tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515594460559545842024-03-18T11:02:49.056+01:00Megas AlexandrosArgyraspidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08284988922758243086noreply@blogger.comBlogger1146125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51559446055954584.post-21979432599558818562024-03-13T12:38:00.000+01:002024-03-13T12:39:49.200+01:00Did Alexander visit Girsu, Iraq?<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">The ancient site
of <b><i>Girsu</i></b>
is situated some <st1:metricconverter productid="25 kilometers" w:st="on">25
kilometers</st1:metricconverter> west of <st1:city w:st="on"><b><i>Lagash</i></b></st1:city>
in <st1:place w:st="on">Southern Mesopotamia</st1:place>. Today the Iraqi town
is called <b>Tello</b>.</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8TwHz69S1mgvO01OLhyphenhyphen9lM-JPQpVxx2t5L0ep0cafIrXdKn5cLsdvSj1Nld6jyEkUpTfvvD2e67r9VVnw-G9PuHlS1_AZHt1yssQ26GknUL8woa1sGel0paBvBgyY3GIDF_dqD93YckeJEjED2UwBBqQFOPnBoJmc9SwVVpvP9n4mQxMIFQZM5WPLVc/s2560/005%20Gudea,%20prince%20of%20Lagash,%20Girsu%20IK%202120BC.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8TwHz69S1mgvO01OLhyphenhyphen9lM-JPQpVxx2t5L0ep0cafIrXdKn5cLsdvSj1Nld6jyEkUpTfvvD2e67r9VVnw-G9PuHlS1_AZHt1yssQ26GknUL8woa1sGel0paBvBgyY3GIDF_dqD93YckeJEjED2UwBBqQFOPnBoJmc9SwVVpvP9n4mQxMIFQZM5WPLVc/s320/005%20Gudea,%20prince%20of%20Lagash,%20Girsu%20IK%202120BC.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>The only time I
came across the name of <b><i>Girsu </i></b>was at the <u><st1:placename w:st="on">Louvre-Lens</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Museum</st1:placetype></u>
which proudly displayed the diorite statue of <i>Gudea</i>, Prince of <b><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><i>Lagash</i></st1:place></st1:city> </b>dated
from 2120 BC.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">The Sumerian
city currently excavated by archaeologists of the <st1:place w:st="on"><u><st1:placename w:st="on">British</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Museum</st1:placetype></u></st1:place>
has yielded a temple from the days of <i>Gudea</i>.
The site was abandoned around 1750 BC but tradition still linked the temple to
Ningirsu, an ancient Mesopotamian god. It may well be that <i>Alexander</i> was told that Ningirsu<b><i> </i></b>was the equivalent of
Heracles. Based on his own conviction to be the son of Zeus, that would make
him Heracles’ brother. The site would thus honor Zeus and two divine sons,
Heracles and <i>Alexander</i>. This
speculation would fit the cryptic Greek inscriptions found at <b><i>Girsu</i></b>. The text was written in Aramaic and Greek that stated “adad-nadin-ahhe”, meaning “giver of the two brothers”.</span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">In that context,
<i>Alexander</i> could have commissioned the
construction of a Greek temple on the same spot where the temple to Ningirsu<b><i> </i></b>stood
as he intended to honor the ancient gods and his own divine status.</span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">As he returned
to <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/04/about-spolia-in-babylon.html"><st1:city w:st="on"><b><i>Babylon</i></b></st1:city></a> in 323 BC after
his campaign in <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region>, it is
not impossible that the king stopped at the city of <st1:city w:st="on"><b><i>Girsu</i></b></st1:city><b><i> </i></b>which
lies only <st1:metricconverter productid="130 kilometers" w:st="on">130 kilometers</st1:metricconverter>
southeast of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/04/about-spolia-in-babylon.html">Babylon</a></i></b></st1:place></st1:city>.
This theory is confirmed by the discovery on the site of a silver drachm minted
around 330 BC and probably left by one of his Macedonians.</span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">The excavation
site yielded other offerings such as terracotta figurines of soldiers and
horsemen closely resembling the Companion Cavalry, <i>Alexander</i>’s bodyguard. This would imply that the gifts were left
by those close to <i>Alexander</i>
or by <i>Alexander</i> himself.</span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">There may be a
lot of speculation involved in the finds at <b><i>Girsu </i></b>but if they are
confirmed, the construction of this sanctuary would be one of <i>Alexander</i>’s final acts.</span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2abEeH4e-y_cRAJ7XL8ABSbt1KCZHQJLJcfeFXlY7OqcsMtLns7yzs57D53x_fDQ3ITivUiL_lXvkGY-zGYM1HlPtGNvP18_NOf5wBdHB4mog_65SWdLBfdBQbYW-yVcR0JFgPf5kSbytVl825lYsEr-zg3h-BOhf6bcJroye5lRF5nCMsU2un0unDxM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="1200" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2abEeH4e-y_cRAJ7XL8ABSbt1KCZHQJLJcfeFXlY7OqcsMtLns7yzs57D53x_fDQ3ITivUiL_lXvkGY-zGYM1HlPtGNvP18_NOf5wBdHB4mog_65SWdLBfdBQbYW-yVcR0JFgPf5kSbytVl825lYsEr-zg3h-BOhf6bcJroye5lRF5nCMsU2un0unDxM" width="320" /></a></span></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">[The Temple of Girsu from <a href="https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2023/02/20/lost-royal-sumerian-palace-and-temple-discovered-in-ancient-city-of-girsu/">ArchaeologyWiki</a>]</span></i></div></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">The
archaeological site of <b><i>Girsu </i></b>was first excavated in the 19<sup>th</sup>
century by the French, who noticed that Greek artifacts were mixed with
Sumerian elements. The excavations led by <a href="https://neoskosmos.com/en/2023/11/27/news/world/archaeologists-believed-to-have-discovered-a-temple-of-worship-for-alexander-the-great-in-ancient-iraq/">Dr
Sebastian Rey</a> in 2022 unearthed walls and records of a huge palace as well
as the sanctuary that held the Greek temple. This temple is thought to have
been used originally for feasts, animal sacrifices, and processions in honor of the god Ningirsu.</span></p><p></p>Argyraspidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08284988922758243086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51559446055954584.post-36301067439902350722024-03-06T07:51:00.002+01:002024-03-06T07:51:20.400+01:00A handful of Alexander coins from Chania<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><span><b>Chania </b></span></span><span lang="EN-US">on <st1:place w:st="on">Crete</st1:place>’s northwestern coast is best known for its beaches
and hotels that attract today’s tourists. Its history, however, goes back to
the 14<sup>th</sup> century BC and is centered on the ongoing excavations of
the Minoan Palace of <b><i>Kydonia</i></b> which was destroyed by an
earthquake one century later.</span><span> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibdq101Hp8lrHCvbv7vQxixzH0vpIK158JS6VFQxlA554Ih2QpiRcbW_heg2WG4wYPFxp2XFpfvJSZR9E8FCZLkYxS62D-EAUoOfSWTuyqhOKLEZ0pWmPqU2qb8GyTErzDCH4qKuFanp-vCr5SI0zDVnBeEMzayK1nSImHj5yX67Ega_0XBCDefIiWhV4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibdq101Hp8lrHCvbv7vQxixzH0vpIK158JS6VFQxlA554Ih2QpiRcbW_heg2WG4wYPFxp2XFpfvJSZR9E8FCZLkYxS62D-EAUoOfSWTuyqhOKLEZ0pWmPqU2qb8GyTErzDCH4qKuFanp-vCr5SI0zDVnBeEMzayK1nSImHj5yX67Ega_0XBCDefIiWhV4" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>[Picture of the hoard, </i><span style="text-align: left;"><i style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://greekreporter.com/2024/01/23/gold-coins-alexander-the-great-crete/">Greek Reporter,<br /></a></i></span><i style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://greekreporter.com/2024/01/23/gold-coins-alexander-the-great-crete/">Credit: Ephorate of Antiquities of Chania</a>]</i><i><a href="https://greekreporter.com/2024/01/23/gold-coins-alexander-the-great-crete/">,</a></i><br /></span></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Old Town of <b><i>Chania</i></b>
proper has yielded a cache of 37 rare coins, including eleven gold staters of <i>Alexander</i>. The hoard together with two
coins of <b><i>Kydonia</i></b>, was hidden in a space behind the wall of the acropolis
of <b><i>Kydonia</i></b>
probably by a mercenary between 300 and 280 BC. That is quite a find
considering one gold stater equaled a mercenary month's salary.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It has been
established that the coins were mostly minted after <i>Alexander’s</i> death in the name of <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/03/a-dedication-of-philip-iii-arrhideus.html">Philip Arrhidaeus</a>, <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2010/01/seleucus-nicator-in-wake-of-alexander.html">Seleucos</a> </i>or<i>
<a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/06/lysimachus-in-wake-of-alexander-part-i.html">Lysimachos</a> </i>in different locations such as <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2021/06/amphipolis-beyond-kasta-hill.html">Amphipolis</a>, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/02/useful-graffiti-from-ancient-egypt.html">Abydos</a></st1:place></st1:city>, <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-moon-was-not-god.html">Lampsacus</a></i></b>, etc.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDHRpW362pTMvXViprGy--Mplfzm2dRc9nUfSmYtnSlOdIMkffcHJUnIRllG29s0X7JrTWbiR9y6pupZkWSOksWnNXpOFm2ZyzzH_ejeT4K47MiCZUnXuNRo6NnIALptS_I7EqLgVk0vg7Ema38chpIsIa6DCA9uq3n3703560XqYmnl4JRLCM2-ntxg0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="1392" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDHRpW362pTMvXViprGy--Mplfzm2dRc9nUfSmYtnSlOdIMkffcHJUnIRllG29s0X7JrTWbiR9y6pupZkWSOksWnNXpOFm2ZyzzH_ejeT4K47MiCZUnXuNRo6NnIALptS_I7EqLgVk0vg7Ema38chpIsIa6DCA9uq3n3703560XqYmnl4JRLCM2-ntxg0" width="320" /></a></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: verdana;">[</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Picture of the two-drachms of Cyrene, <a href="https://greekreporter.com/2024/01/23/gold-coins-alexander-the-great-crete/">Greek Reporter,</a></i></span></div><span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><a href="https://greekreporter.com/2024/01/23/gold-coins-alexander-the-great-crete/">Credit: Ephorate of Antiquities of Chania</a>]</i></span></div></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The hoard also
included 15 silver staters minted in </span><st1:city style="font-family: verdana;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/06/olympia-in-footsteps-of-pausanias.html">Olympia</a> </i></b></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family: verdana;">during the Olympic Games at some time in the 4</span><sup style="font-family: verdana;">th</sup><span style="font-family: verdana;"> century BC. Also
one Corinthian stater of the Palace of </span><b style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Acarnania</i></b><span style="font-family: verdana;">, a colony on the Ionian
Sea; and one stater of </span><b style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Praisos</i></b><span style="font-family: verdana;"> (on the peninsula of Sitia
at the eastern end of Crete). Further one two-drachms of </span><b style="font-family: verdana;"><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/11/picking-up-alexanders-traces-in-cyrene.html">Cyrene</a></i></b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/11/picking-up-alexanders-traces-in-cyrene.html"> </a>(North Africa),
two drachms of </span><b style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Phaistos</i></b><span style="font-family: verdana;"> (</span><st1:metricconverter productid="62 km" style="font-family: verdana;" w:st="on">62
km</st1:metricconverter><span style="font-family: verdana;"> south of </span><b style="font-family: verdana;">Heracleion</b><span style="font-family: verdana;">),
one drachma of </span><b style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Hyrtakina</i></b><span style="font-family: verdana;"> (in the northwest of Crete), and two pseudo-hemi-drachms
of the </span><b style="font-family: verdana;"><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-trireme-ship-to-remember.html">Aegina</a></i></b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-trireme-ship-to-remember.html"> </a>type found in </span><b style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Kydonia</i></b><span style="font-family: verdana;">. Last but not least, there are two early versions from </span><st1:place style="font-family: verdana;" w:st="on"><b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-trireme-ship-to-remember.html">Aegina</a></i></b></st1:place><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-trireme-ship-to-remember.html"> </a>showing the sea
and land turtles.</span></p>Argyraspidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08284988922758243086noreply@blogger.com0Chania, Greece35.5138298 24.01803677.203595963821158 -11.1382133 63.824063636178849 59.174286699999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51559446055954584.post-51745441354000379082024-02-29T12:33:00.001+01:002024-02-29T12:33:00.132+01:00Restoration or reconstruction?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyY4rHcdl9uBFCvgnY70PAGilG7NtPVMKfVoVvFoE-PsiUO_POmwqvZhyW0jxnkUTDL3sxPT35GJ0wxP4zMqxfYcUbXC4cHDfvNpQgUd48uDmYqoGxaBC8QUs59hadpiWYoThx1WHJYzuvyKdgiSP3dH8p5xjsX6QR-16UstBdjf9_GABX_dOdikJotUM/s2048/016%20Philippeon.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyY4rHcdl9uBFCvgnY70PAGilG7NtPVMKfVoVvFoE-PsiUO_POmwqvZhyW0jxnkUTDL3sxPT35GJ0wxP4zMqxfYcUbXC4cHDfvNpQgUd48uDmYqoGxaBC8QUs59hadpiWYoThx1WHJYzuvyKdgiSP3dH8p5xjsX6QR-16UstBdjf9_GABX_dOdikJotUM/s320/016%20Philippeon.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>There is a thin
line between the restoration of an object or a building and its reconstruction.
A good restorer will preserve the authenticity of the piece like a statue,
while strengthening and improving its overall condition.</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">When it comes to
monuments, the restoration is meant to improve the visual impression and to
help the onlooker imagine how it looked in its days of glory. A reconstruction,
however, numbs our imagination and produces a modern rendition instead of recreating what once was.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">An example of
excellent restoration is, for instance, the <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-philippeon-at-olympia.html"><u>Philippeon</u></a> in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><b style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/06/olympia-in-footsteps-of-pausanias.html">Olympia</a>, </b>Greece</st1:city></st1:place>.
When I first visited the site in the early 1970s, only a few stone blocks outlined
the contour of the monument; there was not much to get excited about. When I returned
more recently, I was much impressed by the skillful restoration of the <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-philippeon-at-olympia.html"><u>Philippeon</u></a> showing three steps on which three full-size Ionic columns had been
reassembled. It does not seem like much but it was enough to complete my mental
picture of <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-philippeon-at-olympia.html"><i>Philip’s</i> </a>monument.</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">Meanwhile, it has
become fashionable to create an environment that will attract tourists, meaning
to cash in on the money. Plans to that effect have been suggested, for
instance, to clear the swamp occupying the old <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">harbor</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on"><b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/12/to-protect-and-preserve-archaeological.html">Ephesos</a></i></b></st1:placename></st1:place><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/12/to-protect-and-preserve-archaeological.html">
</a>and turn it into a place where tourists can anchor their yachts. A ridiculous
idea because it does not help recreating the aspect of the ancient harbor and
it truly destroys any possible picture from antiquity.</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There also is the case of the <st1:place w:st="on"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-monument-in-honor-of-opramoas-of.html"><st1:placetype w:st="on"><u>Monument</u></st1:placetype><u> of <st1:placename w:st="on"><i>Opramoas</i></st1:placename></u></a></st1:place>, a wealthy citizen of <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-monument-in-honor-of-opramoas-of.html">Rhodiapolis</a>, </i>Turkey. This benefactor contributed largely to the reconstruction of the city that was hit by the severe earthquake of 141 AD. The walls of a monument built in his honor were covered with an inscription – the longest in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lycia</st1:place></st1:state> - to commemorate his deeds. Archaeologists carefully retrieved these stones and piled them up next to the theater, where I discovered them in 2008.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The plan was to sort them out to reproduce the original inscriptions. Well, the project has materialized but the gaps of the missing stone blocks have been amply filled with bright white marble blocks. The shiny out-of-place </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">square monument </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">draws the visitor's attention away from the theater and other noteworthy monuments. A bad reconstruction.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYLT3G6-XLPcuKMlgbvppxNGWAZZRrWPJlTLOkzl9zss5n2VNOZoaT-ktgHfHuoSMracEOSpbYaCmKFIxMSYDmstmdDr5bfrs0nUpzTTbo4wMUqJZ3V8XgzurQZLBM5G-gNumavQvIQ7FaTax6USebLe-7F4Vepo3-3-_wTPHfdutGK2-zNGXn0e1QOyk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYLT3G6-XLPcuKMlgbvppxNGWAZZRrWPJlTLOkzl9zss5n2VNOZoaT-ktgHfHuoSMracEOSpbYaCmKFIxMSYDmstmdDr5bfrs0nUpzTTbo4wMUqJZ3V8XgzurQZLBM5G-gNumavQvIQ7FaTax6USebLe-7F4Vepo3-3-_wTPHfdutGK2-zNGXn0e1QOyk" width="320" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">[The reconstructed <a href="https://thisisantalya.com/ancient-rhodiapolis/">Opramoas Monument</a>]</span></i></div></i><br /></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">Very
recently the <u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-palace-of-aegaevergina-in-full-glory.html">Palace of <b><i>Aegae</i></b></a></u> (modern <b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-tomb-of-king-philip-ii-of-macedonia.html">Vergina</a></b>) reopened to the public after
being closed since 2007. I agree that it was in dire need to be cleaned and
restored. The ruins were covered with moss and dirt after years of neglect and
did close to nothing to reflect the wealth and glory of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Macedonia</st1:country-region></st1:place>’s heyday. </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">When I saw the
first pictures of the <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-palace-of-aegaevergina-in-full-glory.html"><u>Palace</u></a> as it is presented to us today, my heart
sank. The result is a reconstruction. Archaeologists reused the bits of broken
columns they found on the spot but the new white marble column drums dwarf the original elements. As they stand mostly around the central Peristyle, they
are taking my attention away from the general layout and the precious mosaic
floors. The most beautiful mosaic with the <i>Rape of Europa</i> next to the entrance,
which was hitherto hidden underneath a tarp, is now exposed to full view.</span> Thank you.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTiKjo41dZbOMltww9FcKgpxwQPDv-MJLMCHkYHqP2-m4vSjiDz6nbEdTB6txSuwjSyXG_6jLQlMYlw-39xV80ymnnzXO25GD4HVs5B3gfVDcENAgcmql-La3LlhVcPBCQ7gKM8h06U9XWLWixGiMpz_lzJCIJY3bHgs_yoUMcAz3mhZyQP42Ol_R_9Po" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTiKjo41dZbOMltww9FcKgpxwQPDv-MJLMCHkYHqP2-m4vSjiDz6nbEdTB6txSuwjSyXG_6jLQlMYlw-39xV80ymnnzXO25GD4HVs5B3gfVDcENAgcmql-La3LlhVcPBCQ7gKM8h06U9XWLWixGiMpz_lzJCIJY3bHgs_yoUMcAz3mhZyQP42Ol_R_9Po" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: inherit;">[Picture of Aegae's Palace from <a href="https://www.thearchaeologist.org/blog/the-parthenon-of-macedonia-is-finally-being-restored">The Archaeologist</a>]</i></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">The difference
between restoration and reconstruction is very thin, I agree. The <u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-palace-of-aegaevergina-in-full-glory.html">Palace of <b>Aegae</b></a></u>, the scene of so much
history, was hardly visited. Not everybody is blessed with the ability to
mentally rebuild the missing walls, columns, corridors, and rooms. The present
reconstruction will draw crowds of tourists who do not have to make that effort
and simply accept what is there.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHLGsfv09IpuVpWtdUuJYV9tufbVYfjxtbGLIs9Yo-ZMXTo2IdDchMgLa7hfelUpC3QdynHX_JaRRhasxadCiOJXMhtixLj0hwHFxgNzcPvqSAlBu9VnPPsonECkrtVFnlkc8cfSZaejxbXyCuQ5YlmSzdDl8GuRtUm4cxf5DsnilYyR41I8hU9W37Rng" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="1072" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHLGsfv09IpuVpWtdUuJYV9tufbVYfjxtbGLIs9Yo-ZMXTo2IdDchMgLa7hfelUpC3QdynHX_JaRRhasxadCiOJXMhtixLj0hwHFxgNzcPvqSAlBu9VnPPsonECkrtVFnlkc8cfSZaejxbXyCuQ5YlmSzdDl8GuRtUm4cxf5DsnilYyR41I8hU9W37Rng" width="320" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">[Picture from <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-proposed-renovations-greeces-acropolis-are-so-controversial-180977620/">Smithsonianmag</a>]</span></i></div></i><br /></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">This is
especially true for the <u>Parthenon </u>on <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-acropolis-of-athens-in-3d.html"><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><i>Athens'</i></b></st1:place></st1:city>
Acropolis.</a> To see a temple as it would have looked on the day it was built is
a major incentive for those who lack imagination or who are too lazy to make
the effort. The excuse in <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-acropolis-of-athens-in-3d.html"><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><i>Athens</i></b></st1:place></st1:city></a> is that the <u>Parthenon </u>had been badly restored in the 1930s. The cement parts
had to be replaced with marble and the rusted metal clamps had to make way for titanium ones. In the long run, this kind of repair does pay off. Besides,
we have much more advanced techniques and deeper insight into the construction
of a Classical temple than 150 years ago. Still, it remains debatable whether the transformation of the <u>Parthenon</u> is to be seen as a restoration or a reconstruction.</span></div>
Argyraspidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08284988922758243086noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51559446055954584.post-47518049953188009672024-02-21T12:24:00.001+01:002024-02-21T12:24:57.591+01:00The city of Alexandria Troas or Alexandria of the Troad<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">The
name of </span><b style="text-align: justify;"><i>Alexandria Troas</i></b><span style="text-align: justify;"> has a most confusing name since it is
generally thought that the city was founded by </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Alexander the Great</i><span style="text-align: justify;">, more so because of the king’s admiration for <u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2011/04/iliad-by-homer-new.html">The Iliad</a></u> in which </span><st1:city style="text-align: justify;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/07/alexander-sets-out-to-cross-to-asia.html">Troy</a> </i></b></st1:place></st1:city><span style="text-align: justify;">played such an important role. Nothing is further remote from the truth.</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PHvXpIKyjftV4E4Eju8gr2iZlFw8DcAbGs_SNsn8pbfSx_uVc5VYv8XImFnJj-1XYq87-5Pk4yds5buZXZUqRfKyNOzMLZCzCN-T1CbSlchvDTHDF8KnpWrGJ-Bupjvn2zLPCAOt8X5RcAXdObaycMZWy0ss2ONSEWnx9XB1GsTKfQqAODsgW1_W-00/s2286/069a%20Votif%20relief%20of%20Psyche%20on%20a%20dromedary%202cBC%20Alexandria%20Troas%20TK..jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1862" data-original-width="2286" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PHvXpIKyjftV4E4Eju8gr2iZlFw8DcAbGs_SNsn8pbfSx_uVc5VYv8XImFnJj-1XYq87-5Pk4yds5buZXZUqRfKyNOzMLZCzCN-T1CbSlchvDTHDF8KnpWrGJ-Bupjvn2zLPCAOt8X5RcAXdObaycMZWy0ss2ONSEWnx9XB1GsTKfQqAODsgW1_W-00/s320/069a%20Votif%20relief%20of%20Psyche%20on%20a%20dromedary%202cBC%20Alexandria%20Troas%20TK..jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>[</span><span><i>Votif relief of Psyche on a dromedary from Alexandria Troas, </i></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span><i>2nd century BC, Louvre Museum</i></span><span>]</span></div></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">According to <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2019/08/geography-by-strabo.html"><i>Strabo</i></a> the town of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><i>Sigeia</i></b></st1:place></st1:city> was founded on this spot around
306 BC by <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/09/alexander-avoided-siege-of-termessos.html">Antigonus-Monophthalmus</a></i>.
