pothos.org

Hi, Dean, afraid we are a bit thin on the ground these days. Apparently what ensued was an absolute massacre and Freeman mentions in his book how some Roman soldiers were found with their heads buried where they had attempted to suffocate themselves. Eek! Would they have had time for that? Could th...

The Attic 'dialect' would be Arrian's usual choice. His Anabasis Alexandrou was written in same, after his model, Xenophon as Dean says. He also used other 'styles' - he did rate himself - for other works: Ionic for the Indica and Koine for the philosophical works. Although we are talking of the Sec...

There were interesting digressions in the comments on most sections as I recall! I may or may not have been a part of those on the cavalry - I think not. Cavalry and infantry did indeed interact. Just exactly how that happened is still debated. Carolyn Wilkes, with whom I'd not argue when it comes t...

That's actually quite a good article. Excellent to see the space accorded to Pierre Briant, "the last Achaimenid satrap - of the Sorbonne" as Ed Anson once quipped. Briant is quite correct that one should have a basic understanding of the Achaimenid Empire to appreciate Alexander: he did n...

Kathy has been at it now for a bit. That just about rounds it out. Downloaded to it to read but have been as sick as the proverbial dog since I did so (why are dogs sick?). She has quite some insights and is very well worth the read.

Thank you, Alexias. But I was wondering how Alex would fare against the roman army at Cannae? Would the Macedonian sarissas have been able to penetrate the heavy, overlapping, body shields of the Romans? I am really not sure - and it has undoubtedly been argued to death elsewhere, but the Romans st...

I do indeed remember - Alzheimer's has as yet not found me. Well now, there are two questions which might occasion rivers of ink. Second first. Hannibal is not attested at the battle and there is scant reference to him before it. He is last heard of having been defeated by the Rhodians and Romans at...

Thank you for your reply! I will check the links. Speaking of members, where are Paralus, Xenophon and Agesilaos? Agesiloas and Xenophon are very sadly missed. My personal conversations with both particularly so. Despite my own health issues I'm still about - just occupied with "real world&quo...

I don't recall that being in the film. But then, I've not watched it for quite some years. The film which ended any chance of a decent Alexander film. Last I watched I got to the battle of "Granigamela" and then asked myself "why?" If anything, the marshaling/deployment scenes fo...

I just reread the entire thread for the memories. Indeed. Life moves on unfortunately. There is so little activity on the site now that I have begun to think about mothballing it. I could probably understand that given I seem also to have mothballed myself somewhat. Have all the debates/discussions...

Thank you both for the welcome. I should really extract a digit regarding engaging with this site. My last deep dive into anything ancient history was back during covid lock down. Nothing like isolation to produce a near 10,000 word rebuttal to Collins' claims that Zama - as we have it - never happe...

Fancy a plant seller with an interest in ancient Macedonian tombs!

I just reread the entire thread for the memories.

I've found another candidate for the Amphipolis tomb - Aristonus son of Peisaeus, apparently brought up in Pella and Somatophylax/Bodyguard to Alexander, and possibly Philip. He may be identical with the Aristophanes who removed Alexander's sword during the quarrel with Cleitus. Gepd has already su...

Fascinating video on Bactria-Soghdiana and the northwestern Greco-Indian kingdoms. While it focuses on art and coinage, it is a good summary of the Greco-Bactrian kindom post Alexander. Independent and largely cut off from the west, this kingdom flourished. The cities were all built in the Greek fas...

A grasping individual was Peithon. Antigonos well knew what danger he represented and had him eliminated. Unlike Peithon, Antigonos hadn't gained the station of somotophylax and had been left guarding the rear of the great anabasis. Gaining "preferment" under Alexander was real coin in the...