Search found 346 matches

by Fiona
Tue Mar 30, 2010 1:54 am
Forum: Book reviews
Topic: A review of 'Responses to Oliver Stone's Alexander'
Replies: 6
Views: 4791

Re: A review of 'Responses to Oliver Stone's Alexander'

Thank you! Amazon, hmm, that's a thought. I could do that. Hope the IRS don't sting you too badly! Fiona Fantastic review Fiona. This has been on my wishlist for a bit...I need to dig into the fun fund (hah...fun is spelled IRS, it is that time of year. :cry: ) and get it. Along with a couple of oth...
by Fiona
Tue Mar 30, 2010 1:39 am
Forum: Book reviews
Topic: A review of 'Responses to Oliver Stone's Alexander'
Replies: 6
Views: 4791

Re: A review of 'Responses to Oliver Stone's Alexander'

Hi Alexias (I didn't realise who you were! That is so cool.) Yes, to a lot of us, this is the important chapter, and the one we all read first! I agree very much that it's rather negative and repeats her own position without responding very much to the portrayal in the film. There's an analysis of t...
by Fiona
Mon Mar 29, 2010 1:45 am
Forum: Book reviews
Topic: A review of 'Responses to Oliver Stone's Alexander'
Replies: 6
Views: 4791

A review of 'Responses to Oliver Stone's Alexander'

I remember Alexias asked for a review of this book when I'd finished it, and it may be that others might like one too, so here it is. This review has also been posted at 'Alexander's Army'. Fiona Responses to Oliver Stone’s Alexander : film, history and cultural studies, edited by Paul Cartledge and...
by Fiona
Thu Feb 18, 2010 11:44 pm
Forum: Book reviews
Topic: Book Club: Conquest and Empire
Replies: 135
Views: 68585

Re: Book Club: Conquest and Empire

Hi Semiramis, what can I say? You argue your points forcefully and well, but we're not going to come within shouting distance of agreement, not if we argue till the cows come home. At least there's one thing we can agree about. :) Have you seen Jared's new haircut? http://www.terrysdiary.com/post/39...
by Fiona
Wed Feb 17, 2010 10:41 pm
Forum: Book reviews
Topic: Book Club: Conquest and Empire
Replies: 135
Views: 68585

Re: Book Club: Conquest and Empire

Hi Paralus, thanks for explaining about the vid - makes sense now! :D The picture that comes through the source material would paint an Alexander quite "shrewd" and well versed in court politics. Alexander seemed to lack nothing when it came to balancing competing individuals (and cultures...
by Fiona
Wed Feb 17, 2010 10:21 pm
Forum: Book reviews
Topic: Book Club: Conquest and Empire
Replies: 135
Views: 68585

Re: Book Club: Conquest and Empire

You're right that shrewd politicians rarely believe in the "best of people". In this context, are you equating the "best of people" with unconditional surrender to foreign invaders? If that's the case it's hard to imagine how Alexander could "always" expect that. Well,...
by Fiona
Wed Feb 17, 2010 9:36 pm
Forum: Book reviews
Topic: Book Club: Conquest and Empire
Replies: 135
Views: 68585

Re: Book Club: Conquest and Empire

Now I interpret some passages as early evidence of long term planning - i.e., sending home those Macedonians who had married just before leaving for Asia (Arrian 1. 24. 1-2). Although Arrian says Alexander gained as much popularity by this act among the Macedonians as by any other , what he doesn't...
by Fiona
Tue Feb 16, 2010 12:12 am
Forum: Book reviews
Topic: Book Club: Conquest and Empire
Replies: 135
Views: 68585

Re: Book Club: Conquest and Empire

The war of the propaganda machine - liberation, revenge and retribution - is over. From Persepolis on (and more so the death of Darius) it became a war of liberation of the Persians from, aparrently, themselves. After that other peoples from the Persians all of whom had the old regime replaced by t...
by Fiona
Mon Feb 15, 2010 11:58 pm
Forum: Book reviews
Topic: Book Club: Conquest and Empire
Replies: 135
Views: 68585

Re: Book Club: Conquest and Empire

Doesn't it seem like Bessus - being an Achaemenid - had a more legitimate claim to the throne than Alexander? It can't be surprising, then, that he would have supporters from the ranks of the satraps. Surely Alexander would have expected local opposition - especially in the Persian heartland - to h...
by Fiona
Sat Feb 13, 2010 12:40 am
Forum: Book reviews
Topic: Book Club: Conquest and Empire
Replies: 135
Views: 68585

Re: Book Club: Conquest and Empire

2:11 The Occupation of Eastern Iran I always find that it’s easy to get all the Persian satraps muddled up, so I was very pleased to read in this chapter a really good summary of who by this point still remained with Darius and which satrapies were theirs, and even better, their loyalty, or lack of ...
by Fiona
Sun Feb 07, 2010 10:06 am
Forum: Book reviews
Topic: Book Club: Conquest and Empire
Replies: 135
Views: 68585

Re: Book Club: Conquest and Empire

SKY wrote:One silver tetradrachm was a soldier's monthly pay.
No wonder he had so many mints going at once.
Indeed, yes, he had a lot of men to pay. There were even portable mints they could take with them on campaign, according to Frank Holt in his book about the elephant medallions.
Fiona
by Fiona
Sun Feb 07, 2010 10:02 am
Forum: Book reviews
Topic: Book Club: Conquest and Empire
Replies: 135
Views: 68585

Re: Book Club: Conquest and Empire

In Greek Gold: Jewelry from the Age of Alexander the authors say that: After the defeat of Darius, quantities of precious metal hitherto unknown poured from the captured Persian treasuries into the hands of Alexander and his soldiery. Not long thereafter even greater wealth was forthcoming from the...
by Fiona
Sun Feb 07, 2010 9:59 am
Forum: Book reviews
Topic: Book Club: Conquest and Empire
Replies: 135
Views: 68585

Re: Book Club: Conquest and Empire

With respect to the first, a blunder is a blunder is a stuff-up. For whatever reason Alexander “rushed” a prepared and heavily defended position. Perhaps he feared the removal of the plunder but the decision to frontally attack such a well prepared position was a costly error. He seems to have forg...
by Fiona
Fri Feb 05, 2010 11:17 pm
Forum: Book reviews
Topic: Book Club: Conquest and Empire
Replies: 135
Views: 68585

Re: Book Club: Conquest and Empire

2:10 Babylonia and Persis Another great summary, focusing on the progress through Babylon, Susa and Persis. Perhaps predictably, the brilliant operation at the Persian Gates has to be qualified by a mention of the initial attack as being a ‘rash blunder’, and the sack of the city of Persepolis is an...
by Fiona
Tue Feb 02, 2010 11:12 pm
Forum: Book reviews
Topic: Book Club: Conquest and Empire
Replies: 135
Views: 68585

Re: Book Club: Conquest and Empire

Hi Paralus/Rowdy, I thought your new avatar was you at first. Was thinking, wow, never guessed Paralus was so good-looking! But now I see it’s really Clint Eastwood, isn’t it? That is so cool that your real boat is called Paralus too. Hope the repairs are doing well. A cataphract is a heavy cavalrym...