The name of <b><i>Alexandria Troas</i></b> was given to the city by <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/06/lysimachus-in-wake-of-alexander-part-i.html"><i>Lysimachos</i> </a>in 301 BC, as a generous referral to <i>Alexander</i>. It was a double harbor in
northwestern <st1:place w:st="on">Asia Minor</st1:place> and the richest of the
Troad and occupied a strategic position near the entrance
of the <st1:place w:st="on">Hellespont</st1:place>. It silted up over the
centuries.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">In 188 BC, the Romans declared
it a free and autonomous city that counted about 100,000 inhabitants. <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-surprise-of-butrint-ancient.html">Emperor Augustus</a></i> settled a colony of
soldiers within its walls and renamed it <b><i>Colonnia Alexandria Augusta Troas</i></b>,
in short <st1:place w:st="on"><b>Troas</b></st1:place>.
He lavishly embellished the city, as did the emperors <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2023/05/leptis-magna-or-what-rome-must-have.html">Trajan</a> </i>and<i> <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/04/time-to-honor-emperor-hadrian.html">Hadrian</a> </i>a century later.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/06/olympia-in-footsteps-of-pausanias.html"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="741" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCBjbTzO72ZFvXNkGTAc788oHSWyk7lHGmBkRtPpfYr_bmSCeXEPcMYXx8MDkrFGyrE5eQacJw35miqyILGAt7T1CkbJ64vDyO0_AEz6oemcJl7bn-eMulM956sdptdccD-NIvOujh_xE9XvWHrmn15Bgjww2IyK2f3g8UIxvi-hw6jdiTA_4QKS0nBo/s320/002%20Keizer%20Trajanus%20Ankara%20Mus.jpg" width="309" /></a></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><i style="font-style: italic;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/06/olympia-in-footsteps-of-pausanias.html">Herodus Atticus</a></span></i><span lang="EN-US"><i>, </i>best known for his theater at the foot of the Acropolis in <st1:city w:st="on"><b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2015/05/a-statue-of-alexander-great-in-athens.html"><i>Athens</i></a></b></st1:city>, was appointed by <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/04/time-to-honor-emperor-hadrian.html">Hadrian</a> </i>as prefect of the free <span><span lang="EN-US">cities of <st1:place w:st="on">Asia</st1:place>
in 125 AD, including <b style="font-style: italic;"><i>Alexandria Troas</i></b><i>. </i>He may have built the aqueduct that carried
water from <st1:place w:st="on">Mount Ida</st1:place>, although other sources
attribute the construction to<i> </i><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2023/05/leptis-magna-or-what-rome-must-have.html">Trajan</a></i><i>.</i></span><i> </i></span></span></span></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><i>Alexandria Troas</i></b> was surrounded by a 10-kilometer-long city wall,
including fortified towers placed at regular intervals. Some parts are still visible
today together with<span lang="EN-US"> remains of the Roman Baths and the Gymnasium, </span>a Necropolis, a Nymphaeum<span lang="EN-US">,</span><span lang="EN-US"> the Odeon, the
Theater, and a recently discovered Stadium dating approximately from 100 BC.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">The
Baths and the Gymnasium were built by <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/06/olympia-in-footsteps-of-pausanias.html">Herodus Atticus</a></i> in 135 AD. They were surrounded by vaulted corridors with marble
walls and water was delivered thanks to the aqueducts on the northeast side of
town. The large Baths measured an impressive 123 x <st1:metricconverter productid="84 meters" w:st="on">84 meters</st1:metricconverter>. Most of the
building remained intact until it was destroyed by the severe
earthquake in the winter of 1809-1810. The whole project was greatly supported
by <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/04/time-to-honor-emperor-hadrian.html">Emperor Hadrian</a></i> as revealed in an
inscription found in <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/04/time-to-honor-emperor-hadrian.html">Hadrian’s</a> </i>Gymnasium in <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2015/05/a-statue-of-alexander-great-in-athens.html">Athens</a> </i></b>mentioning the emperor as the sponsor of the city in 132 AD. Three more inscriptions unearthed at <b><i>Alexandria
Troas</i></b> during excavations in 2006 confirm the emperor’s interest and the
appreciation of the citizens.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Hellenistic theater stood at the highest point of
the city treating the spectators to a sweeping view over the city and the
Aegean Sea with the island <st1:place w:st="on">Bozcaada</st1:place>.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Argyraspidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08284988922758243086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51559446055954584.post-17439636419058436822024-02-14T17:47:00.000+01:002024-02-14T17:47:03.414+01:00The Periplus of the Euxine Sea by Arrian – Part 3<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">In this last part of the <u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2024/01/about-arrians-periplus-of-euxine-sea.html">Periplus</a></u>, <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html"><i>Arrian</i></a> takes us from <b><i>Dioscuras/</i></b><b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-many-colonies-of-miletus.html"><i>Sebastopolis</i></a></b><b><i> </i></b>to<b><i> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2011/11/macedonia-forged-by-philip-ii-11.html">Byzantium</a></st1:city></st1:place>.</i></b> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglqM7EKaaQnCZCjwaiECxqaGg84b7obVmndYZFgA_vYpVzfipsCyFKqgQ9OdDAZta8h3woI6kEvWA-LB0ConoMvysZjacx6stPDDVnj_USUSeixdc7CV1mK6wWVBTRbE5KB-OqaIWNaPkbdvsmW8fqn1EzJd7LTp40IyWW7IQh5PKp7EnXNnRmqVqMgsY/s2560/176%20Hadrian%20found%20near%20Temple%20of%20Zeus%20Athens,%20%20Athens%20Arch%20Mus.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglqM7EKaaQnCZCjwaiECxqaGg84b7obVmndYZFgA_vYpVzfipsCyFKqgQ9OdDAZta8h3woI6kEvWA-LB0ConoMvysZjacx6stPDDVnj_USUSeixdc7CV1mK6wWVBTRbE5KB-OqaIWNaPkbdvsmW8fqn1EzJd7LTp40IyWW7IQh5PKp7EnXNnRmqVqMgsY/s320/176%20Hadrian%20found%20near%20Temple%20of%20Zeus%20Athens,%20%20Athens%20Arch%20Mus.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">He starts his
story where he left off at the conclusion of part 1, i.e., in <b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-many-colonies-of-miletus.html"><i>Sebastopolis</i></a> </b>(see: <b><u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-periplus-of-euxine-sea-by-arrian.html">Tour of Colchis: From Trapezus to Sebastopolis</a></u></b>). This section, the Cimmerian Bosporus, was not
controlled directly by <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/03/linking-pantheon-in-rome-with-ancient.html"><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><i>Rome</i></b></st1:place></st1:city></a> but by a so-called client king. In <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2020/12/about-olympian-gods.html">Hadrian</a>’s</i>
day, that was <i>Cotys II</i>, in full <i>Tiberius Julius Cotys</i>, who ruled from
123/4 AD until he died in 131/2 AD. His appointment was made for life and his
successor needed to be officially recognized by <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/03/linking-pantheon-in-rome-with-ancient.html"><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><i>Rome</i></b></st1:place></st1:city></a>.</span> </span></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">At the news of
his death, <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html"><i>Arrian</i></a> decided that <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2020/12/about-olympian-gods.html">Hadrian</a> </i>would be interested in having the
latest information about the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Bosporan</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Kingdom</st1:placetype></st1:place> since it supplied
a great deal of wheat, clothing, wine, and slaves. His territory also was an
important buffer zone with the warlike Alans living to the north.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html"><i>Arrian</i></a> sailed along
the mountainous coastline below the <st1:place w:st="on">Caucasus</st1:place>
to <b><i>Pityus</i></b>,
some <st1:metricconverter productid="65 kilometers" w:st="on">65 kilometers</st1:metricconverter>
away. These lands were occupied by the Zilchi ruled by a certain <i>Stachemphax</i>, also recognized as a king
by <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2020/12/about-olympian-gods.html">Hadrian</a></i>. Follows a list of cities,
harbors, and rivers including the distances between them, from Crimea to the
mouth of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Danube</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place>. More familiar are
the Greek cities on the south coast of Crimea, such as <b><i>Panticapaeum</i></b> (<st1:city w:st="on"><b>Kerch</b></st1:city>), <b><i>Theodosia</i></b>,
<b><i>Cercinitis</i></b>,
and <b><i>Chersonesus</i></b>
(<st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b>Kherson</b></st1:place></st1:city>).
<b><i>Panticapaeum</i></b>
which lies only <st1:metricconverter productid="11 kilometers" w:st="on">11
kilometers</st1:metricconverter> from the <st1:placename w:st="on">Tanais</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype> (modern Don River) and flows
into <st1:placename w:st="on">Maeotis</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype>
(Sea of Azov) was seen as the place where Europe ended and <st1:place w:st="on">Asia</st1:place>
started.</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">Sailing further
west, <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html"><i>Arrian</i></a> stops at the Greek city of <st1:city w:st="on"><b><i>Olbia</i></b></st1:city>
at the mouth of today’s <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Dnieper</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place>. Next, he heads for
the <st1:placetype w:st="on">harbor</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on"><b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2019/02/into-plains-of-danube-river.html">Odessos</a></i></b></st1:placename>,
a trading post founded by the Greeks from <st1:place w:st="on"><b><i>Istria</i></b></st1:place>.
From here, he continues to the wide delta of the <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2019/02/into-plains-of-danube-river.html"><st1:placename w:st="on">Ister</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype> (Danube)</a> where he reaches the <st1:placetype w:st="on">Island</st1:placetype> of <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2019/02/exploring-troy-and-surroundings.html"><st1:placename w:st="on"><i>Achilles</i></st1:placename></a> or Leuke
(possibly <st1:placename w:st="on">Snake</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Island</st1:placetype>
in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ukraine</st1:place></st1:country-region>).
Legend has it that <i>Thetis</i> gave it to
her son. The island was known for its <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Temple</st1:placetype> of </st1:place><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2019/02/exploring-troy-and-surroundings.html"><st1:placename w:st="on"><i>Achilles</i></st1:placename></a> which held a wooden statue of the hero, as well as Greek and Latin inscriptions
in honor of <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2019/02/exploring-troy-and-surroundings.html"><st1:placename w:st="on"><i>Achilles</i></st1:placename></a> and his dear <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2019/02/exploring-troy-and-surroundings.html">Patroclus</a></i>. <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html"><i>Arrian</i></a> speaks of many offerings that were made, including
sacrifices of animals. Those who sail by the island may “see” <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2019/02/exploring-troy-and-surroundings.html"><st1:placename w:st="on"><i>Achilles</i></st1:placename></a> in their dreams or
hallucinations.</span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZGO2ob0APHWcZM04axq9F_OVX0tsoxEytNEPuWA7WXO9ur7zmuhhrlmR0wd0rVLCtWulhtJJGSc1C_Y7xPNeLYfdELI7cttrEf2xd0VogXqjJ4sUpa5GwFlLmdj48Nhtasks3QQYH_IP4QXirCsYc-6oM5ReWqs_4PQgfGWpba7CknS9J2EVgR1YHNO8/s2592/045%20Sarcophagus%20with%20Achilles%20240%20AD.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZGO2ob0APHWcZM04axq9F_OVX0tsoxEytNEPuWA7WXO9ur7zmuhhrlmR0wd0rVLCtWulhtJJGSc1C_Y7xPNeLYfdELI7cttrEf2xd0VogXqjJ4sUpa5GwFlLmdj48Nhtasks3QQYH_IP4QXirCsYc-6oM5ReWqs_4PQgfGWpba7CknS9J2EVgR1YHNO8/s320/045%20Sarcophagus%20with%20Achilles%20240%20AD.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Proceeding
further down the coast of the <st1:place w:st="on">Black Sea</st1:place>, <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html"><i>Arrian</i></a> arrives at <b><i>Tomis</i></b>, a colony founded
by the Greeks where <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/01/speaking-of-mausoleum-of-alexander.html">Emperor Augustus</a></i>
banished the poet <i>Ovid</i>. The next port was
<b><i>Callatis</i></b>,
established by the Carians, followed by <b><i>Odessos</i></b> (another harbor by that
name) where he entered Thracia.</span> </p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">Passing the
eastern end of the <st1:placename w:st="on">Haemus</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Mountains</st1:placetype> (in central <st1:country-region w:st="on">Bulgaria</st1:country-region>), <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html"><i>Arrian</i></a> reaches <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-many-colonies-of-miletus.html">Miletus</a></i></b></st1:city></st1:place><b><i>’</i></b> colony of <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2015/10/thracian-treasures-from-bulgaria.html"><b><i>Apollonia</i></b></a> which once held a colossal statue of the god Apollo. From here, he sailed to the
not-so-good <st1:placetype w:st="on">harbor</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on"><b><i>Salmydessus</i></b></st1:placename> (roughly <st1:metricconverter productid="150 km" w:st="on">150 km</st1:metricconverter> east of <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2018/10/thracian-tombs-at-doxipara-greece.html">Hadrianopolis</a></i></b>,
modern <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b>Edirne</b></st1:place></st1:city>) where <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-persian-expedition-by-xenophon.html">Xenophon</a> </i>helped <i>Seuthes II</i>
to become King of Thracia.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">By now, <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html"><i>Arrian</i></a> has landed at the Thracian side of the <st1:place w:st="on">Bosporus</st1:place>. This area is reputed for the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Cyanean</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Islands</st1:placetype></st1:place>
or Symplegades (also Clashing Rocks), a pair of rocks that clash together when
a ship sails through. In Greek mythology, the rocks were defeated by Jason on
his way to <st1:place w:st="on"><b><i>Colchis</i></b></st1:place> on board his
ship, the Argo.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><b><i><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2011/11/macedonia-forged-by-philip-ii-11.html">Byzantium</a> </span></i></b></st1:city></st1:place><span lang="EN-US">is <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html"><i>Arrian</i></a>’s final
destination. He concludes by mentioning the local <st1:placetype w:st="on">Temple</st1:placetype>
of <st1:placename w:st="on">Zeus Ourios</st1:placename> (who grants favorable
winds) where Jason and the Argonauts erected an altar to the <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2020/12/about-olympian-gods.html">Twelve Olympian Gods</a>
on their return from <st1:place w:st="on"><b><i>Colchis</i></b></st1:place>.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">In our modern
days of traveling by plane and high-speed trains, it is hard to imagine the
pace in antiquity when people and armies moved on foot. Ships and barges were a
comfortable alternative although winds and currents were not always reliable. Travelers
could never predict the duration of a trip or the time of arrival, but in those
days time was not so much of the essence as it is today.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">Though <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html"><i>Arrian</i></a> wrote
his <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2024/01/about-arrians-periplus-of-euxine-sea.html"><u>Periplus</u></a> 130-131 AD, we don’t know how many months or weeks he actually was
at sea. Considering that the circumference of the <st1:place w:st="on">Black
Sea</st1:place> is over <st1:metricconverter productid="4,000 kilometers" w:st="on">4,000 kilometers</st1:metricconverter>, it may be safe to speculate he
spent most of those two years “on the road”. Quite an achievement!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">[For the locations, <a href="https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18252/the-periplus-of-the-euxine-sea-c-130-ce/">please consult this map</a>]</span></i></p>Argyraspidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08284988922758243086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51559446055954584.post-85807617366489663692024-02-07T08:28:00.000+01:002024-02-07T08:28:37.260+01:00More of What Alexander did for us<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">Approximately
ten years ago, I posted a blog about citrus fruit as introduced by </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Alexander’s</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> Macedonians from </span><st1:place style="text-align: justify;" w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place><span style="text-align: justify;">
(see: </span><b style="text-align: justify;"><u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/06/what-alexander-did-for-us.html">What
Alexander did for us</a></u></b><span style="text-align: justify;">).</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjiquRGemCkEArs_UZJkI3J_hP5ZNRInEW6lag8zsi6TlwnOg48WoZMCp3M-VJwJ5KScS2zpsCKICWkzQ05fQ0Q_LXXVrueutAvwAzqOn3HX12A_gCDXqtmgbdjMombGpkZYvSC6lN2jsMg9suCvEqmiIyxmUxSkXbrsXHsYpJs9Xm1jswlpbfI_5s_U/s3199/442%20Aristotle's%20Park.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3199" data-original-width="2362" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjiquRGemCkEArs_UZJkI3J_hP5ZNRInEW6lag8zsi6TlwnOg48WoZMCp3M-VJwJ5KScS2zpsCKICWkzQ05fQ0Q_LXXVrueutAvwAzqOn3HX12A_gCDXqtmgbdjMombGpkZYvSC6lN2jsMg9suCvEqmiIyxmUxSkXbrsXHsYpJs9Xm1jswlpbfI_5s_U/s320/442%20Aristotle's%20Park.JPG" width="236" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">This certainly was
not an isolated case if we look at the work of <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2019/07/theophrastus-philosopher-and-botanist.html">Theophrastus</a></i>, a contemporary of <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2012/02/stagira-birthplace-of-aristotle.html"><i>Aristotle</i></a> and <i>Alexander</i> (see: <b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2019/07/theophrastus-philosopher-and-botanist.html">Theophrastus,
philosopher and botanist</a></b>). He studied plants that came from <st1:country-region w:st="on">Persia</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Afghanistan</st1:country-region>,
and the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Indus</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Valley</st1:placetype></st1:place>. He introduced the Greeks to mangos,
cardoons (or artichoke thistle), jujubes (also called Chinese dates),
pistachios, and tamarind. Newly imported plants were cinnamon, banyan (a fig
typically from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>),
as well as frankincense and myrrh.</span> </span></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">One day during
his invasion of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place>
in 327 BC, <i>Alexander</i> had bananas for
dessert and he enjoyed the fruit so much that he wanted to share it.
Eventually, bananas traveled to the <st1:place w:st="on">Middle East</st1:place>,
where they earned their Arabic name of <i>banan</i>,
meaning finger.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html">Arrian</a> </span></i><span lang="EN-US">revealed that in
325 BC, <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2023/01/preparations-to-sail-down-indus.html"><i>Nearchus</i></a> had found sugarcane.
He described it as “a reed that brings forth honey without the help of bees”.
