(in order of publication date)
Monday, March 27, 2023
Timeline of Main Arabic/Persian Sources writing about Alexander
(in order of publication date)
Saturday, March 25, 2023
Persia's Historical Memory of Alexander
Robbert Bosschart has
just published an Updated Version 2023 to his book All Alexander’s Women, which deserves
special attention.
Of particular interest is this newly reworked Chapter Persia's Historical Memory of Alexander, where the author focuses on the Persian side of history. The Achaemenids did not have a counterpart for the Greek writers and chroniclers, and relied instead on the verbal transmission of Alexander’s life and deeds by mouth of their storytellers.
This new information is too good to be kept hidden in the dust of times, and I am very happy to share hereafter the most important information together with some of the magnificent illustrations.
Persia's Historical Memory of Alexander
For
...
So here Alexander marries a daughter of king Darab and a daughter of a king called Shahush. History tells us that in Susa, in 324 BC, Alexander married princess Barsine/Stateira, daughter of Darius III, and the princess Parysatis, last daughter of a king we know as Artaxerxes III Ochus, but who was called ‘Vahush’ in Old Persian. So the «daughter of King Shahush» in the Darab-Nama evidently is the daughter of Shah Vahush, as Artaxerxes III was known to his court.
For my comments on
Robbert Bosschart’s Third Edition, please refer to my earlier blogpost: All Alexander's Women.
Monday, March 20, 2023
The secret of Roman concrete
The splendor of Greek temples and theaters is not only visible to the onlooker but resides in the architectural technique itself, i.e., fitting the stone blocks together without using concrete.
To make their cement, the Romans mixed lime, shale, clay, and aggregate rocks to create a substance that we call cement today.
The material
turned out to be so strong that it defied time (and, I dare say, their own
expectations). Striking Roman buildings such as the Coliseum and the Pantheon
in
A recent study revealed that Roman concrete contained calcium-rich deposits, known as “lime clasts,” which are considered impurities in modern concrete and thus removed. These clasts are a kind of millimeter size white chunks of rock that provide a self-healing capability.
Today’s environmentalists highly acclaim that the Roman type of concrete could reduce the impact of cement production on our environment and cut down carbon emissions.
We had to reinvent the wheel! The Romans may not have been aware of air pollution, but instead of walking in their footsteps, we invented replacement procedures that are detrimental to our world.
Saturday, March 11, 2023
How Macedonian is a Macedonian shield?
When talking about Macedonian shields, our thoughts
automatically turn to those carrying a 16-rayed star like the one on the lid of King Philip's golden larnax displayed at the
What should be simple and straightforward, in reality, isn't.
As I have come across many examples of shied decorations, either on paintings, reliefs, coins, or other works of art, it might be interesting to highlight some examples.
For a start, today's flag of the
A bucranium found in Apollonia Pontica, modern Sozopol, Bulgaria,
shows an eight-rayed star, which leads that country to claim that the origin of
the "Vergina-Sun" is theirs (see: The Origin of the Macedonian star was Thracian?)
The excavations in
At the small
The
From the same period, a striking limestone mold for a
leather shield cover was found in
The Tomb of Agios Athanasios from the era of Alexander has been attributed to a Macedonian nobleman. Although looted in antiquity, the narrow frieze above the entrance holds precious information about Macedonian daily life and its army in blasting colors. The lively scenes have been photographed in detail and digitally restored for all to examine at the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki (see: The Macedonian Tomb of Agios Athanasios in Thessaloniki). Of particular interest are the three shields, two of which show an eight-rayed star surrounded by a broad-colored rim. These shields are painted, as are other examples on the walls of grave monuments. It remains an intriguing question whether shields used in combat were painted as well. Color coding may have contributed to bringing soldiers of the same unit together. Still, I fail to see how Alexander's Macedonians would have carried paint to maintain the distinctive coding during the many skirmishes and battles.
A unique set of shields can be admired inside the Tomb of
Lyson and Kallikles in
Another specimen is a bronze shield from the collection
of the
Another magnificent fresco is still in situ
at the Villa of Poppea,
Nero's
wife, in nearby Oplontis. A life-size view of the
Later rulers and countries held Alexander and Macedonia in great esteem, and the Romans' admiration is an obvious example!
Saturday, March 4, 2023
Another isolated Hellenistic Mausoleum
Years ago, upon
leaving the site of Ptolemais in
Presently,
another similar Mausoleum has been spotted in Darende,
near
Scholars have established that this Mausoleum has the shape of a Greek temple built in Hellenistic style, not unlike the well-known Nereid’s Monument in Xanthos (see: Xanthos, the greatest city of Lycia), now at the British Museum in London. Based on its appearance and decorative features, the Mausoleum of Darende has been dated to the 2nd century AD.
This building is meant to honor the deceased, although no inscription of any kind has been found to reveal his name. The monument shows four Ionian columns attached to the brick wall on each side. Between the columns and approximately four meters above ground are closed window niches, except for one on the west and one on the east side, which are open. All niches are framed between two small columns and crowned with an arch. Underneath each niche are thick wrought garlands like those often carved on Roman sarcophagi.
The Mausoleum is
about
Presently, a restoration project has been started to support the damaged parts of the Mausoleum to preserve it in the best way possible for the future. The dirt covering the original stone floor will be removed, and the roof will also be cleared.
Today, the
Mausoleum lies hidden among the vast apricot orchards for which