Still Ruminating on the Cossaeans

[Nicator]

Hello all,
Hammond relates that Alexander made "human sacrifices" of the young Uxian males. Green relates "they were exterminated". I believe it's Arrian who stated "an offer to the shade of Hyphaestion" whatever that means? Anyone care to comment on these statements?
Nicator

[aen]

Easy!What did Achilles do at the pyre of Patroclus? Think of that and, brutal as it is to our eyes, Alexander's action falls coherently into place.Laters.

[nick]

Hi Nick -I'm quite sure you actually mean the Cosseans (323 BC) - not the Uxian campaign (331/330 BC).I clearly remember George Rose asking the same question about two years ago. That inspired a huge debate. George zoomed in on the word "sacrifice" in Arrian and Hammond - and argued that we had to take seriously the fact that Alexander became so possessed that he ordered the Cossaeans to be butchered as "human victims" dedicated to Heph. I remember a long exchange of views - if Arrian ever meant the word "sacrifice" in that specific sense.Not that this solves the question - but it shows more people became puzzled. You're not alone.Best regards -
Nick

[Nicator]

...err, whoops? Thanks for correcting Nick. What does he mean "the shade of Hep"? This has something to do with the Greeks death rituals, doesn't it?Nick

[Tre]

Hi Nick:Think of the Shade as the Ghost of the formerly living person. It was in fact, common for shades to visit the living, and it is a common phenomena today, far moreso than most people realize. Shades then, like now, were often 'waiting' for their significant other, in those times usually a male lover or close male family member, to honor them and assure that all the burial rites were done properly so they could pass on. There was nothing more humiliating to a shade than to lie around unburied or unavenged, so one had better get to having things done. For myself, the Cossian capaign was a straight battle against bandits (which I might add, was a notorious problem in Greece itself, with people being routinely robbed and kidnapped and sold into slavery, many of them Macedonians) but to have dedicated the victory to Hephaistion was quite acceptable. Remember, that contracts were signed and approved in Hepahistion's name as well.Regards,Tre

[davej]

Spot on Tre, the imagery of the shades in hades is covered in the odyssey.