In antiquity, sugarcane was basically used as a medicine by Greek and Roman
physicians, as documented by <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2019/05/massive-plundering-of-art-in-early.html">Pliny the Elder</a></i> in the 1<sup>st</sup> century AD.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUbctDQLFEnzmdZMz4qcE7mKutdvFk1pv36EeB5Kt4aiWdfQHNWjzOdCR0dN2NxAEVz2tBAbWgY-1dm94LCjIxadi411YNBug-FijjzKFSDaT7x5fFKkE4RIu9LIszVbN6Xm10kAooveYPQYZ_ey94XiPF8XF6LyROupU7MYqi7G3dsN18acHzo471P08/s1600/003%20Zuidkust%20bananen.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUbctDQLFEnzmdZMz4qcE7mKutdvFk1pv36EeB5Kt4aiWdfQHNWjzOdCR0dN2NxAEVz2tBAbWgY-1dm94LCjIxadi411YNBug-FijjzKFSDaT7x5fFKkE4RIu9LIszVbN6Xm10kAooveYPQYZ_ey94XiPF8XF6LyROupU7MYqi7G3dsN18acHzo471P08/s320/003%20Zuidkust%20bananen.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">Rice was another
food the king introduced into Macedonia after his campaign in Central
Asia, and it appears that the well-known dish of Plov or </span><span style="text-align: left;">Pilaf spread from </span><st1:country-region style="text-align: left;" w:st="on">Macedonia</st1:country-region><span style="text-align: left;">,
throughout </span><st1:country-region style="text-align: left;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Greece</st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="text-align: left;">
and the </span><span lang="EN-US">Balkans (see: <b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2021/11/the-origin-of-rice-in-ancient-macedonia.html">The origins of rice in ancient Macedonia</a></b>).</span> </span></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Alexander</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> also introduced
Europe to the cotton from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place>.
It is said that the Macedonians started wearing cotton clothes which were
more appropriate for the Indian climate.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">The colorful
floor mosaic of a parakeet from Palace V in <b><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/51559446055954584/3970111226866015412">Pergamon</a></b>
now on display at the Museum
of Pergamon in <b>Berlin </b>(see: <b><u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-beauty-of-alexandrine-mosaics.html">The
beauty of Alexandrine mosaics</a></u></b>) is a rare example of the wide
collection of animals and plants <i>Alexander</i>
sent to <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2012/02/stagira-birthplace-of-aristotle.html"><i>Aristotle</i></a> from the regions he
conquered. The Alexandrine Parakeet was native to South Asia and <st1:place w:st="on">Southeast Asia</st1:place>.</span><i><span lang="EN-US"> </span></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">As <i>Alexander</i> traveled to modern-day
countries such as <st1:country-region w:st="on">Turkey</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Syria</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Lebanon</st1:country-region>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Iraq</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Iran</st1:country-region>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Afghanistan,</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>, he shared
his serious interest in local cultures and habits with the rest of the world.</span></p>Argyraspidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08284988922758243086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51559446055954584.post-33893923409082680432024-01-30T12:29:00.000+01:002024-01-30T12:29:24.732+01:00Zopyrion, governor of Thracia in Macedonian service<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">Thracia had been
annexed by <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2011/07/macedonia-forged-by-philip-ii-2-start.html">Philip II</a></i> in his efforts to extend the power of the Macedonian
kingdom and to safeguard its borders. After his death, <i>Alexander </i>had to stamp
his authority and his rule over the many tribes once again all the way to the
mighty </span><st1:placename style="text-align: justify;" w:st="on">Danube</st1:placename><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><st1:placetype style="text-align: justify;" w:st="on">River</st1:placetype><span style="text-align: justify;">
to protect his back before setting out to </span><st1:place style="text-align: justify;" w:st="on">Asia</st1:place><span style="text-align: justify;">.</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">One would expect
the northern tribes to live on happily thereafter, especially since <i>Alexander
</i>took a substantial contingent of Thracians with him as far as India and back
under the command of their general <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2019/05/sitalces-commander-of-thracians.html">Sitalces </a></i>(see: <b><u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2019/05/sitalces-commander-of-thracians.html">Sitalces,
commander of the Thracians</a></u></b>).</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">However, the
many Thracian tribes never united and kept fighting among themselves putting
their individual interests above all. It was one of <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2011/12/macedonia-forged-by-philip-ii-16.html">Antipater</a>’s</i> tasks, as Regent of Macedonia, to enforce the peace.</span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfjZJf_unsLwCQ3QEcJs7KRJba5Fyk7nsSvWg48ZWp3KxeuSdfVB4iA1UdKdhwm94_GOG9Szx2E_QhdzQ4siGIMzORTIR7nh6ovWG8w-azCsXmQGahKAHIa3rusXuqTfW37PZ0-DbYwYtjXa6UbmoZqhrEFcTfa-3nmYNtnSZWMb-OyDcV4SvTjUkVbA/s330/Helmet%20fm%20Zopyrion's%20army,%20found%20Olanesti,%20Moldova.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="273" data-original-width="330" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfjZJf_unsLwCQ3QEcJs7KRJba5Fyk7nsSvWg48ZWp3KxeuSdfVB4iA1UdKdhwm94_GOG9Szx2E_QhdzQ4siGIMzORTIR7nh6ovWG8w-azCsXmQGahKAHIa3rusXuqTfW37PZ0-DbYwYtjXa6UbmoZqhrEFcTfa-3nmYNtnSZWMb-OyDcV4SvTjUkVbA/s320/Helmet%20fm%20Zopyrion's%20army,%20found%20Olanesti,%20Moldova.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zopyrion">Helmet from Zopyrion's army, found in Olanesti, Moldova</a>]</i></div></i><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">Ancient
historians have left us very little information about what happened in <i>Alexander’s
</i>homeland while he moved ever further east. One governor of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Thrace</st1:country-region></st1:place> is known as <i>Zopyrion</i>. His name caught my attention
after seeing the picture of a helmet found in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><b>Olanesti</b></st1:city>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Moldova</st1:country-region></st1:place>
that is linked to <i>Zopyrion</i>’s army.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Unfortunately,
the only reliable source of <i>Zopyrion</i>
comes from <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2012/06/history-of-alexander-by-curtius-rufus.html">Curtius</a></i>. He simply stated
that the governor made an expedition against the Getae and that </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">his army </span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">was overwhelmed by sudden tempests and gales. At that time, about 324 BC, <i>Alexander
</i>was in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Persia</st1:country-region> facing the
misconduct of many satraps he had left in charge before moving on to <st1:place w:st="on">Central Asia</st1:place>.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">However, another
much less trustworthy story is told by <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/05/epitome-of-">Justin</a></i>.
This one circulates widely on the internet, mostly repeating the content of
the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zopyrion">Wikipedia page</a>.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/05/epitome-of-">Justin</a></span></i><span lang="EN-US">, in full <i>Marcus Junianus
Justinus,</i> probably lived in the 2nd/3rd century AD and got a hold of
the 44 books called the <b><u>Philippic Histories</u></b> by <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/05/epitome-of-">Pompeius
Trogus</a> </i>that are now lost<i>.</i> <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/05/epitome-of-">Justin</a> decided
that <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/05/epitome-of-">Trogus’</a></i>
history was far too voluminous and he wrote his own abridged version. Sadly,
accuracy was not <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/05/epitome-of-">Justin’s</a></i>
strong point and he was not very concerned about his sources or the chronology
of the events already a weak point in <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/05/epitome-of-">Trogus’</a></i>
account.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">As a result, the
vivid description found on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zopyrion">Wikipedia</a>
and the like is fraud with pitfalls. Here, <i>Zopyrion</i>
is said to have assembled an army of 30,000 men. He started his march along the
southern banks of the Black Sea and laid siege on <b><i>Olbia</i></b>, a colony of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><i><b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2015/02/miletus-alexanders-first-siege-in-asia.html">Miletus</a></b></i></st1:city></st1:place>. At that time, <i><b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2015/02/miletus-alexanders-first-siege-in-asia.html"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Miletus</st1:city></st1:place></a> </b></i>was already
incorporated into <i>Alexander’s </i>Empire but <i style="font-weight: bold;">Olbia </i>was not. Left on its own, the
city<b><i>
</i></b>managed to survive the siege by granting freedom to its slave
population and granting citizenship to the foreigners who lived there. An
alliance with the Scythians counteracted <i>Zopyrion</i>’s
ambition even further, and he ran out of resources. At this point, he ended his
siege of <b><i>Olbia</i></b> and started to retreat. At the same time, his navy
apparently was hit by a severe storm devastating his fleet. In <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/05/epitome-of-">Justin’s</a> </i>account, <i>Zopyrion</i>’s campaign was
short-lived and he died with his troops end of 331 BC. He also reports that <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2011/12/macedonia-forged-by-philip-ii-16.html">Antipater</a> </i>as regent of <st1:country-region w:st="on">Macedonia</st1:country-region>, conveyed the news to <i>Alexander </i>in a letter
that also informed him that his uncle and brother-in-law <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2011/12/macedonia-forged-by-philip-ii-16.html"><i>Alexander of </i><st1:country-region w:st="on"><i>Epirus</i></st1:country-region></a>,
was killed in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Italy</st1:country-region></st1:place>.</span> </span></p>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">While
it is correct that <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2011/12/macedonia-forged-by-philip-ii-16.html">Alexander of Epirus</a></i> was
killed in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Italy</st1:country-region></st1:place>
in 331 BC, the ambitious campaign of <i>Zopyrion</i>
took place seven years later, in 324 BC. In the end, the details based on <i style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/05/epitome-of-">Justin’s</a> </i>account
may contain some truth but it is hard to filter them out. </span></span>Argyraspidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08284988922758243086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51559446055954584.post-69652652738141014872024-01-23T15:27:00.002+01:002024-02-14T17:49:23.808+01:00The Periplus of the Euxine Sea by Arrian – Part 2<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">The second part
of the Periplus covers the section </span><b style="text-align: justify;"><u>From
the Thracian Bosporus to Trapezus</u></b><span style="text-align: justify;">.</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">As mentioned
earlier in <b><u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2024/01/about-arrians-periplus-of-euxine-sea.html">About Arrian’s Periplus of the Euxine Sea</a></u></b>, it could not be established whether this chapter
reflects <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html"><i>Arrian</i></a>'s personal experience or not. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">One theory is that he wrote it upon arrival in <b><i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/51559446055954584/6965265273814101487">Trapezus</a> </i></b>after <i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/51559446055954584/6965265273814101487">Hadrian</a> </i>appointed him governor
of <st1:place w:st="on">Cappadocia</st1:place> in 131 AD. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We should also keep in mind that <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html"><i>Arrian</i></a> was a native of <st1:country-region w:st="on">Bithynia</st1:country-region> that bordered the south shores of the <st1:place w:st="on">Black Sea</st1:place> over approximately one-third of its total length. Consequently, he knew the people and the geography of that area very well. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">As an admirer of <i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/51559446055954584/6965265273814101487">Xenophon</a></i>, he was familiar with the route followed by the <b><u><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/51559446055954584/6965265273814101487">Ten
Thousand</a></u></b> as they marched from <b><i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/51559446055954584/6965265273814101487">Trapezus</a>
</i></b>to <b><i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/51559446055954584/6965265273814101487">Byzantium</a>
</i></b>following the seashore.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPyP7YtNWfOaWdPBHYk639AbDVioN0vzadTYc5cVg-yBv9RZN75ZrxdidZ9FMPVuqQ2MnkRY6C8y-DY-3EM6aSTFmyFl5sLwfeag7itxg6hXfy3QoFAarOKnJDSBCVr-UA-Dt_KI9Z_L_xr9KBAAWQKnBVcIcLu1BEOCWvIbnRtBaamo95e0I55SfPRk/s4928/bust-of-xenophon-18242.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4928" data-original-width="3264" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPyP7YtNWfOaWdPBHYk639AbDVioN0vzadTYc5cVg-yBv9RZN75ZrxdidZ9FMPVuqQ2MnkRY6C8y-DY-3EM6aSTFmyFl5sLwfeag7itxg6hXfy3QoFAarOKnJDSBCVr-UA-Dt_KI9Z_L_xr9KBAAWQKnBVcIcLu1BEOCWvIbnRtBaamo95e0I55SfPRk/s320/bust-of-xenophon-18242.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: center;">Bust of Xenophon, </span><span style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18242/bust-of-xenophon/">Carole Raddato (CC BY-NC-SA)</a>]</span></span></span></i></div></i><p></p><span><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Whatever the
case, this section of the Periplus includes an impressive list of the harbors
and rivers on the southern shore of the Black Sea among which are the cities of
<b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2023/10/alexander-head-found-near-black-sea.html">Herakleia-Pontus</a></i></b>
founded by the Megarians and the Boeotians at the mouth of the Lycus
River; <b><i>Tios</i></b>, at the mouth of the Billaeus River and a colony of <b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-many-colonies-of-miletus.html"><i>Miletus</i></a></b>; <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/01/heraclea-sintica-in-southwestern.html">Amastris </a></i>(modern <b>Amasra</b>)<i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>that<b><i> </i></b>had a harbor <st1:metricconverter productid="17 kilometers" w:st="on">17 kilometers</st1:metricconverter> from
the River Parthenius; <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/04/alexander-meeting-diogenes-in-corinth.html">Sinope</a></i></b>, another colony of <b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-many-colonies-of-miletus.html"><i>Miletus</i></a> </b>and home of<u style="font-style: italic;"> <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/04/alexander-meeting-diogenes-in-corinth.html">Diogenes</a></u>; <b><i>Amisus</i></b>,
an Athenian colony between the Halys and the Iris River deltas; and, finally, <b><i>Cotyora</i></b>,
a colony of <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/04/alexander-meeting-diogenes-in-corinth.html">Sinope</a></i></b>.</span> </div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Ever since the days of the Hittite Empire which reached its height in the 14<sup>th</sup> century BC, the <st1:placename w:st="on">Halys</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype> was the border between several kingdoms; first between <st1:country-region w:st="on">Lydia</st1:country-region> and the Persian Empire, then between the <st1:placename w:st="on">Pontic</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Kingdom</st1:placetype> and the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Kingdom</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Cappadocia</st1:placename></st1:place>. By the 6<sup>th</sup> century BC it separated <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Lydia</st1:country-region></st1:place> from Media until <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/06/as-rich-as-croesus.html">King Croesus</a></i> crossed the river to attack <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/11/cyrus-great-venerated-by-iranians-today.html">Cyrus the Great</a></i> and was defeated.</span> </div><div style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHFeV_Z3Joj2EOQz7m4XVmlVzjaVfQ5Vak0BNKTGIpVk7RnCGICh3kun7fgeOv75g3MtA8U7SZYDwLtPPxwTQCUa6AXKqZvIRR9b5e71I9eYUvVk3JfApfM7QphQ8aypp85hMtFEN7XkpozOogXC8pUusVcSiSZnKrGvMoaQ12CAbyOVqHe_YaVRle8fY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1392" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHFeV_Z3Joj2EOQz7m4XVmlVzjaVfQ5Vak0BNKTGIpVk7RnCGICh3kun7fgeOv75g3MtA8U7SZYDwLtPPxwTQCUa6AXKqZvIRR9b5e71I9eYUvVk3JfApfM7QphQ8aypp85hMtFEN7XkpozOogXC8pUusVcSiSZnKrGvMoaQ12CAbyOVqHe_YaVRle8fY" width="320" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">[From the <a href="https://greekreporter.com/2023/10/20/aphrodite-statue-ancient-greek-city-turkey/">Greek Reporter</a>]</span></i></div></i></div></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It is worth
mentioning that a 1.50-meter-tall statue of Aphrodite has been discovered
recently in ancient </span><b style="font-family: verdana;"><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/01/heraclea-sintica-in-southwestern.html">Amastris</a></i></b><span style="font-family: verdana;">. It could be established that it is a Roman copy from
between 180 and 200 AD that was inspired by </span><i style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/11/latest-excavations-at-cnidos.html">Praxiteles</a>’</i><span style="font-family: verdana;">
school in the 4th century BC. The ancient city was named after </span><i style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/01/heraclea-sintica-in-southwestern.html">Amastris</a></i><span style="font-family: verdana;">, the niece of </span><i style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-battle-of-gaugamela.html">King Darius III</a></i><span style="font-family: verdana;"> who married </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">Dionysos</i><span style="font-family: verdana;">, the tyrant of </span><b style="font-family: verdana;"><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2023/10/alexander-head-found-near-black-sea.html">Herakleia-Pontus</a></i></b><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">The map included
in my post <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2024/01/about-arrians-periplus-of-euxine-sea.html"><b>About
Arrian’s Periplus of the Euxine Sea</b></a> is most useful for locating all the
cities, harbors, and rivers mentioned above.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">It should be
said that while inspecting the Cappadocian frontier harbors in 123 AD, <i>Emperor </i><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/04/time-to-honor-emperor-hadrian.html">Hadrian</a></i> had already visited part
of the southern <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Euxine</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Sea</st1:placetype></st1:place>, including <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2024/01/about-arrians-periplus-of-euxine-sea.html">Trapezus</a></i></b>.
With this in mind, <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html"><i>Arrian</i></a> now informed
the emperor that <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2024/01/about-arrians-periplus-of-euxine-sea.html">Trapezus</a> </i></b>was building a new harbor replacing the mooring where
ships could only anchor in summer.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It is quite amazing
to see so much geography and history being exchanged. We tend to forget the many
lines of communication that existed in antiquity with traders, merchants, scholars,
philosophers, astronomers, kings, and emperors traveling far and wide, by land and
by sea.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>[<a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-periplus-of-euxine-sea-by-arrian.html">to be continued in Part 3</a>]</i></span></span></p>Argyraspidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08284988922758243086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51559446055954584.post-39695723573349884442024-01-17T12:38:00.002+01:002024-01-23T15:29:13.302+01:00The Periplus of the Euxine Sea by Arrian – Part 1<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>Arrian, to the Emperor Caesar Trajan Hadrian
Augustus, greetings. We came to Trapezus, a Greek city, as Xenophon says,
founded on the sea, a colony of the Sinopeans; and gladly we looked down on the
Euxine Sea from the very same spot as both Xenophon and you.</i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">With these
words, <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html"><i>Arrian</i></a> starts his letter to <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/04/time-to-honor-emperor-hadrian.html">Hadrian</a> </i>introducing the first part of his
report, <b><u>Tour of Colchis: From
Trapezus to Sebastopolis</u></b>.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">As mentioned in
my previous blog, <b><u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2024/01/about-arrians-periplus-of-euxine-sea.html">About Arrian’s Periplus of the Euxine Sea</a></u></b>, <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html"><i>Arrian</i></a> started his journey in <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2024/01/about-arrians-periplus-of-euxine-sea.html">Trapezus</a></i></b>. Here he visited the
sanctuary of Hermes, which was also devoted to Emperor <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/04/time-to-honor-emperor-hadrian.html">Hadrian</a></i>. <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html"><i>Arrian</i></a> tells the
emperor that his statue needs to be replaced with a better resemblance to the
original. He also shared his critiques on the rough stone altars and the
“incorrectly written” inscriptions.</span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqYns9vHa-NNSeLkktxLYf5Ow6PHSYv2ezpmYZoUvzZKOlyd7hGvedzfUBNffElvfOc6-wOxpJnd3-Ifx2oIfkvW6YlwM6qKS9xN6E1Rm5upAEYaFIaj59Qd-yNP2d7N2ED2z2qZkO-KFUBC4AiWyn3a7tzHSyQwHcSa0kxsqDBbLuDI9vRv-_NQcL3yc/s1123/18271.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1123" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqYns9vHa-NNSeLkktxLYf5Ow6PHSYv2ezpmYZoUvzZKOlyd7hGvedzfUBNffElvfOc6-wOxpJnd3-Ifx2oIfkvW6YlwM6qKS9xN6E1Rm5upAEYaFIaj59Qd-yNP2d7N2ED2z2qZkO-KFUBC4AiWyn3a7tzHSyQwHcSa0kxsqDBbLuDI9vRv-_NQcL3yc/s320/18271.jpg.webp" width="285" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i>[</i></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18271/the-caucasian-frontier-of-the-roman-empire/" title="The Caucasian Frontier of the Roman Empire"><span style="color: #222222; text-decoration-line: none;">The Caucasian Frontier of the Roman Empire</span></a>. <a href="https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18271/the-caucasian-frontier-of-the-roman-empire/" title="The Caucasian Frontier of the Roman Empire"><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: black;">David Breeze and Kurt Schaller (CC BY-NC-SA)</span></span></a></i>]</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">From <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2024/01/about-arrians-periplus-of-euxine-sea.html">Trapezus</a></i></b>, <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html"><i>Arrian</i></a> sailed east to inspect the
garrison of <b><i>Hyssus</i></b>. Here, he organized a display of javelin throwing and
reminded the soldiers of <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/04/time-to-honor-emperor-hadrian.html">Hadrian</a></i>’s
observations and address made in 128 AD at <b><i>Lambaesis</i></b>, Numidia (modern Algeria) <span lang="EN-US">which survived on a column found northwest of its parade
ground</span>.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">His next stop
was at the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">temple</st1:placetype>
of <st1:placename w:st="on">Athena</st1:placename></st1:place> in <b><i>Athenae</i></b>,
where he was marooned for two days due to a violent storm of thunder and
lightning, during which he lost one of his triremes. <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html"><i>Arrian</i></a>’s fleet consisted of <i>liburnas</i>,
small galleys suitable for raiding and patrols, and large triremes.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When it was safe
to travel onwards, he anchored at the fortress of <b><i>Apsarus</i></b> (<b>Gonio</b> in modern <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Georgia</st1:country-region></st1:place>). He inspected the weapons
and provisions of the five cohorts and paid the 2,500 soldiers. Remains of this
impressive Roman fortress are still standing on the left bank of the River
Chorokhi where it controlled the access to the hinterland. In 135 AD, <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html"><i>Arrian</i></a> established his headquarters in <b><i>Apsarus</i></b>
when he led the Cappadocian legions against the invading Alans.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0zpjAw3eP7qW4e_KmsG9vJEJc4Z3T83JMd_cfbBDtIomSBcUKC8ss_AkjVaBVHnbYwev8bOTvDeVwhzxum6KBfoij1huqnUVcNMGoh2hO0BKcpVJD35zWtjh6yE51rmUWfaxzJavk7wJzX1HhE_YFWwm9yZvUm9kAYDnM3X0YBdAmzH53hk9QVshO2TI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="1000" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0zpjAw3eP7qW4e_KmsG9vJEJc4Z3T83JMd_cfbBDtIomSBcUKC8ss_AkjVaBVHnbYwev8bOTvDeVwhzxum6KBfoij1huqnUVcNMGoh2hO0BKcpVJD35zWtjh6yE51rmUWfaxzJavk7wJzX1HhE_YFWwm9yZvUm9kAYDnM3X0YBdAmzH53hk9QVshO2TI" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span lang="EN-US"><span><div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-style: italic;"><span><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">[</span></i></span></span><span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; font-style: italic; text-align: center;">Remains of the Apsarus Roman Fort, </span><span style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Carole Raddato (CC BY-NC-SA)]</span></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">At this point in
his letters, <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html">Arrian</a> </i>provides a list
of all the rivers between <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2024/01/about-arrians-periplus-of-euxine-sea.html">Trapezus</a> </i></b>and <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-many-colonies-of-miletus.html"><b><i>Phasis</i></b></a> that flow into the
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Euxine</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Sea</st1:placetype></st1:place>, adding the distances between them.</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">These details
are helpful to follow the governor as he moved on to <i><b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-many-colonies-of-miletus.html">Phasis</a></b> </i>(see: <b><u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-many-colonies-of-miletus.html">The many colonies of Miletus</a></u></b>), some <st1:metricconverter productid="67 kilometers" w:st="on">67 kilometers</st1:metricconverter> further
north at the mouth of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Phasis</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place>. This was the most
important river in <st1:place w:st="on">Colchis</st1:place>. It arose in the <st1:place w:st="on">Caucasus</st1:place> and its water was unusually soft and sweet with changeable
light color. In <b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-many-colonies-of-miletus.html"><i>Phasis</i></a>,</b> he dug a ditch to protect the harbor and the settlement
that had developed around the stronghold.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html">Arrian</a><span lang="EN-US">’s</span></i><span lang="EN-US"><i> </i>interest and
respect for the history of Jason is tickled when the locals show him an iron
anchor claiming it belonged to Jason’s ship, the Argo. However, he was skeptical
as it looked too recent. It seems that even in ancient times, people liked to
spread tales and myths!</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The last leg of
this trip took <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html">Arrian</a> </i>to <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-many-colonies-of-miletus.html"><b><i>Dioscurias</i></b></a>,
another colony of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-many-colonies-of-miletus.html"><i>Miletus</i></a></b></st1:city></st1:place>,
known to him as <b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-many-colonies-of-miletus.html"><i>Sebastopolis</i></a></b>.
