Memnon from Rhodos

[Polyxena]

Hi Susan,Thanks for your reply. Actually, Sisicottus was known as Sasigupta and Moeris, if I recall it right. And according Dr. Pal (sashi=chandra=moon) Sasigupta = Chandragupta = Moeris. So, I don't know for sure on which Chandragupta this synonyms refer to? But, there is also king Asoka (Ashok = Diodotus I) who was a grandson of Chandragupta Maurya. Asoka reigned from 269 to 232 BC, 33 years after his grandfather. It might be the same person, but I'm not sure...Regards, Poliksena

[susan]

I don't think that you can say with any certainty who is referred to; names may be dynastic - for instance there was more than one Porus, and I think that the ruler of Taxila usually took the name/title of Taxiles. Also the various sources refer to several people with similar names, and while it's very tempting to assume that there are close connections between them, this may not be the case. It's more a balance of probabilities.Susan

[marcus]

"Similar circumstances"?Maybe I'm not as familiar with the sources as I should be, but are we not in danger of inventing history here? As far as I know, all that the sources tell us is that Memnon became sick and died. There is no timescale given to his illness, and there is certainly no description of symptoms; in fact, nothing that can allow us to say his death was similar to Alexander's beyond the fact that it was (obviously) fatal.Of course, if I'm wrong please correct me :-)All the bestMarcus

[Dr. Pal]

Dear Susan.Anyone studying Indian history would agree with Keith Jenkins that history is unknowable. The ground here is so slippery because as you rightly say, the names are dynastic ones. Orontobates, Ada, Assak, Arsaces, Tiridates, Priapatius etc. all fall into this category. The worst confusion centres around the name Arsaces. I have written in my book that Arsaces could have been a nephew of Arsaces. I think all the Mauryas took this name and Ghirshman points out that it is the same as Assak. But this does not mean that all those who took the name Arsaces were Mauryas. Yet from the available data it seems that Sasigupta was the same as Chandragupta. It is perhaps not justified to say that he was GÇÿtoo young to be a satrapGÇÖ. How old was Alexander when he became king? If my guess that Orontobates the younger was the same as Sisines and Sasigupta is right, he was more or less of the same age as Alexander. That Sasigupta could be the same as Chandragupta was suggested long ago by H.C. Seth but was shouted down by Raychaudhuri and others who blindly followed Jones. According to the Greek reports Sisicottos together with Bagistanes met Alexander and apprised him of the suitability of deposing Bessos. As GÇÿBGÇÖ was freely interchanged with GÇÿMGÇÖ (Bagabazus=Magabazus) this is clearly Megasthenes who later became an ambassador in ChandraguptaGÇÖs court. Incidentally the year in which Sisicottos met Alexander agrees with the year of ChandraguptaGÇÖs meeting with Alexander given by Raych
audhuri.
Susan what more do you know about the Rhodian who took over the treasury? Did he control the mercenaries after MemnonGÇÖs death? And there is also mention of Shakatadasa in the Sanskrit drama who may be Hecateus.With best regards,Dr. Pal

[ScottOden]

Hello Dr. Pal,After Memnon's death, a son of Artabazus -- Pharnabazus the Younger -- and Thimodes/Thymondas, Mentor's eldest son, divided the mercenary resources. Pharnabazus controlled the navy, implementing Memnon's plans as best he could, while Thymondas took 50,000 Greek mercenaries inland to join Darius at Issus. After that battle, Thymondas escaped to Egypt. Some time later, the balance of the mercenaries are to be found in Darius' service, commanded by a fellow named Patron. I believe they surrendered to Alexander around the same time as Artabazus. I've not heard of a Rhodian in the treasury, though Artabazus' father, Pharnabazus the Elder, entrusted a huge sum of money to a Rhodian called Timocrates. He took this fortune to mainland Greece and spread it around in an attempt to generate a revolt against Sparta and effect the recall of Agisilaus, who was ravaging Pharnabazus' lands. It's my wholly unsupported theory that Mentor and Memnon belong to the same family as this Timocrates the Rhodian.On another matter, do you have any biographical information concerning Bagoas the Kingmaker? I can find almost nothing on him, apart from the poisoning episodes and his dealings in Egypt with Mentor. If you could shed some light on him, I'd be grateful.Yours,Scott Oden