Setting a Symposium in motion

Modern technology enables us to create a great many things we otherwise only could dream of. One such little marvel is bringing a Greek drinking party or symposium to life.

The idea was developed by the University of Oxford Faculty of Classics using a drinking cup from the Ashmolean Museum. The cup shows a Gorgon in its center, representing Medusa who could turn people into stone just by looking at them. This is where the animation starts and soon all the participants of the symposium depicted around her start moving but only when the Gorgon closes her eyes; they all stop as soon as she awakens.

In my earlier blog about Plato’s Symposium, I highlighted the main event of such a meeting based on Plato’s report, but evidently, there is much more to it.

There is, for instance, the competitive aspect of Greek life which is also present in their symposia. It is about who tells the best jokes or the best stories, who is best at playing games or debating, or even who is best at hitting the target by flinging the bottom content of his wine cup. Competition to draw the attention of a potential (male) lover was another favorite subject. This Greek competitiveness could easily turn into merciless rivalry. In the end, symposia were far more than a simple pastime.

The entire story of this drinking cup can further be “read” in the details given at the Panoply Vase Animation Project.

Alexander marching beyond the Hydaspes

After the Battle of the Hydaspes, Alexander made customary offerings and sacrifices to thank the gods. The dead were given the usual burial ceremony with all the splendor and pomp this occasion required. The king organized games and competitions, and he built two new cities to crown his victory. Nicaea (Alexandria Nicaea), named after Nike, the goddess of Victory, emerged on the battlefield itself. At the same time, Bucephala (Alexandria Bucephala) was erected at the point where he started the river crossing and was meant to honor his faithful charger who died at this time (most probably not on the battlefield but instead of old age).

[By Acphalia - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0]

Once this was resolved, he instructed Craterus to supervise the fortification of the newly founded settlements and maintain his communication line. Alexander pursued his march further east and took 37 towns, the smallest of which had more than 5,000 inhabitants; according to Arrian, some were even double that size. Many well-populated villages also surrendered, and all these settlements were handed over to Porus.

Alexander then headed for the Acesines River, which was nearly 3,000 meters wide at the point where he chose to cross it. It has been speculated that he deliberately opted for the widest point to take advantage of the slower current. Once again, he used boats and floats, which had to maneuver around large jagged rocks in the fast-flowing water. The floats managed well, but several boats hit the rocks and fell apart, drowning many men in the process. Here he left Coenus to supervise the remainder of the troops that followed with the grain and other supplies taken from the just conquered territories. Porus was sent back to his realm with instructions to collect more men and elephants and join up with Alexander further down the road.

[Acesines River from Wikimapia]

Then, there was the other Porus, generally known as the bad Porus, a nephew of King Porus. He ruled over Gandaris, the lands between the Acesines River (modern Chenab) and the Hydraotes River (modern Ravi). He had sent Alexander repeated offers to surrender simply because he hated his uncle. Still, when his namesake was granted many new territories by Alexander, he fled his country, taking with him as many fighting men as he possibly could. This bad Porus fled east beyond the Hydraotes River, and Alexander followed on his tail. This meant that he had to cross this major river as well. It was swollen by the melting snows from the Himalayas and was as wide as the Acesines but not as swift. It is amazing how all these river crossings are treated as a matter of course by our historians while each and every one was a challenge in its own right.

[Bridge of boats on the Hydraotes in 1880]

Before engaging in the river crossing, Alexander, as always, made sure to safeguard his rear. This was especially important at this point since he was advancing in enemy territory. Arrian recognizes the significance of these measures, and he particularly mentions how Alexander left troops at every strategic point throughout the region west of the Hydraotes, allowing both Craterus and Coenus to move around with minimal risk during their foraging expeditions. At this point, Hephaistion was sent back with Demetrius to catch the renegade Porus and take any independent Indian tribe he might encounter on the way and hand them over to the “good” Porus.

As soon as Alexander landed on the other bank of the Hydraotes, most Indian tribes surrendered without resistance and those who did not were subdued by force. An exception was the stand made at Sangala, but that is another story (see: The siege of Sangala in modern Pakistan). 

What about Orraon in Epirus?

It is always intriguing and encouraging to hear how buildings from the Classical and Hellenistic periods have survived the centuries. This time, the news comes from Epirus where four well-preserved such buildings have been discovered in the city of Orraon, and for once there is only one public structure as the three others are private houses. Instead of mere foundations, archaeologists have found good parts of these houses still standing – a unique revelation.

[Image from The Greek Reporter]

Orraon or Horraon, located near modern Ammotopas in north-western Greece, was apparently founded at the end of the 4^th century BC during the reign of King Alcetas of Epirus. It was a fortified city occupying a strategic location, guarding the route between the Gulf of Amvrakikos and Ioannina ruled by the Molossians (the family of Queen Olympias, Alexander’s mother).