He is said to have visited the sick, which raises the question about their ailments. He also checked the city walls and the ditch to be sure they would
resist any attack from the native Colchian tribes on the eastern coast. He
provided a list of their rulers subject to <i><b><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Rome</st1:city></st1:place> </b></i>as established by <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/04/time-to-honor-emperor-hadrian.html">Hadrian</a></i>. They were <i>Malassas
</i>of the Lazi, <i>Rhezmegas </i>of the Abasci,
and <i>Spadagas </i>of the Sanigs.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">He further
inspected <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-many-colonies-of-miletus.html"><b><i>Sebastopolis</i></b></a>,
including the grain supply vital to the army’s survival. He paid the soldiers
and watched the cavalry in their exercises leaping upon horses.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">From that
harbor, the governor could see the highest peak of the Caucasus, the Strobilus,
where according to myth Prometheus was bound and an eagle ate his liver that
grew back overnight. The mountain was <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Mount</st1:placetype> <st1:placename w:st="on">Elbruz</st1:placename></st1:place>.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This completed <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html">Arrian</a>’s </i>mission and he returned to the
naval base of <st1:metricconverter productid="422 kilometers" w:st="on"><b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2024/01/about-arrians-periplus-of-euxine-sea.html">Trapezus</a> </i></b>422
kilometers</st1:metricconverter> away.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>[<a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-periplus-of-euxine-sea-by-arrian_23.html">To be continued in Part 2</a>]</i></span></span></p></span></span></div></span></span>Argyraspidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08284988922758243086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51559446055954584.post-61657785792848790062024-01-10T10:00:00.000+01:002024-01-10T10:00:00.132+01:00The Palace of Aegae/Vergina in full glory<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Back in May 2018, the restored </span><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2018/02/at-last-palace-of-aegae-reopens-to.html"><st1:placetype style="text-align: justify;" w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype><span style="text-align: justify;"> of </span><st1:placename style="text-align: justify;" w:st="on"><b><i>Aegae</i></b></st1:placename></a><span style="text-align: justify;">
in </span><b style="text-align: justify;">Vergina</b><span style="text-align: justify;"> was expected to open to
the public (see: </span><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2018/02/at-last-palace-of-aegae-reopens-to.html" style="text-align: justify;">At
last, the Palace of Aegae reopens to the public</a><span style="text-align: justify;">) but for some unknown
reason, it was delayed.</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: justify;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBLRrDv5nPXEESqpaYcRaohIKXas5nh0Y2oWnWIORnbzL1pgSo5QzaNCLiZ5dxoUGfpVfEOPO8IWEoWXqM7yVT8wwHrTWpKZi5zxRH0sUjB3LZl4BH6wmnJiiayqinGALR3x99CvK6bqCCpUmzvbOCfpQVDYXtqw-cT5PS_YBV8KHbt8xjuv3z9oqpgAw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="908" data-original-width="1392" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBLRrDv5nPXEESqpaYcRaohIKXas5nh0Y2oWnWIORnbzL1pgSo5QzaNCLiZ5dxoUGfpVfEOPO8IWEoWXqM7yVT8wwHrTWpKZi5zxRH0sUjB3LZl4BH6wmnJiiayqinGALR3x99CvK6bqCCpUmzvbOCfpQVDYXtqw-cT5PS_YBV8KHbt8xjuv3z9oqpgAw" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="text-align: justify;"><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Picture from the <a href="https://greekreporter.com/2024/01/02/greece-palace-aigai-parthenon-macedonia/">Greek Reporter</a>]</i></div></i></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Finally, in the first week of 2024, the site
has officially been opened and visitors will be able to see the <st1:place w:st="on"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2018/02/at-last-palace-of-aegae-reopens-to.html"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on"><b><i>Aegae</i></b></st1:placename></a></st1:place> in all its glory at last.</span> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Ever since it was built by <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2011/07/macedonia-forged-by-philip-ii-2-start.html">Philip II</a></i> and throughout the heyday of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Macedonia</st1:place></st1:country-region>, the
magnificent palace was visible from afar. Set on a hillside, it was a clear
symbol of power, three times larger than the Parthenon and as impressive.</span> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The Palace is built around a large square<span lang="EN-US"> Peristyle</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span>surrounded by the
roofed colonnade of the Stoa. The Tholos on the east side entrance, part of the
impressive Propylon, has been tentatively defined as a place of worship, and the
large room on the opposite west side as banqueting halls. The Palace’s living
quarters occupied the south wing, including mosaic-paved Andrones. It should be
noted that this architecture illustrates the innovative concept in <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2011/12/macedonia-forged-by-philip-ii-16.html">Philip’s</a></i> days. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Interestingly, the mosaic floors that have not
yet been moved to the <u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/08/vergina-royal-tombs-by-manolis.html">Museum
of <b>Vergina</b></a></u> are left <i>in situ</i>. Initially, the stonework and
architectural decorations were covered with high-quality marble stucco that could
easily be mistaken for marble. </p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CO9c-RHzoFo?si=VU_KgnJb2NvsFwmT" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">In December 2022,
the</span> <u>New Museum of </u><i><b><u>Aegae</u> </b></i>has been inaugurated <span lang="EN-US" style="text-align: left;">with the <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2021/01/project-for-virtual-museum-of-alexander.html">Polycentric
Museum</a> which will house the statues and sculptures unearthed in the many
sanctuaries of the city. It will also be used for temporary exhibitions and,
most importantly, it will contain a virtual museum named “<i>Alexander the Great: from Aegae to the World</i>”. The multipurpose space incorporates and
unites the central building with the entire archaeological site, including the
<a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2011/12/macedonia-forged-by-philip-ii-16.html">Palace of <i>Philip</i></a>, the Royal Tombs
cluster (see: </span><b style="text-align: left;"><u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2021/07/there-is-more-to-aegae-than-royal.html">There
is more to Aegae than the Royal Palace and the Great Tumulus</a></u></b><span style="text-align: left;">) and
the </span><u style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/08/vergina-royal-tombs-by-manolis.html">Museum
of the Royal Tomb</a></u><span style="text-align: left;">. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Let’s go!</span></p><o:p></o:p>Argyraspidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08284988922758243086noreply@blogger.com3Vergina 590 31, Greece40.4876578 22.315899612.177423963821155 -12.840350399999998 68.797891636178846 57.4721496tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51559446055954584.post-73184041456737176352024-01-03T13:17:00.012+01:002024-02-14T17:52:51.749+01:00About Arrian’s Periplus of the Euxine Sea<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">Beyond doubt, <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html"><i>Arrian</i></a> is best known for his <b><u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html">Campaigns of Alexander the Great</a></u></b>
but as I mentioned in my earlier post, <b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/03/what-do-we-know-about-arrian-of.html">What
do we know about Arrian of Nicomedia</a></b>, he was a prolific writer.
However, most of his works have now been lost.</span> </span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Such was the
case for his <b><u><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1853996610?tag=anciehistoenc-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1">Periplus of the Euxine Sea</a></u></b>, the <b><u>Circumnavigation of
the Black Sea</u></b>, an official military report <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html">Arrian</a> </i>wrote in Latin to <i>Emperor
<a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/04/time-to-honor-emperor-hadrian.html">Hadrian</a></i>, who had inspected the area before him. Additionally, he composed a
series of informal letters to <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/04/time-to-honor-emperor-hadrian.html">Hadrian </a></i>using
Greek.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfDTFUm1NmqFFAInc_0N62L152sBUwxSLSokTWmIxWN7Lr7-G3JLST3EL96eHMRvAEblTOFUamXZfNeEOTOu4OMbrW281RFWjtQJJO7MXmauOVMailzhr0r_RfjxGAwMjKKGob5Cw4sWIiNDJvvc3aIcArfRAJ8L4WcMiKEQu8TV8rC8Om6-7PdPrAp18" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="1500" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfDTFUm1NmqFFAInc_0N62L152sBUwxSLSokTWmIxWN7Lr7-G3JLST3EL96eHMRvAEblTOFUamXZfNeEOTOu4OMbrW281RFWjtQJJO7MXmauOVMailzhr0r_RfjxGAwMjKKGob5Cw4sWIiNDJvvc3aIcArfRAJ8L4WcMiKEQu8TV8rC8Om6-7PdPrAp18" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>[<a href="https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18252/the-periplus-of-the-euxine-sea-c-130-ce/">The Periplus of the Euxine Sea, ca, 130 AD. </a></i><span style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18252/the-periplus-of-the-euxine-sea-c-130-ce/"><i>Simeon Netchev (CC BY-NC-SA)]</i></a></span></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Although <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/03/what-do-we-know-about-arrian-of.html"><i>Arrian</i></a> was a member of the Roman
imperial administration, he also belonged to the Greek literary elite. As a
native of still very Greek <st1:country-region w:st="on">Bithynia</st1:country-region>
in <st1:place w:st="on">Asia Minor</st1:place>, <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/03/what-do-we-know-about-arrian-of.html">Arrian</a> </i>grew up with this dual identity making him a true
Graeco-Roman. Addressing his Greek account to the Philhellenic emperor
underscores his friendly and personal relationship with <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/04/time-to-honor-emperor-hadrian.html">Hadrian</a></i>.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html">Arrian</a> </span></i><span lang="EN-US">was very much
inspired by <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-persian-expedition-by-xenophon.html">Xenophon</a></i>, a philosopher,
and historian from the 4<sup>th</sup> century BC – hence his nickname of
“Second Xenophon.” In fact, <i><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html">Arrian</a> </span></i>picked up <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-persian-expedition-by-xenophon.html"><i>Xenophon</i>’s</a> tracks on the <st1:place w:st="on">Black Sea</st1:place> at <b><i>Trapezus</i></b> as he led his <b><u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-persian-expedition-by-xenophon.html">Ten Thousand</a></u></b> according to his <b><u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-persian-expedition-by-xenophon.html">Anabasis</a></u></b>.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html"><i>Arrian’s</i></a> Greek
version of the Periplus with its valuable information about the <st1:place w:st="on">Black Sea</st1:place> region luckily survived. It dates from 131 AD,
one year after he<i> </i>had been
appointed governor of <st1:place w:st="on">Cappadocia</st1:place>.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In his days,
Cappadocia was a Roman frontier with forts along the coast of the <st1:place w:st="on">Black Sea</st1:place>. <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html"><i>Arrian’s</i>
</a>duty was to protect that line of defense and the routes into the hinterland up
to the Parthian Empire further east. He was also responsible for the Pontic
Fleet based in <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2024/01/about-arrians-periplus-of-euxine-sea.html">Trapezus</a> </i></b>(modern <st1:city w:st="on"><b>Trabzon</b></st1:city>) and for protecting the grain supply from <st1:place w:st="on">Crimea</st1:place>. Besides those matters about his military and
diplomatic mission, <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html">Arrian</a> </i>outlined
the navigation routes and ports of the <st1:place w:st="on">Black Sea</st1:place>
and concentrated on economic activities and resources.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">His Periplus covers a counter-clockwise voyage around the <st1:place w:st="on">Black Sea</st1:place>,
made in three separate trips. During his first journey, he sailed from <b><i>Trapezus</i></b> to </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-many-colonies-of-miletus.html"><i>Sebastopolis</i></a></b>. His letters to </span><i style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/04/time-to-honor-emperor-hadrian.html">Hadrian</a> </i><span style="font-family: verdana;">are bundled in chapters 1 to 11
and constitute the longest and most interesting part of his Greek </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Periplus</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">His second
expedition contained in chapters 12 to 17 took him from the Bosporus to <b><i>Trapezus</i></b>,
and the third one is covered in chapters 18 to 25 traveling from <b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-many-colonies-of-miletus.html"><i>Sebastopolis</i></a> </b>to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2011/07/macedonia-forged-by-philip-ii-2-start.html">Byzantium</a></i></b></st1:place></st1:city>.
These two voyages may well have been undertaken by different people as the
narration is less personal and less fluent.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Much of the
writing focuses on the rivers, landmarks, harbors, and cities, including the
distances and other relevant information for sailors and travelers alike. It
also includes information regarding the local population and the safe havens.
True to himself, <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2009/10/campaigns-of-alexander-great-by-arrian.html"><i>Arrian</i></a> likes to
insert local stories from Greek mythology such as Jason and the Argonauts and
Prometheus, and often quotes <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2011/04/iliad-by-homer-new.html">Homer</a></i>.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In short, a complete
traveler’s guide that may still be helpful today!</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>[</i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-periplus-of-euxine-sea-by-arrian.html"><i>Continue reading in Part 1]</i></a></span></span></p></div>Argyraspidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08284988922758243086noreply@blogger.com0Black Sea43.413028999999987 34.29931615.102795163821142 -0.85693400000000253 71.723262836178833 69.455566tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51559446055954584.post-79090260806972502602023-12-23T12:35:00.001+01:002023-12-23T12:35:00.136+01:00The ill-fated archaeological site of Viminacium<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">Most people never heard
the name </span><b style="text-align: justify;"><i>Viminacium</i></b><span style="text-align: justify;"> – not surprising for who would be looking for it in </span><st1:place style="text-align: justify;" w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Serbia</st1:country-region></st1:place><span style="text-align: justify;">?
Tourists are not exactly flocking into that country which is not high on the
priority list of the archaeologists either. The Balkans are a true stepchild of </span><st1:place style="text-align: justify;" w:st="on">Europe.</st1:place><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: justify;">When <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2019/04/crossing-danube-river.html">Alexander</a> </i>campaigned against the people north of Macedonia in 335 BC, his march took him across the <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2019/04/crossing-danube-river.html">Ister (Danube) River</a>. After subduing <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2019/04/crossing-danube-river.html ">the Getae</a>, he led his army back to camp where he received many envoys from other tribes along the <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2019/04/crossing-danube-river.html">Danube</a>. The Celts from the Adriatic coast also visited the young king with messages of friendship, maybe including the tribes living in what was to become <i><b>Viminacium</b></i>.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><i><span lang="EN-US">Viminacium</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US"> originated
as a Celtic settlement on which the Romans built their fort in the early 1<sup>st</sup>
century AD. It eventually grew to become the capital of the Roman <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">province</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Moesia</st1:placename></st1:place> with a population reaching up to
30,000 people. The site is hidden under the fertile fields outside of the <st1:placetype w:st="on">village</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on"><b>Stari Kostolac</b></st1:placename>
roughly <st1:metricconverter productid="50 km" w:st="on">50 km</st1:metricconverter>
east of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b>Belgrade</b></st1:place></st1:city>.
Situated south of the <st1:placename w:st="on">Danube</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype>, it occupied an exceptional
position at the crossroads of a flourishing communication and trade network on <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Rome</st1:place></st1:city>’s northern frontier.</span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFfe_DyeadURxvkclAqD2b6aUnWAsoaSp_e83FXGM0HZl_uZwPut-SfncFv0RpuVAZJuBBWQpSn-kFNRPTBw95ZCXcoeaGB1FWyR3XhVmoPNCFES7k81SfEatUo9kZLR4AZLeJQeinQCoJiYgV1R6UnGEZ5PX87EfE3ZXZZdDUcvpWytR2RURn5vtoY_o/s800/tourists-visit-the-nec.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFfe_DyeadURxvkclAqD2b6aUnWAsoaSp_e83FXGM0HZl_uZwPut-SfncFv0RpuVAZJuBBWQpSn-kFNRPTBw95ZCXcoeaGB1FWyR3XhVmoPNCFES7k81SfEatUo9kZLR4AZLeJQeinQCoJiYgV1R6UnGEZ5PX87EfE3ZXZZdDUcvpWytR2RURn5vtoY_o/s320/tourists-visit-the-nec.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">As no systematic
excavations were ever carried out, all we have are tens of thousands of
fragmentary and occasional finds. The majority of the artifacts come from the
city’s necropolis which counts some 14,000 tombs - one of the largest in the region. </span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span lang="EN-US">Serbia</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-US">, like its neighbors,
does not have the infrastructure, the means, or perhaps the will to invest in
the country’s past.</span> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Useless to point out that illegal digs are frequent.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">So far, scanning of the
area has revealed the presence of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Roman</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Imperial</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place>, the Roman Baths,
an amphitheater, a hippodrome, several temples, a mint, and a fleet of ships.
