandfather, we can only conjecture that his origins were not originally Macedonian (that and the non-Macedonian spelling of his father and possibly his briother). Possibly Hephaistion's family came up north or went west (from Samos or Magnesia or Samothrace, other places that venerated Hephaistos or where the name Hephaistion was not so darn unusual) during the reign of Archelaus.

I dont exactly see where you base your assumption that the name Demetrios shows non-Macedonian origins.

[athenas owl]

Callisto, sorry If I wasn't clear. Amyntor and Hephaistion are non-Macedonian names.

Hephaistion stands alone, Amyntor is Amyntas in Macedon.

[Paralus]

The thing is that all officers started in the Companions. Some may have stayed there, some got promoted and moved on, some may have come back when they became unassigned, but they all started in the Companions. At least, that's how I imagined it.

Actually, they will all have started out in the school of pages. It was from here that the officer and "governors" came. There is, as Heckel says, no evidence to be found to support the proposition that the pages went directly into the Companion Cavalry. None. What evidence is availble indicates that the pages, after eighteen or so when they had "filled-out", were placed into the agema of the Hypaspists: the Royal Hypaspists. Here they did their "agoge" and learned the ropes of the infantry that they might well command (Coenus, Perdiccas, Ptolemy etc).

It is highly likely that it is this group (the Royal Hypaspists) that Diodorus has confused with "Bodyguards". A confusion made the easier in that Ptolemy, a former member of this group, often refers to the Royal Hypaspists as "Symatophylakes" (by which they seem to have been known in Philip's time). Hence we have Alexander leading half (or hundreds) of the Symatophylakes at certain times.

[karen]

What evidence is availble indicates that the pages, after eighteen or so when they had "filled-out", were placed into the agema of the Hypaspists: the Royal Hypaspists. Here they did their "agoge" and learned the ropes of the infantry that they might well command (Coenus, Perdiccas, Ptolemy etc).

Cite(s)?

Thanks in advance,
Karen

[Paralus]

I'm not at home my dear! If I survive the business lunch (and afters) I'm late for, I will post some material.

From memory, if you have Curtius, there is the account of Alexander pursuing the Persians (on horse) and Lysimachus' brother (Philippus?) is running alongside carrying "full weapoms" and refusing a ride with Lysimachus.

The only real conclusion is that Philipus was a royal hypaspist. He did this for some 500 stades (I think); fought the ensuing engagement and died.

[Callisto]

Callisto, sorry If I wasn't clear. Amyntor and Hephaistion are non-Macedonian names.

Hephaistion stands alone, Amyntor is Amyntas in Macedon.

No problem at all. I was just being curious.

I wouldnt say Amyntor is a non-Macedonian name either. The ending -or was common in Macedonia, Epirus and Thessaly. There are Macedonian names such as Alcanor, Nicanor, Heractor, Ephranor, etc. We cant even claim Amyntas is the original Macedonian form. Amyntor, Amynandros, Amyntichos share the same root with Amyntas and they were all found in Macedonia.

Amyntor seems not to be so common as the name Amyntas but there were also found other bearers of the name coming from Macedonia, like one Amyntor son of Geron.

We cant conclude with certainty the origins of the name Hephaestion. The ending -ion was common in Macedonia but was found also in Southern Greece.

It seemed common in Mygdonia eventhough all the owners of the name lived after the son of Amyntor.

[athenas owl]

Callisto, sorry If I wasn't clear. Amyntor and Hephaistion are non-Macedonian names.

Hephaistion stands alone, Amyntor is Amyntas in Macedon.

No problem at all. I was just being curious.

I wouldnt say Amyntor is a non-Macedonian name either. The ending -or was common in Macedonia, Epirus and Thessaly. There are Macedonian names such as Alcanor, Nicanor, Heractor, Ephranor, etc. We cant even claim Amyntas is the original Macedonian form. Amyntor, Amynandros, Amyntichos share the same root with Amyntas and they were all found in Macedonia.

Amyntor seems not to be so common as the name Amyntas but there were also found other bearers of the name coming from Macedonia, like one Amyntor son of Geron.

We cant conclude with certainty the origins of the name Hephaestion. The ending -ion was common in Macedonia but was found also in Southern Greece.

It seemed common in Mygdonia eventhough all the owners of the name lived after the son of Amyntor.

Well, take gander at Heckel's Who Who. There's nary an Amyntor to be found, but countless Amyntas'. Geron is a Greek "name"? Doesn't it mean "old man"? Who was Amyntor son of Geron? Would that be something like Amyntor Jr.? Is this the Amyntor gerontos of Makedon from the Kolophon inscription? Then we are talking about the same person.

There may be -ion ending names in Macedon, but the veneration of Hephaistos was not to any degree worth mentoning. Again places like Samothrace (with the Kabeiroi), Samos, Lycia, Athens however do. As evidenced by the "Hephaistion" in Athens. As one friend said it, why did they name their kid after a temple? The name Hephaistion does appear in Athens and Attica, Samos, Samothrace, Melos, Euboia prior or contemporaneously.