Excavations revealed twelve narrow parallel alleys running north-south crossed by two wider streets forming a rectangular layout. The city counted about one hundred houses built with local limestone, the same as was used for the construction of Orraon’s double city walls that were punctuated with bastions and gates. Some of the houses are very well-preserved, at times up to the upper level where we can still admire the window and door jambs. Besides the houses, a large rectangular cistern was also found near the main gate. This cistern, much unlike usual practices in classical times, had no roof. Since the cistern lies on high ground the water cannot have been supplied by a local spring. As no traces of any kind of aqueduct were found either, the water was probably collected from the heavy rains falling profusely in that area, even in summer. A straight staircase on the northeastern side led down to the bottom of the tank enabling people to draw water from it no matter the height of the water level. It seems that a rather high enclosing wall ran around it to keep pollution out and enable controlled access to the precious water.

Orraon was destroyed by the Romans in 167 BC but later rebuilt. In 31 BC, however, the inhabitants were forcibly moved out and settled in Nicopolis, the newly founded city by Augustus after his victory at Actium that same year. This is a sad end for such a strategic and fortified city well worth a visit!

The gold myth surrounding King Midas

The legend of how Dionysus granted King Midas’ wish to turn everything he touched into gold is well-known and almost proverbial, highlighting the immense wealth of this Phrygian king who lived in the late 8^th century BC.

Strangely enough, archaeologists never were able to find much of that gold when excavating the site of Gordion and the surrounding area. So, was it all a myth?

Recently, scholars may have found a plausible answer when they investigated the clothes of Gordion’s elite population. Some of the fabrics used were coated with goethite, an iron-bearing hydroxide mineral found in the soil. A definite proof was found in the royal tomb attributed to Gordias, the father of King Midas. His shroud had been dyed with goethite, giving the impression that it was woven from gold.

Goethite was known as a paint pigment long before King Midas’ days and was used as early as in the paintings of the Paleolithic Caves of Lascaux in France. Applied on the fabrics, it produces a golden shine.

Rather than referring to the production of gold artifacts, Midas’ golden touch may very well refer to this clothing fashion instead.

Will a Digital Library of the Middle East compensate for the war losses?

In order to secure museum collections in the Middle-East threatened by the IS, the idea arose to create a digital library of books, manuscripts, and other written material. This project was developed by the joint collaboration of the existing Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) and the Antiquities Coalition under the name DLME, the abbreviation for Digital Library of the Middle East.

The goal of DLME is to create an online collection of all sorts of materials relating to the civilizations of the Middle East. Its inventory will show a worldwide collection of artifacts with detailed descriptions and pictures to provide a better understanding for our cultural heritage. The featured objects would show ownership and legal status, which would help to determine whether artifacts were acquired legally or not. The project will extend to include undocumented or uncatalogued items, and as such help in fighting the illicit art trade.

As the crisis in the Middle East is not to end soon, the construction of this digital library is acute in order to inhibit looting and to keep track of the cultural objects in order to help to safeguard what is called the world’s greatest cultural repositories. The basic idea is that we must know what is there before we can even consider protecting this heritage.

The monument in honor of Opramoas of Rhodiapolis is taking shape

In an earlier post “Opramoas of Rhodiapolis” I mentioned the many benefactions this wealthy man made in his lifetime as recorded on the walls of the monument built in his honor at the heart of this city. All his good deeds have been well documented (see the abovementioned post for his main achievements) although we could not read the full text till the many loose blocks were put together in the correct sequence.

It is a painstaking job and it seems to be taking shape as can be seen in the recent pictures of the reconstruction. It is such a great pleasure to see how this building is rising from its ashes in all its glory!

To summarize the importance of this text, the longest ever found in Lycia or perhaps even in all of Anatolia, we should remember that 12 of these inscriptions contain letters which Opramoas exchanged with the Roman Emperors and with Antoninus Pius in particular, 19 letters to the Procurator and 33 various documents related to the Lycian League.

Opramoas was the richest man in Lycia and moved among other wealthy relatives like C. Julius Demosthenes of Oenoanda and Licinus Langus of Oenoanda. He came from a long lineage of important and influential people who wore such titles as Lyciarch (President of the Lycian League), Strategus (Military Commander), and Hipparch (Commander of the Cavalry). Besides, his brother Apollonios was a scribe of the Lycian League and also occupied the post of Lyciarch.

For more information about the Lycian League, please refer to my post The world’s first Parliament Building in Patara.

[Pictures from Turkish Archaeological News]

The power of Alexander, his generalship, his charisma or both?

Why did the mighty Persian Empire lose the battle against Alexander the Great? How did Alexander do it? He was not meant to win against the powerful army of King Darius, the King of Kings, a fight that can be compared to that of David against Goliath. But he was victorious - not once but twice!

How come Porus lost his battle against Alexander in spite of putting up such a fierce fight? Porus fought as a true soldier, proud, unafraid, and in total command of his troops. Darius was all the opposite, except maybe for his pride.

 [Surrender of Porus by Alonzo Chappel, 1865]

In Porus’ case, Alexander responded with great magnanimity. What would have happened had he caught Darius remains an open question, but he may have shown the same magnanimity as in the case of Porus; who knows? After all, he had treated the Persian royal family with great reverence and nobility, and this alone leads us to believe that he had no reason to treat Darius differently.