Simultaneously, the ten-meter-wide colonnaded Decumanus has been located,
complete with its sewage system. It also showed traces of a triumphal arch
erected in 195 AD to honor <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-challenge-of-crossing-cilician-gates.html">Marcus Aurelius Antoninus</a></i>, better known as <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-challenge-of-crossing-cilician-gates.html">Emperor Caracalla</a></i>. An inscription to that effect was found nearby.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">Otherwise, much is left
to be discovered as only two percent has been explored by
‘experts’.</span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">Meanwhile, the locals
dug out and reused Roman bricks bearing their recognizable stamp to build their
own walls and houses. Even mosaics and other items served today’s needs. Nearby
mining projects, a recent coal project, and a power plant function
unhindered, it seems.</span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyXgnP_C_x-PlLVb9-2NCVyYbaKXb0nB57KMr6F6B7SqT0VHFliMJKXx-I5etXIO0rPGcW92XJA-alVnFUbM1f8nK01lEnxe5ZZOiHFqBrHC9U1rOgv-Nym_vX0nXqOt7Lw3S8SFXFba8TtK2WX9w7cYfeLSLebDxtoZgtQpr-odyXjrpgMMn0ov6rUs/s800/archeologists-work-at.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyXgnP_C_x-PlLVb9-2NCVyYbaKXb0nB57KMr6F6B7SqT0VHFliMJKXx-I5etXIO0rPGcW92XJA-alVnFUbM1f8nK01lEnxe5ZZOiHFqBrHC9U1rOgv-Nym_vX0nXqOt7Lw3S8SFXFba8TtK2WX9w7cYfeLSLebDxtoZgtQpr-odyXjrpgMMn0ov6rUs/s320/archeologists-work-at.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">As recent as <st1:metricconverter productid="2020, a" w:st="on">2020, a</st1:metricconverter> ship from the first
century BC had been recovered about two kilometers away, according to the
article in <a href="https://phys.org/news/2021-12-held-history-roman-blocks-serbian.html">Phys.org
News</a>. In the summer of 2023 another ship, <st1:metricconverter productid="20 meters" w:st="on">20 meters</st1:metricconverter> long and <st1:metricconverter productid="3.5 meters" w:st="on">3.5 meters</st1:metricconverter> wide was
discovered. This was a flat-bottom vessel powered by oars and sail <a href="https://sveoarheologiji.com/jos-jedno-senzacionalno-otkrice-u-viminacijumu-ostaci-broda/">that
has not yet been dated</a>.</span> </span></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The decline of the
ancient city of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><i>Viminacium</i></b></st1:place></st1:city>
was triggered by the invasion of the Huns in the mid-5<sup>th</sup> century AD. By the time the Slavs settled in this area at the beginning of the 7<sup>th</sup>
century, the busy Roman settlement was entirely abandoned.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US"><span><i>[Pictures from </i></span></span><i><a href="https://phys.org/news/2021-12-held-history-roman-blocks-serbian.html">Phys.org News</a>]</i></span></p>Argyraspidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08284988922758243086noreply@blogger.com0Kostolac, Serbia44.7353329 21.195823216.425099063821158 -13.9604268 73.045566736178841 56.3520732tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51559446055954584.post-22338885913354332602023-12-17T22:08:00.000+01:002023-12-17T22:08:22.576+01:00Pergamese offerings<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">In one of the rooms of the </span><u style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/04/unanswered-questions-about-alexander.html">Archaeological Museum in
<b>Naples</b></a></u><span style="text-align: justify;">, I am confronted with a
group of statues lying on the floor. It looks like dead bodies that collapsed
on the spot. The label near the entrance reads Small Pergamese Votive Offering,
Roman copy of the 2nd century AD, from a Greek original of the 2nd century BC.</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xWJsAdC_kCvX5CbKXZmxL3zPzY16RWevUaOweJQVgGLy7Ypa6UEUX7Ucs6b9fxjSp75xqNjKPVP_0M7VSDWx9DdxEMSSCWg3Okb9hr9DdCRCshtiP2r8tmvqfVr0wmauvFMDNm1c82FGg-81fuMWX-LtnrCGKImNH_teD2phlEFxCq0ssdW2QD3c9PQ/s2439/569%20Small%20Pergamese%20offering,%202cAD,cc%20GR%20orig%202cBC.%20Amazon,%20Giant,%20dead%20warrior,%20wounded%20Gaul.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1663" data-original-width="2439" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xWJsAdC_kCvX5CbKXZmxL3zPzY16RWevUaOweJQVgGLy7Ypa6UEUX7Ucs6b9fxjSp75xqNjKPVP_0M7VSDWx9DdxEMSSCWg3Okb9hr9DdCRCshtiP2r8tmvqfVr0wmauvFMDNm1c82FGg-81fuMWX-LtnrCGKImNH_teD2phlEFxCq0ssdW2QD3c9PQ/s320/569%20Small%20Pergamese%20offering,%202cAD,cc%20GR%20orig%202cBC.%20Amazon,%20Giant,%20dead%20warrior,%20wounded%20Gaul.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">The scene makes me feel uncomfortable and I don’t know
what to think. It looks spooky. I don’t even realize the connection with the
site of <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-attalids-rulers-of-pergamon.html">Pergamon</a> </i></b>and if there is one I cannot tie it to anything.</span> </div></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfunKFH2AI__bK-9tP9kxyuEFBXemjV2IhpKJa3OANnfbHN7SxOld8JAN3n1Jf2t-KnOUJOo3Frvc21w5G5ROFEj7EqTN_yTf5FGuQKLgJVqgA1JeGlSgkz_pGGkGV1rnDOuO_fSXwe5gV9NBA8wbhq2-wBy3-wIfXbAfFZ_WepIA4Y8ii_TRoK8I_Mg/s2046/570%20mall%20Pergamese%20offering,%202cAD,cc%20GR%20orig%202cBC.%20wounded%20Gaul.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1736" data-original-width="2046" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfunKFH2AI__bK-9tP9kxyuEFBXemjV2IhpKJa3OANnfbHN7SxOld8JAN3n1Jf2t-KnOUJOo3Frvc21w5G5ROFEj7EqTN_yTf5FGuQKLgJVqgA1JeGlSgkz_pGGkGV1rnDOuO_fSXwe5gV9NBA8wbhq2-wBy3-wIfXbAfFZ_WepIA4Y8ii_TRoK8I_Mg/s320/570%20mall%20Pergamese%20offering,%202cAD,cc%20GR%20orig%202cBC.%20wounded%20Gaul.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">The figures are a little less than life-size and
represent an Amazon, a Giant, a Dead Warrior, and a Wounded Gaul. More examples
of this group are, apparently, exhibited in the collections of the <b><st1:country-region w:st="on">Vatican</st1:country-region> </b>and <st1:city style="font-weight: bold;" w:st="on">Venice</st1:city>
in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Italy</st1:country-region>, <b><st1:city w:st="on">Paris</st1:city>
</b>and <st1:city style="font-weight: bold;" w:st="on">Aix-en-Provence</st1:city> in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">France</st1:place></st1:country-region>.</span> </div></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">The statues fit the imposing reliefs of Gigantomachy
and Amazonomachy that surrounded the Altar of Zeus, created by <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-attalids-rulers-of-pergamon.html">Eumenes II</a></i> in
<i><b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-attalids-rulers-of-pergamon.html">Pergamon</a></b></i>. This Votive Offering is a copy of the original that was placed along the
south wall of the Acropolis in <i><b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-thrasyllos-monument-in-athens.html"><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Athens</st1:place></st1:city></a> </b></i>in 167-166 BC, probably by <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-attalids-rulers-of-pergamon.html">Attalus II</a></i>.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">They represent four battles, two mythical (the
Gigantomachy and the Amazonomachy) and two historical (the Battle of <i><b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2019/08/the-pharaonic-race-as-opposed-to-race.html"><st1:place w:st="on">Marathon</st1:place></a> </b></i>and the one against the Galatians). According to
recent research, discoveries near the Acropolis have led to believe that the
Athenian votives were originally made of bronze. They may even be copies of a
series located initially at <i><b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-attalids-rulers-of-pergamon.html">Pergamon</a></b></i>. The entire composition, which counted at
least 50 sculptures, was meant to celebrate the greatest epic battles between
gods and men, and the Pergamene victories over the Galatians, who were a
constant threat to the <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-attalids-rulers-of-pergamon.html">Attalid kingdom</a>.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDy_2VhuYa9Ae3qERDqjV6T-zcyoWSUTufFe7r5PRj2nXJCVKUcGw3x_Ir85_jQspN4v86tii0fuTPWJcZ3w9ejmxHRsiphrN6olXmaxs7IGsv70n9-oxV5ZxGiqe0mWxhldkrFi4tY46iOrWoA742HtIR5kyLW4ChQo7MvAszTM5yj3kjoBzkzvH5os/s2560/571%20small%20Pergamese%20offering,%202cAD,cc%20GR%20orig%202cBC.%20Amazon.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDy_2VhuYa9Ae3qERDqjV6T-zcyoWSUTufFe7r5PRj2nXJCVKUcGw3x_Ir85_jQspN4v86tii0fuTPWJcZ3w9ejmxHRsiphrN6olXmaxs7IGsv70n9-oxV5ZxGiqe0mWxhldkrFi4tY46iOrWoA742HtIR5kyLW4ChQo7MvAszTM5yj3kjoBzkzvH5os/s320/571%20small%20Pergamese%20offering,%202cAD,cc%20GR%20orig%202cBC.%20Amazon.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">The Roman copies were based on the Athenian votives
and executed in marble. They portrayed only the victors rather than all the characters
from the Greek original, which raises the question of establishing the
historical circumstance of their creation. From the stylistic point of view,
the Neapolitan copies found in the Baths of <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/03/linking-pantheon-in-rome-with-ancient.html"><i>Agrippa</i> </a>have been dated to the 2nd
century AD.</span> </span></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">These votives have been leading a life of their own,
and it is not impossible that more of their history will be revealed in the
future.</span></span></p><br />Argyraspidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08284988922758243086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51559446055954584.post-2441691152386326832023-11-30T16:32:00.000+01:002023-11-30T16:32:45.528+01:00Macedonia’s influence in Pelagonia<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">The exact
location of the K<st1:placetype w:st="on">ingdom</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Pelagonia</st1:placename> is still eluding archaeologists and
historians but they agree that it is somewhere in the region of <b>Bonče </b>in <st1:place w:st="on">Northern Macedonia</st1:place>, close to the Greek border.</span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">Based on
historical sources, <b><i>Pelagon </i></b>was established in the early 4<sup>th</sup> century
BC as the capital of the Pelagonian tribe. In the Iliad, however, <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2011/04/iliad-by-homer-new.html">Homer</a></i>
mentions that <i>Asteropaius</i>, who fought
against Achilles in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2019/02/exploring-troy-and-surroundings.html">Troy</a></i></b></st1:place></st1:city>,
is the son of <i>King Pelagon</i>. Many other historical and mythological figures go by the name Pelagon,
which does not help to define who is who.</span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2MTzlTxMbn8HTHYlLlsqXC8fjZQzTjQds9RAc268MpN7R9wuM6YcMsOAcWuQbVJaT_1SZJK6bqnAmkGTjNoUVoxggzQN8T7jDpWbdN5NVxosSDhZw0EECWpBhYngLBll6G6Xd4FLglIRVNhRCcNyGDoIjt04vc9AvFdH93WbIQInF4-u2zkLt-8gqOXs/s240/%D0%9C%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B0_%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%86%D0%B0_%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%98_%D0%91%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%87%D0%B5_01.JPG.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="240" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2MTzlTxMbn8HTHYlLlsqXC8fjZQzTjQds9RAc268MpN7R9wuM6YcMsOAcWuQbVJaT_1SZJK6bqnAmkGTjNoUVoxggzQN8T7jDpWbdN5NVxosSDhZw0EECWpBhYngLBll6G6Xd4FLglIRVNhRCcNyGDoIjt04vc9AvFdH93WbIQInF4-u2zkLt-8gqOXs/s1600/%D0%9C%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B0_%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%86%D0%B0_%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%98_%D0%91%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%87%D0%B5_01.JPG.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">The kingdom was known
to be adjacent to <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2021/05/about-paeonians.html">Paeonia</a>
and early in his kingship, <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2011/07/macedonia-forged-by-philip-ii-3-king.html">Philip II of Macedonia</a></i> campaigned in those countries north of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Macedonia</st1:place></st1:country-region>. <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2021/05/about-paeonians.html">Paeonia</a>
was led by <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2012/10/alexander-vs-parmenion.html">Parmenion</a></i>,
who decided to rally to the side of the new king. What exactly happened
elsewhere remains rather obscure.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">Between the
villages of <b>Bonče</b> and <b>Podme,</b> a necropolis with several tumuli
has been located. These tombs date from between the 4<sup>th</sup> to the 2<sup>nd</sup>
century BC and are all in Macedonian style.</span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">A larger grave
site was surrounded by a circular stone wall, not unlike the <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/08/update-about-excavations-at-amphipolis.html">Kasta
Hill</a></i></b> tomb of <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/08/interview-with-nicholas-j-saunders-on.html">Amphipolis</a></i></b>.
Because of its impressive <st1:metricconverter productid="30 meters" w:st="on">30
meters</st1:metricconverter> in diameter, the tumulus has been attributed to a
king of Pelagonia. A particularly long vaulted corridor of <st1:metricconverter productid="20 meters" w:st="on">20 meters</st1:metricconverter>, <st1:metricconverter productid="2.95 meters" w:st="on">2.95 meters</st1:metricconverter> high and <st1:metricconverter productid="2.15 meters" w:st="on">2.15 meters</st1:metricconverter> wide, led
to the antechamber and the burial chamber proper. This room was rectangular and measured 8 x <st1:metricconverter productid="6.6 meters" w:st="on">6.6 meters</st1:metricconverter> with a height
of <st1:metricconverter productid="5.60 meters" w:st="on">5.60 meters</st1:metricconverter>.
Like the corridor, the main section of the tomb was cut onto the rock surface
and lined with large stone blocks that reached up to a length of three meters.</span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">All tombs have
been thoroughly plundered well before WW1. The roofs of the burial chambers have
been dismantled and the stones reused in more recent local constructions. Although
nothing of any historical value has been found inside the graves, the remains
confirm that the 4<sup>th</sup> century BC was a period of exceptional wealth.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the fields of
<b>Bonče</b> not far from these grave
sites, bits of three partially preserved royal shields have been discovered
with a close link to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Macedonia</st1:country-region></st1:place>.
They display a central sun with 12 rays surrounded by three concentric circles.
Around these, a series of smaller suns with 8 rays are represented.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitqDO-KfQLwrytLcbaHp6Un58WqdnkhVs0ys_SVyCSgOitPD_fHPExRDCpqaO7JFH4A-Htsx3MUvC8Fio4ViZxsSvthF9ToyubTB8DQX_MCaIY66YqgqbgAYqNZst3_uQyuxMaCzhthrx7mej7O1ViQcJY_ClRNGWXblWT56ZaRbCanHHCJ8HjT1rreTQ/s240/180px-Fragments_of_an_ancient_Macedonian_shield_found_in_Bon%C4%8De,_North_Macedonia.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="180" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitqDO-KfQLwrytLcbaHp6Un58WqdnkhVs0ys_SVyCSgOitPD_fHPExRDCpqaO7JFH4A-Htsx3MUvC8Fio4ViZxsSvthF9ToyubTB8DQX_MCaIY66YqgqbgAYqNZst3_uQyuxMaCzhthrx7mej7O1ViQcJY_ClRNGWXblWT56ZaRbCanHHCJ8HjT1rreTQ/s1600/180px-Fragments_of_an_ancient_Macedonian_shield_found_in_Bon%C4%8De,_North_Macedonia.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">One of the
shields carried the inscription ΒΑΣΙΛ ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟ (<i>King Demetrius</i>). It is generally accepted that it belonged to <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2012/10/alexanders-schooling-at-mieza-and.html">Demetrius II</a></i> of the Antigonid dynasty,
whose ancestral capital <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2015/05/revealing-byllis-in-ancient-illyria.html"><b><i>Antigona</i></b> </a>was located not far from <b>Bonče</b>, but this is not certain.</span></span><span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBQxykcJ-lbAfm7IoCximXsWP765jpY3mjrWnufhw8sJ2pVqyTixR_X6toj0NVleK2-gtcgveQ6gT2F5zYKT7bb6U2aFlM0cE6vlTDtNKJ1vKima7Qe8DL49GGp7fiXpYZl8u2WM8K_XSz-Fscq_QWn3tiz8PhQsvSmrZFlQ2kA3IiS59KC1N9odOktI/s500/art-macedonia-shield.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBQxykcJ-lbAfm7IoCximXsWP765jpY3mjrWnufhw8sJ2pVqyTixR_X6toj0NVleK2-gtcgveQ6gT2F5zYKT7bb6U2aFlM0cE6vlTDtNKJ1vKima7Qe8DL49GGp7fiXpYZl8u2WM8K_XSz-Fscq_QWn3tiz8PhQsvSmrZFlQ2kA3IiS59KC1N9odOktI/s320/art-macedonia-shield.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">[Reconstruction picture from the <a href="https://macedoniatimes.news/ancient-macedonian-shields-bonce/">Macedonian Times</a>]</span></i></div></i></span><p></p></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The symbolic
meaning of each and every detail remains problematic as so many variations have
been found over the years. A handful of examples have been discussed in my earlier
blog post, <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2023/03/how-macedonian-is-macedonian-shield.html">How
Macedonian is a Macedonian shield?</a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>[Two top pictures are from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon%C4%8De">Wikipedia</a>]</i></span></p>Argyraspidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08284988922758243086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51559446055954584.post-39635927437231945172023-11-06T17:04:00.001+01:002023-11-06T17:04:00.132+01:00Spolia, giving stones a second life<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span lang="EN-US">Spolia</span></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span lang="EN-US">most commonly
appear as simple stone blocks or column drums used to quickly and cheaply build
larger walls at a later date.</span><span> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8P84YIS-FJCIginnO_lP8lIawyMikGiwXXpRtKLC9v3-bT7_USauuNffK3jmvtou0oRUEoaT7l88DYE_XK9gPPGNkvtzqeT8t0G0i6M_5ie-g6ue5pLpdYC-56NrDkfK2PpEZH6xP1JlSC21sf4FjUj5I20vJ9AsoW2HbPh8NRX2DB2WA8IDKLtzYuY/s3264/034%20Head%20of%20Aigle,%20Byzantine%20wall.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8P84YIS-FJCIginnO_lP8lIawyMikGiwXXpRtKLC9v3-bT7_USauuNffK3jmvtou0oRUEoaT7l88DYE_XK9gPPGNkvtzqeT8t0G0i6M_5ie-g6ue5pLpdYC-56NrDkfK2PpEZH6xP1JlSC21sf4FjUj5I20vJ9AsoW2HbPh8NRX2DB2WA8IDKLtzYuY/s320/034%20Head%20of%20Aigle,%20Byzantine%20wall.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">Ruins from
antiquity are readily available quarries used in the construction of city walls,
houses, or larger buildings. Basically, and beyond the best-known examples,
everything goes from bits of statues, capitals, and reliefs to inscriptions.</span> </span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">Strolling
through the remains from antiquity, we often come across monuments that have
been partially dismantled. The larger or heavier pieces are left behind to
trigger our imagination to mentally reconstruct the buildings. I have
encountered many such examples, mostly in remote regions with little or no
control by the authorities.</span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Spotting <i>spolia</i> is always very rewarding. One of
my first artifacts was a statue of Aegle, the Greek goddess of radiant good
health, and an adjacent head in the Byzantine city wall of <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2011/10/dion-macedonian-sanctuary.html"><b><i>Dion</i></b></a> in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Greece</st1:place></st1:country-region>. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcitey62KQIJbDxLgTiqHnEsQiozjouSpFD6qB4BG73lXDJ48Nad05ObN8s5fkpzXG0ZeqrP2j0L7_4XDjX_graT6-WZL78Ix0aVykWcF3W-9sVqtZJ6vOKQUuGsW6Lp7KKfxs4OlGEMOhnulY7Bd_RJ8MfVh-oGPE8yaHd-5j7A8ahe_qwfqqric25w/s1600/049%20Dodurga%20Mosque%20detail.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcitey62KQIJbDxLgTiqHnEsQiozjouSpFD6qB4BG73lXDJ48Nad05ObN8s5fkpzXG0ZeqrP2j0L7_4XDjX_graT6-WZL78Ix0aVykWcF3W-9sVqtZJ6vOKQUuGsW6Lp7KKfxs4OlGEMOhnulY7Bd_RJ8MfVh-oGPE8yaHd-5j7A8ahe_qwfqqric25w/s320/049%20Dodurga%20Mosque%20detail.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">Another striking
<i>spolia</i> was a list of Greek gods in
the back of the mosque of <b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2012/04/discovering-sidyma-lycian-coast-4.html">Dodurga</a></b>, a
settlement sitting on top of ancient <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2012/04/discovering-sidyma-lycian-coast-4.html"><b><i>Sidyma</i></b> </a>in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Lycia</st1:state></st1:place>. The mosque had been carefully
plastered and covered in soft yellow paint but the marble slab, although
inserted sideways, was kept in its pristine white marble. Some reverence to the
ancient gods, I wonder?</span> </span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">Recently a <i>spolia</i> in the west facade of the Church
St. Anna in <b>Oleveni</b> near <st1:city w:st="on"><b>Bitola</b></st1:city> and <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/04/via-egnatia-road-to-remember.html"><b>Florina</b></a> in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Republic</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Macedonia</st1:placename></st1:place>
was brought to my attention. It carries a seriously weathered but still
readable inscription that has been recognized as a letter by <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2011/10/macedonia-forged-by-philip-ii-10-more.html">Philip II of Macedonia</a></i> dated from June
345 BC. It was addressed to the <i>Katlestai</i>,
either a military unit or a small mountain community in <st1:place w:st="on">Illyria</st1:place>.
