pothos.org

Hi Linda,this looks like a plausible explanation. Aigou is the genetive of Aigos. Allou is the genetive of allos: other. Thus the text would simply say: another Alexander. It does not seem unlikely to me that someone listed Alexander IV as "another Alexander" after Alexander III. I'm not a...

i'm afraid that if this day will ever come at all, it certainly will not be during the lifetime of anyone participating on this forum now. But actually I don't think carbon dating and dendrochronology can ever become more precise than fixing an exact year with a 100% certainty and it would already b...

the Greek word for flatterer is kolax and this is the word Theopompus uses to describe Agathokles (the father of Lysimachus?), a companion of Philip II. In later times it becomes a topos in ancient literature to call the friends of the kings flatterers (kolakes), but it is a matter of debate whether...

"But WHY? Is it possible its because they didn't think he was Alexander's son & was put forth by nearchus for his own interests? They seemed to jump at Arridios & Roxanne's kid quick enough- maybe Statier'as too but we'll never know"As I already explained in my other post, Alexande...

"I just don't think thats the case for everyone. I actually enjoy looking at the sources & looking at alternative possibilities BASED on what we know & what we don't know, but what we know about people then & now."So do I, but in the end you have to do something with it. Someti...

"But I think you CAN interpret his "restraint" beyond just "restraint". I can't imagine, all things considered & all people considered, that Alexander would've wanted to leave ANY kid behind."That's a good point, but I don't see a link with imposing modern values. a...

Hi Linda,I'm sorry I didn't reply yesterday, but I didn't have enough time and this is also a very interesting post I wanted to read again today before replying to it.Indeed, we are talking about the sources and I'm afraid I cannot say much more than that at present I have to yield to your superior ...

such sources might have existed, but then I think they probably were propagandictic or they might indeed prove me wrong, but again if one always assumes that there might be a lost source that would change our views completely, which is possible of course, one cannot study history without becoming de...

Therefor, it certainly is possible that a source once existed which could have claimed Heracles was not Alexander's son, but in my view that would have been propaganda and for the rest of this see below. I never stated any of these things as "fact".I did state as fact that Heracles was Ale...

first of all, I did not mean to be patronizing and don't see how you ca interpret my post that way, but if you really think it gave that impression, I apologize for that (although your reply also seems rather patronizing). I was only being polemical -not a bad thing on a discussion board, I think- a...

Hi Alessandra,as I said, I don't think it's a plausible interpretation either, but I'm sure I've read it somewhere (I think in a review of Billows' Kings and Colonists, but I should check). According to the author young boys and women were depicted in much the same manner in antiquity; I do not know...

Hi Marilyn and Linda,the whole hetero- or homosexual debate is a totally different matter as it indeed tries to apply modern values to ancient people. Whether Alexander was self-restrained or not, is a question that does not involve any modern values, but we simply do not have the proper source mate...

some scholars assume that one of the boscoreale frescoes represents Alexander IV and Rhoxane. Here's a picture of it: http://www.macedonian-heritage.gr/HellenicMacedonia/en/img_B1221a.htmlAs you will see, there are a lot of other interpretations of the fresco and Alexander IV and Rhoxane is not the ...

very good point, Marcus. My general principle is that we need good arguments to reject facts in the sources, and this quote from Curtius is a 'fact'. When it comes to Alexander's sexual behaviour in general, however, we are already dealing with interpretations. Such concepts as moderation and self-r...

this is not directky related to the story you mentioned, but it may be relevant to Alexander and music:from Plutarch, Pericles 1.5: "And so Philip once said to his son, who, as the wine went round, plucked the strings charmingly and skilfully, GÇ£Art not ashamed to pluck the strings so well?GÇ¥...