pothos.org

Hi Alexias, Thanks for your reply. From what I can gather, Ptolemy was writing in early koine. Arrian, again from what I can gather, wrote in Attic Greek, the same variant that the classics used, Aristotle, Plato etc. It appears that Arrian as Plutarch chose this register to communicate a more class...

Hi, I just recently bought yet another edition of Shakespeare's Hamlet(yes I am quite a sucker for the old Bard). I know that no matter what edition I buy the basic play is going to be the same yet, I buy the books because it is very unusual that I don't get some new insights in the language used at...

Hi, This just happens to coincide with my reading a couple of books on Scipion/Hannibal. One was non fiction written by Philip Freeman well worth the read and then also a Spanish writer “Santiago Posteguillo” from Valencia who wrote a trilogy around Scipion.(not sure if there is an English translati...

Hi, Yep, I saw the netflix series a few months ago. It wasn't exactly what I was hoping to see. Let's just leave it at that. I remember also watching the Oliver Stone movie and there was an option to watch the film with director's commentary- also, Robin Lane Fox was the film's historical advisor an...

Hi, Yes, I would like to say a BIG thanks. I can remember walking into a cyber café somewhere around the turn of the century/millennium (can you remember them?) and unsure exactly what internet was about and had also just been reading a biography about Alexander so typed in a few questions. Pothos c...

Hi, thanks to both of you for drawing my attention to this. It coincides with some questions I have been thinking about in the last few days... One of the books I was reading recently was talking about how we have been handed down certain books of old(in this case, the author was talking about the n...

Hi, This topic has inevitably been touched on numerous times. First topic of poisoning, I read that Theophrastus had written about stryccnine, its uses and how its effectiveness could be over several days and with wine the taste could be disguised. With Alexander’s reaction to Cassander when he reac...

Hi , just reading what you have written about Roxane. I had always kind of assumed that she was an only child for some unknown reason but of course it would have been ususual if that were the case. Sisygambis had lost 80 brothers who had all been "butchered" on the same day by Ochus.(Curti...

hi there, With regards to genesis the story of Nectanebo paying a visit to Olympias to engender Alexander it is unusual as you say given the Siwah background. Pharoah's were living gods in the eyes of their subjects and no doubt Alexander was keen to propagate this idea as that of his invencibility....

Hi there, The topic is interesting and certainly has been explored by several writers. With the source material we have, I am amazed he was able to pull out of thin air a book. With regards to sexuality, Philip had a fresh wedding with every campaign- Philinna of Larissa, mother of Arrhidaeus. There...

Hello, I have just finished reading Alexander the great by Robin Lane Fox. I would give it a five star rating as he has certainly done his homework and written a wonderful book to boot. I know Alexander's story but the detail was quite impressive that he brings to the table in this tome. There were ...

Hi,

Thanks for the post.
The images are wonderful. Must have been simply amazing for Alexander to visit- the zigurrat, hanging gardens, Gate of Ishtar, not to mention the palaces.

Best regards,
Dean.

Hey, yes but not too old!!! :wink: Anyways, thanks for the reference. One usually thinks of people as generally having one name and that it is fixed pretty much for life but with Olympias it doesn't seem to have been the case. Although there are many famous examples I suppose- Octavius and August Ca...

Hi, Been reading an excellent historical novel by a Spanish writer, Santiago Posteguillo about Julius Caesar. Throughout the book there are many references to Alexander. The antagonist in the book is the Macedonian governor Dollabella and a fine piece of work he is too. In the book it mentions a det...

Thanks a lot!
Happy Christmas and wishing you all a great 2021!!

Regards