<i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2011/10/macedonia-forged-by-philip-ii-10-more.html">Philip’s</a></i> whereabouts at that time are
obscured by his intense transpopulation of peoples aiming to subdue them and secure his own borders. Hence, it is unclear who the <i>Katlestai</i> exactly were. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFQbqmW5Te2NIeLqXvLzhRmAv3mx8Ta-yUWigtP8cB89ZpnnWGfg6hmSks8b-uGbC1yqgyfYK2inyMnX5jc52nbKAVl5JlIvxCRWUN00NLI0Cc0IWTm2JVulpVy5t_2RNSMO5QYyBfV87VSV-y590kQIh_9dvHlEMWPh0-5lqPk8BNKO50He06WC1uYS0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="501" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFQbqmW5Te2NIeLqXvLzhRmAv3mx8Ta-yUWigtP8cB89ZpnnWGfg6hmSks8b-uGbC1yqgyfYK2inyMnX5jc52nbKAVl5JlIvxCRWUN00NLI0Cc0IWTm2JVulpVy5t_2RNSMO5QYyBfV87VSV-y590kQIh_9dvHlEMWPh0-5lqPk8BNKO50He06WC1uYS0" width="320" /></a></span></div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">The inscription reads: <i>to those of the Katlestai who stood in battle with Philip the king
against the Dardanians and conquered.</i> Here too, a pagan text has been used
in a Greek-Orthodox church.</span> </div></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">Especially in
the cases of <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2012/04/discovering-sidyma-lycian-coast-4.html"><b>Dodurga</b></a> and <b>Oleveni</b> the builders either could not
read the inscription on the <i>spolia</i>
or, if they could, they did not understand it.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">Anyway, precious
information is being saved this way for posterity as it is of particular
interest to historians and archaeologists alike.</span></p>Argyraspidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08284988922758243086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51559446055954584.post-16464033934140760382023-10-30T19:40:00.001+01:002023-10-30T19:40:00.143+01:00Rare testimonies from the Palace of Pergamon<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5rqnFfUJSpSWzmIiNI4KFl89iIdH5Kv7iDxuHQGmhIcHDtptaPW3JJG1ZqHZivNCeOgvCrSyyHQhzd4CV2mQbM-lcNs_nvdpgAq1Hs6pVtUqMnQDCch3z-by-svsHJ6BD06vVcvUaXMPKFqV82oFIGlL74Mdmv3dOM1bKWXR2EuUPWvWlrxjPvcIjbnw/s1600/031%20Pergamon.%20Victory%20on%20Corinth%20colum,%20Temple%20Zeus%20Philios%20(Trajaneum)%20,%20early%202nd%20cAD,%20PergM.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5rqnFfUJSpSWzmIiNI4KFl89iIdH5Kv7iDxuHQGmhIcHDtptaPW3JJG1ZqHZivNCeOgvCrSyyHQhzd4CV2mQbM-lcNs_nvdpgAq1Hs6pVtUqMnQDCch3z-by-svsHJ6BD06vVcvUaXMPKFqV82oFIGlL74Mdmv3dOM1bKWXR2EuUPWvWlrxjPvcIjbnw/s320/031%20Pergamon.%20Victory%20on%20Corinth%20colum,%20Temple%20Zeus%20Philios%20(Trajaneum)%20,%20early%202nd%20cAD,%20PergM.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-beauty-of-alexandrine-mosaics.html">Pergamon</a> </i></b></span><span lang="EN-US">made a clear statement to take a leading position in
the Hellenistic world in which the rulers attracted the best artists,
architects, and philosophers.</span><span> </span></span></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">The <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-beauty-of-alexandrine-mosaics.html"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype> of
<st1:placename w:st="on"><b><i>Pergamon</i></b></st1:placename></a> and its
adjacent rooms must have been a sight for sore eyes considering the magnificence
and action displayed on the famous Altar of Zeus, whose remains have been moved
to the <u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/02/a-mental-reconstruction-of-alexanders.html"><st1:placename w:st="on"><b><i>Pergamon</i></b></st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Museum</st1:placetype> in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on"><b>Berlin</b></st1:state></st1:place></a></u>.</span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">On most maps of <b><i>Pergamon</i></b>, we find five consecutive
rooms initially labeled as Palaces in their own right. Recent
studies have established that the so-called Palace V was the main building used
for official purposes. The other “palaces” were rooms for the Royal family and
the guests, storage rooms, and arsenals.</span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">The official rooms with their niches and patios would be
filled with elegant statues, statuettes, vessels, and other decorative items
created by the best artists from Hellenistic times commissioned by the Attalid
kings (see: <b><u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-attalids-rulers-of-pergamon.html">The Attalids, rulers of Pergamon</a></u></b>).</span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">From the reign of <i>Attalus I</i>, 241 to 197</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US">BC, the most striking examples are the
statues of the Dying Gaul and the man and woman known as the Galatian Suicide. Both
pieces were taken to <b><i><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Rome</st1:place></st1:city>
</i></b>to adorn the Gardens of <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/05/plutarchs-lives-or-lives-of-noble.html">Caesar</a></i>. Also at the instigation of <i>Attalus I</i>, a new
architectural feature appeared, the Pergamene Capital (see: <b><u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2020/08/about-greekroman-columns-and-capitals.html">About
Greek/Roman columns and capitals</a></u></b>). There must be proof that at
least bits of these capitals are left <i>in
situ</i> but I have not found any. I discovered my first examples in North
Africa and in particular in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2023/04/an-introduction-to-leptis-magna-in-libya.html">Leptis Magna</a></i></b></st1:place></st1:city>, the city built by <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2023/05/leptis-magna-or-what-rome-must-have_8.html">Septimius Severus</a></i> in
the 2<sup>nd</sup> century AD.</span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0MnxtY5KSERS8rNEJ0qQU_KEoCt5ZQG_fkmzGLvokqDbzwjaB5olitFxtrP2FM_jQ-_LxXcNB2AwBNpvZ_5QCL5qdY7CIRAJvsfuU__YjzUJJTSKryIq8zOPfIfUk-bycwk-rG0-3s_p_epnMs9ImJrNku9trVcOY8JyXlnfQQ3cpGgwZEzBN_WAK8Do/s1600/032%20Pergamon%20Palace.%20Light%20carrier%20lady.%202nd%20cBC.%20AltesM.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0MnxtY5KSERS8rNEJ0qQU_KEoCt5ZQG_fkmzGLvokqDbzwjaB5olitFxtrP2FM_jQ-_LxXcNB2AwBNpvZ_5QCL5qdY7CIRAJvsfuU__YjzUJJTSKryIq8zOPfIfUk-bycwk-rG0-3s_p_epnMs9ImJrNku9trVcOY8JyXlnfQQ3cpGgwZEzBN_WAK8Do/s320/032%20Pergamon%20Palace.%20Light%20carrier%20lady.%202nd%20cBC.%20AltesM.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">The reigns of <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-beauty-of-alexandrine-mosaics.html">Eumenes II</a> </i>and <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/05/alexander-great-in-antalyas-museum.html">Attalus II</a></i> in the 2<sup>nd</sup>
century BC left us with only a handful of artworks that survived the ravages of
time. A rare treasure found in the dining room of Palace V with the <i>Hephaistion
</i>mosaic is the dancer or light carrier lady. She is <st1:metricconverter productid="1.20 meters" w:st="on">1.20 meters</st1:metricconverter> tall and made
of white translucent marble. Her right hand which has not survived is raised and
her left hand reaches downwards towards her dress. This elegant beauty has been
transferred to the <u>Altes Museum of <b>Berlin</b></u>. Another lady dancer has apparently
been moved to the <u>Archaeological Museum of <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/04/izmirs-ancient-city-of-metropolis.html">Izmir</a> </i></b></u>and the only available picture
is on the <a href="https://www.livius.org/pictures/turkey/bergama-pergamon/pergamon-museum-pieces/statue-of-a-dancer/">site
of Livius</a>.</span> </span></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQtxkFJAEVgFVKVdVrVYmLyM-OErUkP4Q1Ce5udf6nH97KR52Jrzl_TmTxmwIGVXI8KYrY8NDxMHBKYrc9kfRyiSP7h5z5USG_ThHEsB13p1NJBlAkThrA5Ne2D3gGUT8H6Op3DCBqoMFPQLwBNYSgip9TIc2Ok6CXmVS7XMBDwTkBZNFVo1IJnf_ZM0/s2592/581%20Pergamese%20column.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQtxkFJAEVgFVKVdVrVYmLyM-OErUkP4Q1Ce5udf6nH97KR52Jrzl_TmTxmwIGVXI8KYrY8NDxMHBKYrc9kfRyiSP7h5z5USG_ThHEsB13p1NJBlAkThrA5Ne2D3gGUT8H6Op3DCBqoMFPQLwBNYSgip9TIc2Ok6CXmVS7XMBDwTkBZNFVo1IJnf_ZM0/s320/581%20Pergamese%20column.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>More telling is the colorful mosaic of a parakeet now
at the <u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/02/a-mental-reconstruction-of-alexanders.html"><st1:placename w:st="on"><b><i>Pergamon</i></b></st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Museum</st1:placetype> in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on"><b>Berlin</b></st1:state></st1:place></a></u><b>
</b>(see: <b><u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-beauty-of-alexandrine-mosaics.html">The beauty of Alexandrine mosaics</a></u></b>) retrieved from one of the two dining rooms of the Palace. Here,
another remarkable mosaic was discovered that carried the signature of the
artist. His name is <i>Hephaistion</i>,
which has nothing to do with <i>Alexander’s</i>
friend who lived two centuries earlier. This artist very creatively wrote his
name on a label that seemed to be stuck to the floor with sealing wax at its
corners, except one corner which was already lifted up. The full inscription can
be translated as "Hephaistion made it".</span><span> </span></span></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The balance of the finds in and around the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Royal</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place>
is very meager considering the grandeur and wealth accumulated by the Attalid
Kings of <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-attalids-rulers-of-pergamon.html"><b><i>Pergamon</i></b></a> (see: <b><u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-attalids-rulers-of-pergamon.html">The Attalids, rulers of Pergamon</a></u></b>).
It is unclear whether these premises have been thoroughly excavated or if more
work remains to be done. I like to believe the latest.</span><o:p style="font-size: 11pt;"></o:p></span></p>Argyraspidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08284988922758243086noreply@blogger.com0Bergama, İzmir, Türkiye39.121449 27.17991335.815365338281879 22.78538175 42.427532661718118 31.57444425tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51559446055954584.post-20934424076923216232023-10-23T21:56:00.000+02:002023-10-23T21:56:02.107+02:00Alexander head found near the Black Sea<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">As strange as it
may seem, a head of </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Alexander</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> was
found in </span><b style="text-align: justify;">Konuralp</b><span style="text-align: justify;">, close to the </span><st1:place style="text-align: justify;" w:st="on">Black Sea</st1:place><span style="text-align: justify;">. In antiquity, the city was named </span><b style="text-align: justify;"><i>Kieros</i></b><span style="text-align: justify;">
and was part of <i><b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-many-colonies-of-miletus.html">Herakleia Pontus</a></b></i>.</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYK6-ojEy2IHr8kE8ENmd-PlCGADqlx-LwunCLgH9Ws4YyccftWbZe0fVckju-K8Ad5EYxsNKQNwHAcJ9rhqaRggWT64tJiLeKIuQiL6598ihxZHXSMcE4dEWCVG_mS9fbvC0YYIYBm4OYjDudGcsQhj9f9GPfRgdtsCDLMJgXxPPtg5eXkUvyhK2p74/s4240/12512-buyuk-iskender-3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4240" data-original-width="2832" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYK6-ojEy2IHr8kE8ENmd-PlCGADqlx-LwunCLgH9Ws4YyccftWbZe0fVckju-K8Ad5EYxsNKQNwHAcJ9rhqaRggWT64tJiLeKIuQiL6598ihxZHXSMcE4dEWCVG_mS9fbvC0YYIYBm4OYjDudGcsQhj9f9GPfRgdtsCDLMJgXxPPtg5eXkUvyhK2p74/s320/12512-buyuk-iskender-3.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">[Picture from </span><a href="https://duzce.bel.tr/11304-konuralp-te-buyuk-iskender-portre-basi-bulundu" style="font-family: inherit;">Duzce Municipality</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">]</span></i></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">The historian <i>Memnon
of Herakleia</i> (1<sup>st</sup> century AD) tells us that <i>King Prusias I of Bithynia</i> captured the
city end 3<sup>rd</sup>/beginning 2<sup>nd</sup> century BC and renamed it <b><i>Prusias</i></b>.
It was strategically situated on the road between <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/03/what-do-we-know-about-arrian-of.html"><st1:city w:st="on"><b><i>Nicomedia</i></b></st1:city>
</a>(modern <b>Izmit</b>) and the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Pontus</st1:country-region></st1:place>
region.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">The Romans, who
conquered <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bithynia</st1:place></st1:country-region>
around 74 AD, changed the name again to <b><i>Prusias ad Hypium</i></b>. The city was
important enough to be visited by the emperors <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/04/time-to-honor-emperor-hadrian.html">Hadrian</a>,
<a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2023/05/leptis-magna-or-what-rome-must-have_8.html">Caracalla</a>, </i>and<i> Elagabalus</i>.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">Although most of
the ancient city is still buried under modern <b>Konuralp</b>, recent archaeological excavations have exposed remains of
the city walls and a gate, a theater, an aqueduct, and a Roman bridge.
Inscriptions mention the presence of a gymnasium and an agora. However, there
is not enough information to establish the layout of <b><i>Prusias ad Hypium, </i></b></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">and crucially
there is nothing to indicate the reason for Alexander’s presence at this
location.</span> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The marble head attributed
to <i>Alexander</i> was discovered at the
top of the theater. It is <st1:metricconverter productid="23 cm" w:st="on">23
cm</st1:metricconverter> tall and has been dated to the 2<sup>nd</sup> century
AD. This is not much information to go by but hopefully, more news will follow.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Previous
excavations also exposed a head of Apollo and Medusa.</span></p>Argyraspidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08284988922758243086noreply@blogger.com0Konuralp, Şehit Bayram Gökmen, 81620 Düzce Merkez/Düzce, Türkiye40.91404 31.14703912.603806163821154 -4.0092110000000005 69.224273836178838 66.303289tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51559446055954584.post-60946259527129519022023-10-17T17:39:00.002+02:002023-10-17T17:41:32.866+02:00Planetarium of Archimedes?<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><span>A fragment from
a complex mechanism was discovered by chance near </span><b style="text-align: justify;">Olbia</b><span style="text-align: justify;">, </span><st1:place style="text-align: justify;" w:st="on">Sardinia</st1:place><span style="text-align: justify;">, and it soon
became clear that the dented gear wheel showed similarities with the mechanism
of </span><b style="text-align: justify;"><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-treasures-of-anticythera-shipwreck.html">Anticythera</a></i></b><span style="text-align: justify;">.
This fragment, however, was made of a brass alloy unknown otherwise at the
time.</span></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgzpy7seXdPRY9Sq9FtCCU34XHpl3RqOxV8BOb6KNWstFu82GtGlxxNoQMQx0XMDkoSX3CC2AkIKdia3ayFRv7SCxlK9CKf_W7QBkYaMN-D3RDZhGTIwRQ6FOG1aL6XZp036Yku0DGXVu_CdO6e7DRRvi2JogBrKeeLS2p1KVVDvAZzhNQy3HgDRki4Q/s357/6aa4eb4bfd29e768303d9091a7137f57.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgzpy7seXdPRY9Sq9FtCCU34XHpl3RqOxV8BOb6KNWstFu82GtGlxxNoQMQx0XMDkoSX3CC2AkIKdia3ayFRv7SCxlK9CKf_W7QBkYaMN-D3RDZhGTIwRQ6FOG1aL6XZp036Yku0DGXVu_CdO6e7DRRvi2JogBrKeeLS2p1KVVDvAZzhNQy3HgDRki4Q/s320/6aa4eb4bfd29e768303d9091a7137f57.jpg" width="224" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span><span style="font-size: x-small;">[</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://orreries.weebly.com/ancient-greek-orrery.html">Kircher's reconstruction of the sphere of Archimedes</a>]</span></i></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><span lang="EN-US"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Thanks to the
detailed writings of <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-surprise-of-butrint-ancient.html"><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><i>Cicero</i></st1:place></st1:city></a><i> </i>in the 1<sup>st</sup> century BC, we
know that <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/07/archimedes-most-illustrious-citizen-of.html"><i>Archimedes</i></a> constructed a
Planetarium (Orrery). The celestial globe is mentioned by <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/03/letoon-sister-city-of-xanthos.html"><i>Ovid</i></a> in the 1<sup>st</sup> century BC and by <i>Claudian</i>, a 4<sup>th</sup>-century Latin poet associated with the
court of <i>Emperor Honorius</i> in <b><i>Mediolanum</i></b>
(<st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b>Milan</b></st1:place></st1:city>).</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When, in 212 BC,
the Romans sacked <st1:city w:st="on"><b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/06/syracuse-rivaled-with-athens-to-be-most.html">Syracuse</a></i></b></st1:city>, Consul <i>Marcus Claudius Marcellus</i> brought to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><i>Rome</i></b></st1:place></st1:city> a
device that was built by the famous mathematician. It represented the motion of
the Sun, Moon, and the planets reproduced on a sphere. In short, a modern Planetarium.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It was <i>Gaius Sulpicius Gallus</i>, who reported the
story as he had seen the object personally and knew how to operate it. <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-surprise-of-butrint-ancient.html"><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><i>Cicero</i></st1:place></st1:city></a> was amazed that <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/07/archimedes-most-illustrious-citizen-of.html"><i>Archimedes</i></a> had been
able to generate the motion of the individual planets starting from a single
rotation. The Planetarium was placed inside a glass sphere. This corresponds to
what <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/07/archimedes-most-illustrious-citizen-of.html">Archimedes</a> </i>wrote in a now-lost treatise <i><u>On Sphere-Making</u> </i>detailing<i> </i>the construction of the Planetarium.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2019/09/what-oxyrhynchus-revealed-so-far.html">Livy</a></span></i><span lang="EN-US">, who died in
17 AD, wrote that before the <u>Battle of </u><i><b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2011/08/discovering-pydna.html"><u>Pydna</u></a> </b></i>in 168 BC, <i>Gallus</i>, an astronomer himself, used the Planetarium to predict a
lunar eclipse on the night before the battle. The news was shared with his Roman
legionnaires to prevent them from panicking, but the Macedonians freaked out.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A first
reconstruction based on the section of the gear wheel found near <b>Olbia</b> revealed that it counted 55 dents
in total. Noteworthy is the shape of the dents, which is not triangular as in the
case of the <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-treasures-of-anticythera-shipwreck.html"><b><i>Anticythera</i></b> </a>mechanism but slightly curved as used in our modern
gear wheels. This shape proves to be more efficient and allows a higher
precision. In antiquity, these wheels were created manually and the craftsmen
had to do without the use of our modern measuring and cutting tools, which
emerged only a few centuries ago.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Marcus Claudius Marcellus</span></i><span lang="EN-US">,
owner of the Planetarium, was sent off to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Spain</st1:place></st1:country-region> to fight the Iberic Celts in
152 BC. It is reasonable to assume that <i>Marcellus </i>took the Planetarium with him
– a sign of his status – and that his ship was wrecked in the region of <b>Olbia</b>, crashing
the Planetarium.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXB66x5N_-ofVj3cmOWFDC_Djx50T8NqUVdyyhtAJAJit1Ayxk9dyTQrSTZDAuXlTXQacsu7K__3yB2v31pE2cRdjTzDsyWcEIRJ9n0eksP8UMGDqAEnQ-ZuyAk3H6D5Ed-RmZh0cNap9UUcoyMt8ZltKj9c6RpBpzkclww3cwO-IMweBbyXriV2sVPbI/s1017/086%20Coin%20with%20ship,%20Reign%20of%20Ptolemy%20I%20Soter%20bis.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1013" data-original-width="1017" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXB66x5N_-ofVj3cmOWFDC_Djx50T8NqUVdyyhtAJAJit1Ayxk9dyTQrSTZDAuXlTXQacsu7K__3yB2v31pE2cRdjTzDsyWcEIRJ9n0eksP8UMGDqAEnQ-ZuyAk3H6D5Ed-RmZh0cNap9UUcoyMt8ZltKj9c6RpBpzkclww3cwO-IMweBbyXriV2sVPbI/s320/086%20Coin%20with%20ship,%20Reign%20of%20Ptolemy%20I%20Soter%20bis.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Planetarium has
been dated between the end of the 3<sup>rd</sup> century BC and the mid-2<sup>nd</sup>
century BC. It thus predates the <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-treasures-of-anticythera-shipwreck.html"><b><i>Anticythera</i></b> </a>mechanism from the 1<sup>st</sup>
century BC generally ascribed to <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/07/archimedes-most-illustrious-citizen-of.html">Archimedes</a></i>. However, the analog computer may
well have been reproduced based on <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/07/archimedes-most-illustrious-citizen-of.html">Archimedes</a></i>’ description.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It must have
been one of the marvels from Hellenistic times, many of which still remain to
be discovered!</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span><span style="font-family: verdana;">[</span><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">the section found near Olbia is thoroughly discussed <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74lCWsKv6iY&ab_channel=HumanisticValley">in this YouTube</a></span></i><span style="font-family: verdana;">]</span></span></span></p>Argyraspidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08284988922758243086noreply@blogger.com307026 Olbia, Province of Sassari, Italy40.923576399999988 9.496442912.613342563821142 -25.659807100000002 69.23381023617884 44.6526929tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51559446055954584.post-23054529747798685132023-10-08T21:37:00.000+02:002023-10-08T21:37:37.348+02:00Macedonian swords set against history<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">As
mentioned in an earlier post (see: </span><b style="text-align: justify;"><u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2020/01/alexanders-battle-outfit.html">Alexander’s battle outfit</a></u></b><span style="text-align: justify;">),
the Macedonians basically used two types of swords. The straight sword with a
double-edged blade which was most popular was about 60-</span><st1:metricconverter productid="70 cm" style="text-align: justify;" w:st="on">70 cm</st1:metricconverter><span style="text-align: justify;"> long. The blade was
exceptionally efficient because of the swelling toward the sword’s tip. It
added weight and momentum to each blow. It was used by cavalry and infantry
alike as it functioned as well for hacking and stabbing.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPf_TUkaqvk3hUllcWbT2BHaUgcaAUMu6d_6XXe72GaeVnRTEGLft8uBm1JrnpMmPSKFiAwL1q_s9dsQqCy25ZU90lucSOMoRotx0y4vmrsP6ZTL3Hhidyz8LGnhvZ26jazp2c8nqUZPIFyQf_P1TvK1XHavz1ljdGGNTGsp052fWBDpzXVo2HfhAMdg/s3264/036%20Alexander%20mosaic%20detail%20kopis.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPf_TUkaqvk3hUllcWbT2BHaUgcaAUMu6d_6XXe72GaeVnRTEGLft8uBm1JrnpMmPSKFiAwL1q_s9dsQqCy25ZU90lucSOMoRotx0y4vmrsP6ZTL3Hhidyz8LGnhvZ26jazp2c8nqUZPIFyQf_P1TvK1XHavz1ljdGGNTGsp052fWBDpzXVo2HfhAMdg/s320/036%20Alexander%20mosaic%20detail%20kopis.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">The <i>kopis</i> or
saber-shaped sword with the crooked hilt was less common. The blade was 40-<st1:metricconverter productid="60 cm" w:st="on">60 cm</st1:metricconverter> long and only the
curved side had a cutting edge. The<i> kopis</i> was more effective for fights
on horseback since the rider could deliver a heavy blow from above.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sources tell us that the
Cyprian <i><span style="color: #0e101a;">King of</span></i> <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-role-of-cyprus-in-alexanders.html"><b><i><span style="color: #0e101a;">Citium</span></i></b></a> (ancient <b><span style="color: #0e101a;">Larnaca</span></b>) gave <i><span style="color: #0e101a;">Alexander</span></i>
a masterly executed sword, which was exceptionally light and well-tempered
(see: <b><u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-role-of-cyprus-in-alexanders.html">The role of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Cyprus</st1:country-region></st1:place>
in Alexander’s campaign</a></u></b>).</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Quality swords were widespread among <i>Alexander</i>’s commanders
and even common troops. Several memorable encounters have been reported by our
historians. The most striking one was when <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-battle-of-granicus.html">Cleitus</a></i>, with a single blow,
severed the arm and shoulder of a Persian attacking <i>Alexander</i> at <st1:place w:st="on">the<i style="font-weight: bold;"> <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-battle-of-granicus.html">Granicus</a></i></st1:place>. The Paeonian cavalry leader <i>Ariston</i>
used his sword to behead the Persian leader <i>Satropates</i> during a skirmish
near the <st1:place w:st="on"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2017/05/excavations-at-alexandria-on-tigris.html"><st1:placename w:st="on">Tigris</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype></a></st1:place>. The <i>kopis</i> were handled by
the Macedonians at the <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-battle-of-hydaspes-and-genius-of.html"><b><i>Hydaspes</i></b></a> to slash at the elephants’ trunks.