These thoughts surfaced while reading up on the Battle of Issus. Arrian, otherwise a rather practical man of few words, fills almost two pages with the speech Alexander held after he received the news that Darius’ troops were close by, ready to engage in a major confrontation. As Alexander addressed his troops, he enumerated their upcoming battle's advantages and pointed out the rewards of victory. The flower of the Medes and Persians was waiting for them under the leadership of their Great King, and once the battle was over, all of Asia would be theirs for the take. 

There is clearly no doubt in Alexander's mind that he would be victorious! He reminds his Macedonians of their previous battles, how bravely they fought and how brilliant their victories had been. Alexander used Xenophon as an example and singled out each and every battalion under his command, foreign and native, cavalry and infantry, archers and slingers. After that, he allowed his men to eat and rest - no army can fight on an empty stomach. The timing for Alexander’s speech may have been chosen on purpose. Now, his soldiers could sit down and discuss the upcoming battle among themselves and draw courage from their king’s words.

And this is not all! After having crossed the Pillars of Jonah into open terrain, Alexander starts spreading out his troops, putting one formation after the other into place, keeping them all in an uninterrupted line facing Darius. And here I quote Arrian: "The two armies were now almost within striking distance. Alexander rode from one end of his line to the other with words of encouragement for all, addressing by name, with proper mention of rank and distinctions, not the officers of highest rank only but the captains of squadrons and companies; even the mercenaries were not forgotten, where any distinction or act of courage called for the mention of a name,...". This is the short version of Alexander’s encouragement for Curtius provides us with pages and pages of such pep talk!

Alexander knew at least one thousand of his men by name; although this may sound exaggerated, Arrian's text leaves no room for doubt. He knew how to reach his men in their very soul, knew what made them tick, and knew how to make them feel invincible. Many modern commanders would envy Alexander for this talent! He had managed to gear up his entire army and turn their spirits into fighting mode. Imagine having the king speaking to your company or to you personally, praising your previous exploits and accomplishments; what better incentive could there be?

Now Darius, although at the head of a much larger army, merely used his men and pawns in a game of chess. They fought because they were ordered to, but there was no personal reward; they were not talked into being unafraid and invincible as Alexander's troops. In the end, the Macedonians' determination, thirst for glory, and recognition by their king, combined with the prospect of rich booty awaiting them, kept them going and led them to victory time and again!

As to Porus, it is not known whether or not he gave his men a pep talk like Alexander, but he was clearly in command from the height of the largest elephant. It is easy to imagine that the Indians seeing their Raja in such a towering position all during the fight, however fierce and bloody it may have been, inspired them and encouraged them to keep on fighting, following the example set by Porus himself! This is what struck Alexander and why he treated him as a king, simply because he did not give up or flee like Darius did but faced his opponent. The Indian army, it seems, was at least trained to follow their Raja to the end, and they did just that.

After all, the scene of Alexander riding up and down his troops and addressing them directly, as depicted by Oliver Stone is much closer to reality than one would expect at first sight, even if he placed the event in the context of Gaugamela. The key quotation may be the words spoken by old Ptolemy in this movie, “When Alexander looked you in the eyes you could do anything.” How true!

[Picture of Darius from Wikipedia]

A magnificent Greek shield

The Kingdom of Pontus on the Black Sea in today’s Turkey is a little-known corner of the ancient world, although the city of Sinope was founded by Greek colonists. It became part of the Persian Empire in the early 4^th century BC but is not mentioned as being included in Alexander’s realm.

[Bronze shield in the name of  King Pharnakes, Getty Villa (80.AC.60)]

One of the main players in the history of Pontus is King Pharnaces I, who is said to be of mixed Greek and Macedonian origin and who captured Sinope in 183 BC, which became his capital. Much later, in 47 BC Julius Cesar established a Roman colony there and renamed it Colonia Julia Felix.

Pharnaces married Nysa, a Seleucid Princess, either in 172 or 171 BC, through a diplomatic arrangement that involved Demetrius I Soter, who was King of Seleucia at the time. The couple established good relations with Athens and the island of Delos, and several honorific statues and inscriptions have survived to testify of their dedication. Athens offered them a golden crown, and bronze statues of Pharnaces and Nysa were set up in Delos. They had two children, a son who later ruled the country as Mithridates V of Pontus, and a daughter Nysa, who married King Ariarathes V of Cappadocia.

It is unclear when King Pharnaces I died, and it could be any time between 160 and 154 BC, the date when his brother Mithridates IV of Pontus was first mentioned as king.

Well, this is a rather long introduction to the magnificent shield shown above, which is part of the collection of the Getty Museum in Malibu. The bronze shield definitely has a Macedonian look because of the central star that symbolizes the sun and kingship. The inscription reveals that it was made in Pontus for King Pharnaces I, which explains the mixed Greek and Macedonian appearance.

This is obviously one of the great examples of ancient craftsmanship.