<a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-punjab-land-of-five-rivers.html"><i>Ptolemy</i></a> drove his sword through the thigh of a local chief during the
Indian expedition, and <i>Alexander</i> cut off the hand of his Arab
assassin with one stroke of his sword during the siege of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2015/02/traces-of-alexanders-siege-at-gaza.html">Gaza</a></i></b></st1:place></st1:city>. The Macedonian tradition
of handling weapons with high cutting capacity is still alive in 276 BC when <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2023/02/an-introduction-to-pyrrhus-of-epirus.html">King Pyrrhus</a></i> inflicted such a blow to his adversary that he cleaved his opponent
in two parts, falling to either side!</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now we may wonder where and
how all these swords were made. <st1:country-region w:st="on"><b><i>Cyprus</i></b></st1:country-region>
was known for its quality weaponry, but did the artisans accompany the
Macedonians into <st1:place w:st="on">Asia</st1:place> or did they train a
selected number of people in this specific craftsmanship? Either theory is
plausible.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2pk-umURtmmeHCKpvoqs-yon8-HD-y-UZLw5T05h_C5lFbnS-XfU2FXqziqEEwwRJohaW1nfW5XpW-hvsF5hGNn9WEHSreDKwSgQdw91R-DQEOp-R-drHEMYZBysvzoG0KRM_agyFAt5-BYP3W7VYLoRZ_WZUqNT3ftilmu26dCkfo4shOffW8gsVjQ/s640/ScreenShot1101.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="377" data-original-width="640" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2pk-umURtmmeHCKpvoqs-yon8-HD-y-UZLw5T05h_C5lFbnS-XfU2FXqziqEEwwRJohaW1nfW5XpW-hvsF5hGNn9WEHSreDKwSgQdw91R-DQEOp-R-drHEMYZBysvzoG0KRM_agyFAt5-BYP3W7VYLoRZ_WZUqNT3ftilmu26dCkfo4shOffW8gsVjQ/s320/ScreenShot1101.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There is, however, the case
of <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-battle-of-hydaspes-and-genius-of.html">Porus</a>’</i> gift. After the <u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-battle-of-hydaspes-and-genius-of.html">Battle at the <b><i>Hydaspes</i></b></a></u>, <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-battle-of-hydaspes-and-genius-of.html">King Porus</a></i> gave <i>Alexander</i> a precious sword<span lang="EN-US">. </span>This
story leads us to another source, <span lang="EN-US">Wootz Steel (the
name is a corruption of ‘<i>ukku’</i>), a well-kept secret amongst the
metallurgists in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
The name first appeared when <i>Alexander</i> received a gift of over <st1:metricconverter productid="2500 kg" w:st="on">2500 kg</st1:metricconverter> of ‘white iron’, a
kind of steel that originated in <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region>
millennia before reaching <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place>.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">Wootz
steel is a type of crucible steel, which was made using a clay crucible. The
vessel was closed and heated for several days to a temperature of 1300-1400
degrees Celsius. In the process, the quality of the product acquired high
ductility, high impact strength, and reduced brittleness. After a slow cooling,
the Wootz ingots were ready. Archaeologists discovered an industrial steel
center from around the 3<sup>rd</sup> century BC in the southern state of <b>Tamil
Nadu</b>.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">How
was this new technology received in the Macedonian camp? It is hard to imagine
that <i>Alexander</i> did not explore or use
the possibilities of this Wootz steel. He always was a ringleader when
confronted with new inventions and improvements in warfare. The next we hear
about this revolutionary steel is that Indians had a monopoly over the
production and export of Wootz steel from the 3<sup>rd</sup> to the 17<sup>th</sup>
century reaching from the Roman Empire in the West to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region></st1:place> in the East.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">In
the Middle Ages, <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/04/damascus-after-alexander.html"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><b><i>Damascus</i></b></st1:city></st1:place></a> became the main supplier of the famous Damascene swords, which is only another
name for weaponry made using Wootz steel.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">By the 8<sup>th</sup> century<span lang="EN-US">, </span>manufacturing in <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region>
had spread throughout Central Asia where the Vikings had established trade
posts to exchange their furs and slaves over <st1:place w:st="on">Eurasia</st1:place>.
Hoards of Arab dirhams have been found in <st1:place w:st="on">Scandinavia</st1:place>
documenting these trades. As a result, by the 9<sup>th</sup> century, the
Vikings produced high-quality Ulfberht swords, made of crucible steel known as
Wootz steel.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRVHZ-utDdJZQHSqE0IINQamqkIgC7cNoxi5uJNWiZlKBPXvm_ohfHyLoviK7Natq5c5P5r9a_BGXLyRFll0PseFzi41u9nfj-9ikHneduAtHeqMcuvs41BHBQsQvqld2JmVsfuVjF6dZPp87eVyFye75Qfy6-RJusKejo6awEA98mbpd-b9gsZBGp0Q/s800/Ulfberth-Inscription.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="800" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRVHZ-utDdJZQHSqE0IINQamqkIgC7cNoxi5uJNWiZlKBPXvm_ohfHyLoviK7Natq5c5P5r9a_BGXLyRFll0PseFzi41u9nfj-9ikHneduAtHeqMcuvs41BHBQsQvqld2JmVsfuVjF6dZPp87eVyFye75Qfy6-RJusKejo6awEA98mbpd-b9gsZBGp0Q/s320/Ulfberth-Inscription.webp" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">[</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Picture from Ulfbeht sword - <a href="https://swordencyclopedia.com/ulfberht-sword/">Credits: Secrets of the Viking sword</a>]</span></i></div></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The blades of Viking swords
were generally 70 to <st1:metricconverter productid="90 centimeters" w:st="on">90
centimeters</st1:metricconverter> long and 5-<st1:metricconverter productid="6 centimeters" w:st="on">6 centimeters</st1:metricconverter> wide.
The so-called Ulfberht swords carried the inscription +VLFBERH+T, which may be
linked to some religious invocation rather than the maker’s signature. The
earliest known specimen was created in the 9<sup>th</sup> century and was one
of the heaviest (<st1:metricconverter productid="1.9 kg" w:st="on">1.9 kg</st1:metricconverter>)
and longest (<st1:metricconverter productid="102 cm" w:st="on">102 cm</st1:metricconverter>)
Viking swords. It is exhibited at the <u><st1:placetype w:st="on">Museum</st1:placetype>
of <st1:placename w:st="on">Cultural History</st1:placename></u> in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b>Oslo</b></st1:place></st1:city>. Another surviving
example is the sword of Saint Stephen from the 10<sup>th</sup> century which
was the coronation sword of the Hungarian <i>King Stephen. </i>It still has its
walrus-tooth hilt.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The so-called <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Lincoln</st1:city></st1:place> sword from the
same era is one of only two known swords bearing the inscription +LEUFRIT, also
made of crucible (most probably Wootz) steel. It was found near Monks Abbey in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Lincolnshire</st1:city>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">UK</st1:country-region></st1:place>, in 1848.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">It
is noteworthy that the science behind the production of Wootz steel was only
understood in the 20<sup>th</sup> century! From the technological point of
view, this means that the metallurgists of ancient <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> were far, really far ahead of
their time!</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Unfortunately, history has, to my knowledge, not
linked the weaponry from <b><i><st1:country-region w:st="on">Cyprus</st1:country-region>
</i></b>to the Wootz steel swords made in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Consequently, we still don’t
know how <i>Alexander</i> acted and reacted
to <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-battle-of-hydaspes-and-genius-of.html">Porus</a>’</i> highly prized gift. I can’t
imagine that <i>Alexander</i> did nothing to
explore this newly acquired knowledge.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Argyraspidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08284988922758243086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51559446055954584.post-89408926875831626682023-10-02T13:05:00.003+02:002024-03-11T13:00:12.000+01:00The Attalids, rulers of Pergamon<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yT9HhLtYadPlOhBWpTiPdZkR4jKPmmQsCPaYWan8RMG9g7t2vq7aoGk1vbv_cVCcqRilitNBMWQivqqASduKHNEysTnsalJy2GSyMmDMGFRSnMTPksXpEo9isxMkBTxa-YieH8qXFB2m1bRHDSUN1xpOKcJkLRnl_qjh8yuTyLu80ZdvVa407Ej9pYw/s756/129%20Lysimachos%205-2005.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="714" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yT9HhLtYadPlOhBWpTiPdZkR4jKPmmQsCPaYWan8RMG9g7t2vq7aoGk1vbv_cVCcqRilitNBMWQivqqASduKHNEysTnsalJy2GSyMmDMGFRSnMTPksXpEo9isxMkBTxa-YieH8qXFB2m1bRHDSUN1xpOKcJkLRnl_qjh8yuTyLu80ZdvVa407Ej9pYw/s320/129%20Lysimachos%205-2005.jpg" width="302" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Attalid Dynasty of <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/04/pergamon-is-simply-huge.html">Pergamon</a>
</i></b>started with <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/08/possible-burial-site-of-attalids-at.html">Philetairos</a> </i>in 282 BC, roughly fifty years after the death of <i>Alexander</i>. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It remains difficult to imagine the wealth <i>Alexander
</i>had accumulated from his conquest of <st1:place w:st="on">Asia</st1:place>. The rise of the Ptolemaic and Seleucid dynasties can hardly be compared to that of <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/06/lysimachus-in-wake-of-alexander-part-i.html">Lysimachos</a></i>, who did not draw the best cards. The <u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2015/03/dividing-spoils-war-for-alexanders.html">War of the Diadochi</a></u> was a very intricate and complex bickering and conniving from which all parties did not profit equally. However, <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/06/lysimachus-in-wake-of-alexander-part-i.html">Lysimachos</a> </i>put his share of the booty to good use and his trusted treasury keeper, <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/08/possible-burial-site-of-attalids-at.html">Philetairos</a></i>, did the same giving <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/04/pergamon-is-simply-huge.html">Pergamon</a> </i></b>the jump start it needed.</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The starting date of the <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/04/pergamon-is-simply-huge.html">Pergamon</a> </i></b>Dynasty is much later than for the empires of </span><i style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/51559446055954584/8940892687583162668">Seleucos</a> </i><span style="font-family: verdana;">in 312 BC, and </span><i style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2012/03/catching-bessus-near-todays-shahrisabz.html">Ptolemy</a> </i><span style="font-family: verdana;">in 305 BC founded at the end of the </span><u style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2015/03/dividing-spoils-war-for-alexanders.html">War of the Diadochy</a></u><span style="font-family: verdana;">. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/08/possible-burial-site-of-attalids-at.html">Philetairos</a> </i>was a eunuch who had served under <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/09/alexander-avoided-siege-of-termessos.html">Antigonus Monophtalmos</a></i>. In 302 BC he deserted him to join <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/06/lysimachus-in-wake-of-alexander-part-i.html">Lysimachos</a></i>,
the king of <st1:place w:st="on">Northwest Asia Minor</st1:place>.
At the death of <i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/51559446055954584/8940892687583162668">Antigonus</a>,
<a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/06/lysimachus-in-wake-of-alexander-part-i.html">Lysimachos</a> </i>rewarded <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/08/possible-burial-site-of-attalids-at.html">Philetairos</a> </i>for
his loyalty by putting him in charge of his treasury (inherited from <i>Alexander</i>) in <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/04/pergamon-is-simply-huge.html">Pergamon</a></i></b>. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2urfrlnrdJ4N-DTXNadJwGYp2EgHiofHKBJtU3NeIfpO9REsVC-dt6zYgbvpRFfI8BFj_tY0e1w90DiLmE9gYwthc6jm0906ZtdfyXqVbuV1OOvTqsTIS8s0_1IHTkIt6bTdNN__cAB-9yIdSfveyrmTGL9ZbkIMsC7wLerZBNgDgVjFBz35uE-HtfY/s692/018%20Eumenes%20from%20Ankara%20Museum.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="692" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2urfrlnrdJ4N-DTXNadJwGYp2EgHiofHKBJtU3NeIfpO9REsVC-dt6zYgbvpRFfI8BFj_tY0e1w90DiLmE9gYwthc6jm0906ZtdfyXqVbuV1OOvTqsTIS8s0_1IHTkIt6bTdNN__cAB-9yIdSfveyrmTGL9ZbkIMsC7wLerZBNgDgVjFBz35uE-HtfY/s320/018%20Eumenes%20from%20Ankara%20Museum.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But when <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/06/lysimachus-in-wake-of-alexander-part-i.html">Lysimachos</a></i>,
upon the instigation of his wife, murdered his only son, <i>Agathocles</i>, <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/08/possible-burial-site-of-attalids-at.html">Philetairos</a> </i>joined <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2010/01/seleucus-nicator-in-wake-of-alexander.html"><i>Seleucos
I</i></a>. Soon afterwards, <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2010/01/seleucus-nicator-in-wake-of-alexander.html"><i>Seleucos</i></a>’
forces murdered <i><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/51559446055954584/8940892687583162668">Lysimachos</a>
</i>leaving <i><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/51559446055954584/8940892687583162668">Philetairos</a>
</i>to rule<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/04/pergamon-is-simply-huge.html">Pergamon</a> </i></b>until 263 BC. <i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/51559446055954584/8940892687583162668">Seleucos</a>
</i>granted him great autonomy, which enabled him to expand his territory. </span>Unable to have children of his own, <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/08/possible-burial-site-of-attalids-at.html">Philetairos</a> </i>had adopted his nephew, the future <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/08/possible-burial-site-of-attalids-at.html">Eumenes I</a></i>, who would succeed him in 263 BC. </span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">One year into his kingship, </span><i style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/08/possible-burial-site-of-attalids-at.html">Eumenes</a> </i><span style="font-family: verdana;">defeated the Seleucid </span><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/12/dating-kampyr-tepe-alexandria-on-oxus.html"><span style="font-family: verdana;">King Antiochus</span></a></i><span style="font-family: verdana;"> near </span><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2015/03/sardes-capital-of-ancient-lydia-and-key.html" style="font-family: verdana;"><b><i>Sardes</i></b></a><span style="font-family: verdana;">,
which enabled him to create an independent city-state of </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/04/pergamon-is-simply-huge.html">Pergamon</a></i></b>. </span><i style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/08/possible-burial-site-of-attalids-at.html">Eumenes </a></i><span style="font-family: verdana;">did not have children either and the throne
went to his nephew and cousin, </span><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/04/pergamon-is-simply-huge.html"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Attalus</span></a></i><span style="font-family: verdana;">,
who went down into history as </span><i style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="hhttps://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/08/possible-burial-site-of-attalids-at.html">Attalus I Soter</a>. </i><i style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/08/possible-burial-site-of-attalids-at.htmll">Attalus</a></i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/08/possible-burial-site-of-attalids-at.htmll">
</a>ruled from 241 to 197 BC and many historians still consider him as the founder
of the Attalid Dynasty, with </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/04/pergamon-is-simply-huge.html">Pergamon</a> </i></b>as its capital. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6SZhgfS3p9kR6r8UEQxIbDF9Fmy2Ayb5pMyMVHUXPKqVGbmC9tAeuoUbS0o8aRBg5DIsKflge344slz1x2BcV47eeYNHcYyKIUQNLrraIoC6xa-g_Lmqfw0oJWb5hOybiHYZ03HCakl5couBiEhUrtjyN3zoIw1K7bxV1BhMFf6rNhPUks48n63hT33k/s2048/007a%20Possibly%20Attalus%20I,%20inspired%20by%20Alexander%20statue.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6SZhgfS3p9kR6r8UEQxIbDF9Fmy2Ayb5pMyMVHUXPKqVGbmC9tAeuoUbS0o8aRBg5DIsKflge344slz1x2BcV47eeYNHcYyKIUQNLrraIoC6xa-g_Lmqfw0oJWb5hOybiHYZ03HCakl5couBiEhUrtjyN3zoIw1K7bxV1BhMFf6rNhPUks48n63hT33k/s320/007a%20Possibly%20Attalus%20I,%20inspired%20by%20Alexander%20statue.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;">The reign of <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/08/possible-burial-site-of-attalids-at.html"><i>Attalus
I</i></a> was all but peaceful. <span lang="EN-US">The Seleucids had lost
power over <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/06/lysimachus-in-wake-of-alexander-part-i.html">Lysimachos</a></i>' territories of <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/04/pergamon-is-simply-huge.html">Pergamon</a></i></b><b><i>,
</i></b><st1:country-region w:st="on">Bithynia</st1:country-region>, <st1:city w:st="on">Nicomedia</st1:city>, and <st1:place w:st="on">Cappadocia</st1:place>,
which gained their independence.<b> </b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/08/possible-burial-site-of-attalids-at.html">Attalus</a> </i>expanded his territory but lost much of it to <i>Seleucos II</i> later on. However, he managed to save <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/04/pergamon-is-simply-huge.html">Pergamon</a> </i></b>from the
attacks of the Galatians on his northern border and to establish friendly
relations with the Romans. That’s how he got involved in the Second Macedonian
War (200-197 BC) that opposed the weakening <st1:placetype w:st="on">kingdom</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Macedonia</st1:placename> to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><i>Rome</i></b></st1:place></st1:city></span>, as an ally of <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/04/pergamon-is-simply-huge.html">Pergamon</a></i></b>.
<i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/08/possible-burial-site-of-attalids-at.htmll">Attalus</a> </i>suffered a stroke during peace negotiations in <span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2011/07/macedonia-forged-by-philip-ii-1-philips.html"><b><i>Thebes</i></b></a></span><span lang="EN-US"> </span>and was brought back to <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/04/pergamon-is-simply-huge.html">Pergamon</a> </i></b>where he died in 197 BC. </div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/51559446055954584/8940892687583162668"><i></i></a></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9C3Yb3KZqKZIBS-RzZ-pfWJj-yT29PFDUVq4VbqRlnYwSlZzon8vPQFdIeNa9mL9MCyXThtMl422kDpIwoyyiYwcooDktTJHrGDsW67YPZfg0bDor0AM8HdmaJFp_17f5FUoXQy6qs7OQDIKOozLcEdk4m0vr66m6NuPyqRZ5cdZKUTEGrfNvpOfmPyU/s1600/032%20Pergamon%20Palace.%20Light%20carrier%20lady.%202nd%20cBC.%20AltesM.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9C3Yb3KZqKZIBS-RzZ-pfWJj-yT29PFDUVq4VbqRlnYwSlZzon8vPQFdIeNa9mL9MCyXThtMl422kDpIwoyyiYwcooDktTJHrGDsW67YPZfg0bDor0AM8HdmaJFp_17f5FUoXQy6qs7OQDIKOozLcEdk4m0vr66m6NuPyqRZ5cdZKUTEGrfNvpOfmPyU/s320/032%20Pergamon%20Palace.%20Light%20carrier%20lady.%202nd%20cBC.%20AltesM.jpg" width="240" /></a></i></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/05/pamphilia-generally-area-around-antalya.html">Eumenes II</a></i> took over where his father left off but mingling in the affairs of the
Seleucids in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Syria</st1:country-region> did
not sit well with the Senate of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><i>Rome</i></b></st1:place></st1:city>.
No reason for <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/05/pamphilia-generally-area-around-antalya.html">Eumenes</a> </i>to be distracted from carrying out his own large expansion program in <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/04/pergamon-is-simply-huge.html">Pergamon</a></i></b>,
where he built the unique Great Altar and the massive Library, second only to
that of <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/11/alexandria-past-futures.html">Alexandria</a></i></b>.
The Romans resented the power and independence <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/05/pamphilia-generally-area-around-antalya.html">Eumenes</a> </i>displayed, which in their eyes reduced their own sphere of influence in <st1:place w:st="on">Asia Minor</st1:place>. Sadly, although still in his early sixties, <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/05/pamphilia-generally-area-around-antalya.html">Eumenes</a></i>’
health began to deteriorate and he appointed his brother <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/05/pamphilia-generally-area-around-antalya.html"><i>Attalus
II</i></a> as a co-ruler. One year later, in 159 BC, <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/05/pamphilia-generally-area-around-antalya.html">Eumenes</a> </i>died. His own son was still an infant and consequently, <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/05/pamphilia-generally-area-around-antalya.html"><i>Attalus
II</i></a>, who conveniently married his widow, became the new king. He also
adopted his brother’s young son, who was to become the future <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/06/lysimachos-in-wake-of-alexander-part-ii.html">Attalus III</a></i>. </div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/51559446055954584/8940892687583162668"><i>Attalus
II</i></a> continued <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/05/pamphilia-generally-area-around-antalya.html"><i>Eumenes</i></a>’
building projects in <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/04/pergamon-is-simply-huge.html">Pergamon</a></i></b>,
this time including the Palace. He also funded the construction of a new temple
to Hera Basileia between the lower Agora and the Gymnasium. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWY5660jcz_uChF3pdilAzBNRKoe-AzIfOxVm1GgVKLJ5gGiOco3KrwsfL2mDVv61PGU_TiyRl8FgVQ2SHBoq0OMe2PrtL6sqU2iinDY6MCqqNsSeHoreAj4tlPSNraB1xOjeEW-z4Ep-Y05xOBFFTCxVJVsP_Mw14ZervohfPhC6keA8-blPfx9czeM/s2048/118%20Stoa%20of%20Attalus.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWY5660jcz_uChF3pdilAzBNRKoe-AzIfOxVm1GgVKLJ5gGiOco3KrwsfL2mDVv61PGU_TiyRl8FgVQ2SHBoq0OMe2PrtL6sqU2iinDY6MCqqNsSeHoreAj4tlPSNraB1xOjeEW-z4Ep-Y05xOBFFTCxVJVsP_Mw14ZervohfPhC6keA8-blPfx9czeM/s320/118%20Stoa%20of%20Attalus.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;">He was familiar with the political situation he
inherited. He had no real enemies and was careful to recognize the authority of
<st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><i>Rome</i></b></st1:place></st1:city>.
Instead of going to war, <i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/51559446055954584/8940892687583162668">Attalus</a> II
</i>expanded his influence by spending lavish amounts of money on prestige
projects. For instance, he contributed to the construction of a splendid Stoa
in the Agora of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2015/12/alexander-in-athens.html">Athens</a></i></b></st1:place></st1:city>,
at the foot of the Acropolis. This is the Stoa of <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/05/pamphilia-generally-area-around-antalya.html">Attalus</a> II
</i>that was restored/ reconstructed by the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">American</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">School</st1:placetype></st1:place>
of Classical Studies in the early 1950s. Another Stoa carrying his name was built in <i><b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/09/alexander-avoided-siege-of-termessos.html">Termessos </a></b></i>next to the Corinthian temple.</div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As always, all kinds of taxes were raised to pay for these grand expenses but <i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/51559446055954584/8940892687583162668">Attalus</a> </i>equally improved trade in his kingdom, building markets and safe harbors. He certainly needed reliable access to a harbor, and <i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/51559446055954584/8940892687583162668">Attalus</a>
</i>attempted to subdue <b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/03/side-didnt-put-up-any-resistance-to.htm"><i>Side</i></a></b>.
In the wake of this failed attempt, he added part of Pamphylia to
his kingdom, where he founded an entirely new port. He named it <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/05/alexander-great-in-antalyas-museum.html">Attaleia</a></i></b>, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">after himself,</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> i.e., modern </span><i><b><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/05/alexander-great-in-antalyas-museum.html"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Antalya</span></a></b></i><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/51559446055954584/8940892687583162668" style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Attalus
II</i></a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> died at the blessed age of 81 or </span><st1:metricconverter productid="82 in" style="font-family: verdana;" w:st="on">82 in</st1:metricconverter><span style="font-family: verdana;"> 138 BC. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdrnCx6TNssnU7q3TL2JhoZSoskRmfi8wiL9JsWWnaxXqnLMjLlZ2LOpMYzPIG2DHG-Qnu9aA1phhi3NkOUVtQ3THkxi5svmI_lFpSnLjXQtLObzaL7Lylnha5uA4W9l3vEilRmER3RXeQXxAHCovzpKvbE1marpzi3IU5ih9I69PkVSYL-n_kJdHJTg/s1539/041a%20Pergamon%20%20reconstruction,%20PergM.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1160" data-original-width="1539" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdrnCx6TNssnU7q3TL2JhoZSoskRmfi8wiL9JsWWnaxXqnLMjLlZ2LOpMYzPIG2DHG-Qnu9aA1phhi3NkOUVtQ3THkxi5svmI_lFpSnLjXQtLObzaL7Lylnha5uA4W9l3vEilRmER3RXeQXxAHCovzpKvbE1marpzi3IU5ih9I69PkVSYL-n_kJdHJTg/s320/041a%20Pergamon%20%20reconstruction,%20PergM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">His successor was his nephew and
adopted son, <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/06/lysimachos-in-wake-of-alexander-part-ii.html">Attalus III</a></i>. </span>However, the new king was not interested in his
kingship or in <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/04/pergamon-is-simply-huge.html">Pergamon</a></i></b>.
No wonder that he was rather unpopular among his citizens. <span lang="EN-US" style="text-align: left;">When he died five years later of disease, he bequeathed <b><i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/51559446055954584/8940892687583162668">Pergamon</a>
</i></b>to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><i>Rome</i></b></st1:place></st1:city></span><i style="text-align: left;">
</i><span style="text-align: left;">which made it</span><i style="text-align: left;"> </i><span style="text-align: left;">the capital of their Provincia Asia.</span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Although there may have been one last pretender to
the throne, a supposed illegitimate son of </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/51559446055954584/8940892687583162668" style="text-align: justify;"><i>Eumenes
II</i></a><span style="text-align: justify;">, the Attalid Dynasty came to an abrupt end in 133 BC. </span></p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In hardly 150
years, the Attalids had built one of the greatest Hellenistic centers for culture and art,
mainly under the reigns of </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/51559446055954584/8940892687583162668" style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Eumenes
II</i></a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> and </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/51559446055954584/8940892687583162668" style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Attalus
II</i></a>,<span style="font-family: verdana;"> which still intrigue us.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The end of <i><b>Pergamon</b> </i>was all but glorious. After
being hit by a severe earthquake in 262 AD, its decline was set in motion. The
Muslims sacked what remained standing during their raid of 663 AD. More setbacks
followed after the conquests by the Byzantine Empire and around 1300 AD by the <st1:place w:st="on">Ottoman Empire</st1:place>. Slowly the majestic site deteriorated to
the point it was abandoned and forgotten until the first explorers of the 18<sup>th</sup>
and the 19<sup>th</sup> centuries rediscovered <b><i>Pergamon</i></b>.</span></p>Argyraspidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08284988922758243086noreply@blogger.com0Bergama, İzmir, Türkiye39.121449 27.17991319.036021301287288 -7.9763370000000009 59.206876698712705 62.336163tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51559446055954584.post-5490470651309917402023-09-26T21:33:00.001+02:002023-09-26T21:35:31.949+02:00An unknown kingdom in Turkey, lost in time<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">The time of
great discoveries is not behind us. The world still holds many surprises to be unveiled,
believe it or not!</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">As recently as
last winter, a farmer in southern <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Turkey</st1:place></st1:country-region> unearthed a large stone
stuck in an irrigation canal. This stone carried mysterious inscriptions
belonging to an ancient, lost civilization.</span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgANhDdZxNKB3yRFuDFOErrdZyhMLyMr5eZKaJYSjaeiGx3CWSYX46PhuTLeUvIygIAOAPBeuarXm_rCWUopJ7zbFRGcPS6y5X0KP7qagbOfVS3ssfjG8DMH-_7Zw_fugLrOo8nzl5VJ4A7P7Q-VhODF4GPBz-sRXDeDR384gc3JHX6xB-UaFhYQmodnmQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgANhDdZxNKB3yRFuDFOErrdZyhMLyMr5eZKaJYSjaeiGx3CWSYX46PhuTLeUvIygIAOAPBeuarXm_rCWUopJ7zbFRGcPS6y5X0KP7qagbOfVS3ssfjG8DMH-_7Zw_fugLrOo8nzl5VJ4A7P7Q-VhODF4GPBz-sRXDeDR384gc3JHX6xB-UaFhYQmodnmQ" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The
archaeologists determined that the writing was in <i><u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2008/05/lycia-worth-to-be-known.html">Luwian</a></u></i>,
an ancient Indo-European language from <st1:place w:st="on">Anatolia</st1:place>.
It was used by the people living in western and southern <st1:place w:st="on">Asia
Minor</st1:place> from the 2<sup>nd</sup> millennium BC, prior to the arrival
of the <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/06/libraries-in-antiquity-short-overview.html">Hittites</a>.
The hieroglyphic symbols were read in alternating sequences from right to left
and left to right.</span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This newly
discovered inscription mentions an ancient civilization that might have
defeated the Phrygians, best known through their <i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-gold-myth-surrounding-king-midas.html">King
Midas</a></i>, in the late 8<sup>th</sup> century BC (see: <b><u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2015/11/gordion-name-with-resonance.html">Gordion,
a name with a resonance</a></u></b>). A specific symbol on the stone indicated
that the message came directly from their ruler, <i>King Hartapu</i>. The name <i>Hartapu</i>
was known from a previously discovered inscription on a mound some <st1:metricconverter productid="16 kilometers" w:st="on">16 kilometers</st1:metricconverter> away,
but at that time neither his title nor kingdom was mentioned. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7CtnJDrbH37APlObDfUwFKF6YZPkpY4Wompye5YuvWFUWdqDhCY8bET6TtOs2QdQGnEp6XzkNzj5eapO-mcHniZHyNS4Vj1YHs8GMWnpW1SC9KFY8wISxsaa6pvWvI_3ylqk8mWfZoODADuWO2Zco9U7_7Qe1Hb6wvcMYCcbiVxtY6B3fg4Q9MzUMA5k" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="970" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7CtnJDrbH37APlObDfUwFKF6YZPkpY4Wompye5YuvWFUWdqDhCY8bET6TtOs2QdQGnEp6XzkNzj5eapO-mcHniZHyNS4Vj1YHs8GMWnpW1SC9KFY8wISxsaa6pvWvI_3ylqk8mWfZoODADuWO2Zco9U7_7Qe1Hb6wvcMYCcbiVxtY6B3fg4Q9MzUMA5k" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">The kingdom,
whose name is not known yet, existed between the 9<sup>th</sup> and the 7<sup>th</sup>
centuries BC. Its capital was probably located near <b><i>Turkmen-Karah</i></b></span><b><i><span lang="EN-US">ö</span><span lang="EN-US">y</span></i></b><b><i><span lang="EN-US">ü</span><span lang="EN-US">k</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US">, less than <st1:metricconverter productid="20 kilometers" w:st="on">20
kilometers</st1:metricconverter> from the UNESCO site of </span><b><i><span lang="EN-US">Ç</span><span lang="EN-US">atalh</span></i></b><b><i><span lang="EN-US">ö</span><span lang="EN-US">y</span></i></b><b><i><span lang="EN-US">ü</span><span lang="EN-US">k</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US">.</span> </span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">Imagine, this
was 300-500 years before <i>Alexander</i>!
Maybe he had the answers we hope to find in future research?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>[Pictures from <a href="https://archaeology-world.com/archaeologists-in-turkey-discover-a-mysterious-ancient-kingdom-lost-in-history/">Archaeology World</a>]</i></span></p>Argyraspidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08284988922758243086noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51559446055954584.post-39701112268660154122023-09-20T13:30:00.002+02:002023-09-29T10:33:08.528+02:00The beauty of Alexandrine mosaics<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">The first time I
was confronted with the fine and delicate mosaics created in </span><st1:city style="text-align: justify;" w:st="on"><b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2012/12/alexandria-was-born-under-regal-star.html">Alexandria</a> </i></b></st1:city><span style="text-align: justify;">was in </span><st1:place style="text-align: justify;" w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Libya</st1:country-region></st1:place><span style="text-align: justify;">.</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0L0Ok6BIoxPufHVPjoPGk1lNsXFE3VPRgqLT2bDULz9Fedz0XQjJpvHbId2T7VTGsJVdM-lIc-ZRuFpoCf4xlB5sUzH4d7Q31JaGwhXbInc0SmrGiIEhBVCyKTG6b5J1EDWEc8FsiB4wB5XxuMzE99a2SQYWa38kWcG2otLr-coSgphBjB6AvvbpeDvw/s2592/474%20Palazzo%20delle%20Colonne,%20Summer%20Triclinium.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0L0Ok6BIoxPufHVPjoPGk1lNsXFE3VPRgqLT2bDULz9Fedz0XQjJpvHbId2T7VTGsJVdM-lIc-ZRuFpoCf4xlB5sUzH4d7Q31JaGwhXbInc0SmrGiIEhBVCyKTG6b5J1EDWEc8FsiB4wB5XxuMzE99a2SQYWa38kWcG2otLr-coSgphBjB6AvvbpeDvw/s320/474%20Palazzo%20delle%20Colonne,%20Summer%20Triclinium.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">Unexpectedly, this was in the eastern city of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2015/05/ptolemais-heritage-of-ptolemies-in.html">Ptolemais</a></i></b></st1:place></st1:city>,
seeing the centerpieces of the mosaic floors in the Summer Triclinium of the <u>Palazzo
delle Colonne</u>. It was as if I could zoom in time and again to discover ever more details!</span> </span></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">Another striking example was exhibited at the local <st1:placetype w:st="on"><u>Museum</u></st1:placetype><u>
of <st1:placename w:st="on"><b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2020/04/sabratha-old-phoenician-colony-in-north.html">Sabratha</a></i></b></st1:placename></u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2020/04/sabratha-old-phoenician-colony-in-north.html"> </a>in
western <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Libya</st1:country-region></st1:place>.
Here it was a carpet-like mosaic depicting the Triumph of Bacchus. The three
central roundels executed in fine Alexandrine mosaics stood out against the
otherwise rather rough <i>tesserae</i> of
the outer mosaic. The top roundel showed Bacchus, after whom the mosaic was
named, followed by a lively lion head and a panther head.</span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZBRcSZi_ZTzEtMlvH6BaJDB8JOteXYpn7H4sMA4mFUFhMM0Yt3k6UREvET9tBmbJGdxfwVnsJEV1RyQeqvWT0Hpq5tXPS44WQU-3JyZXu9OsaJQ_PZLDYIG30imGQx2AUZZi1wDCEK0PzjF3o_s_CPZVljQBHcXNYZ3crKa9r-8KbRkpC22W8YPJ-sI/s2562/818a%20Triomph%20of%20Bacchus.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2562" data-original-width="1733" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZBRcSZi_ZTzEtMlvH6BaJDB8JOteXYpn7H4sMA4mFUFhMM0Yt3k6UREvET9tBmbJGdxfwVnsJEV1RyQeqvWT0Hpq5tXPS44WQU-3JyZXu9OsaJQ_PZLDYIG30imGQx2AUZZi1wDCEK0PzjF3o_s_CPZVljQBHcXNYZ3crKa9r-8KbRkpC22W8YPJ-sI/s320/818a%20Triomph%20of%20Bacchus.JPG" width="216" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJzBRDQKw0kKUfJ8ZnVI1xtrPxHpHBrC4oHWXhlixzzlh7QJ33aAYISMlQzx38aK0lbIRULO7y8j94rj96rcEA2WVmGQIDwhoPj_O-7Ky_ixJEAf855GAnxKq1OX24hv0pez9f6XjfEqUHZPVtGF2smBVNqg-9DpC4KgJO0cOciJbz1KF5Bchhq3hstKQ/s2592/821%20Triomph%20of%20Bacchus.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJzBRDQKw0kKUfJ8ZnVI1xtrPxHpHBrC4oHWXhlixzzlh7QJ33aAYISMlQzx38aK0lbIRULO7y8j94rj96rcEA2WVmGQIDwhoPj_O-7Ky_ixJEAf855GAnxKq1OX24hv0pez9f6XjfEqUHZPVtGF2smBVNqg-9DpC4KgJO0cOciJbz1KF5Bchhq3hstKQ/s320/821%20Triomph%20of%20Bacchus.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEh3zdKS9kgQL2I22RIRLdHalxywiPbVDjZ-4UwdAOEKcJMUfssld56hSXg4N7XRm0ewYTjH_5sllnTcSi2t2UirMV3DcVXCKM2EJDD1WVtLApTadt7f84vECQ0i_lMaeZvrOSA7G5NcTENdBiFMvCZ6oEpAZToT5MVb3BuaZdE8A2sCy93r3QhUPphk/s2592/822%20Triomph%20of%20Bacchus.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEh3zdKS9kgQL2I22RIRLdHalxywiPbVDjZ-4UwdAOEKcJMUfssld56hSXg4N7XRm0ewYTjH_5sllnTcSi2t2UirMV3DcVXCKM2EJDD1WVtLApTadt7f84vECQ0i_lMaeZvrOSA7G5NcTENdBiFMvCZ6oEpAZToT5MVb3BuaZdE8A2sCy93r3QhUPphk/s320/822%20Triomph%20of%20Bacchus.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Another example
was presented at the <st1:placename w:st="on"><u>Bozar</u></st1:placename><u> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Museum</st1:placetype></u> in <st1:city w:st="on"><b>Brussels</b></st1:city> during the
<a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/11/alexandria-past-futures.html">Exhibition on <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><b><i>Alexandria</i></b></st1:city></st1:place></a>
in 2022. Here the fine centerpiece of the mosaic was a wild Medusa face on loan
from the <st1:place w:st="on"><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/02/the-multiculturalism-of-alexandria.html"><st1:placetype w:st="on"><u>Museum</u></st1:placetype><u>
of <st1:placename w:st="on"><b><i>Alexandria</i></b></st1:placename></u></a></st1:place>
dated also from the 2<sup>nd</sup> century AD.</span> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEyfSuakMKogS77GL3zxdVw9H_JYa_iXMzqM2m0YcgflOjpM2Rk9sFSVy6gk8d7NG_wndSL-AhLVis3vv-iJHkTtVdFELlQk295nwfn3VHIBsGV6tbIS3V9AeeTikk0PYbOd1G-YvM_4zdMqHWh5wyvks4olrIxqVZthG4IheU2kX0nySCUPXm1DBfB8/s4000/002%20Mosaic%20of%20Medusa,%202cAD%20cc%20Mus.%20Alexandria%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEyfSuakMKogS77GL3zxdVw9H_JYa_iXMzqM2m0YcgflOjpM2Rk9sFSVy6gk8d7NG_wndSL-AhLVis3vv-iJHkTtVdFELlQk295nwfn3VHIBsGV6tbIS3V9AeeTikk0PYbOd1G-YvM_4zdMqHWh5wyvks4olrIxqVZthG4IheU2kX0nySCUPXm1DBfB8/s320/002%20Mosaic%20of%20Medusa,%202cAD%20cc%20Mus.%20Alexandria%20(2).jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">Scenes of gods and goddesses were very common in antiquity, but it seems that animals were generally introduced by the Romans. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">Lesser known is the panel of a colorful parakeet, one of three centerpieces that decorated a floor of Palace V in <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2014/04/pergamon-is-simply-huge.html">Pergamon</a></i></b>. This is the only one that made it to the <u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2020/04/an-otherwise-unknown-head-of-alexander.html">Museum of <b><i>Pergamon</i></b></a></u>; the other two are lost in the mist of time.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">N</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">ow the story of this parakeet requires some extra information. To start with, it has been identified as the <i>Psittacula eupatria</i>, noble fatherland or of noble ancestry. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">Apparently, it was <i>Alexander the Great</i> who sent the first birds from <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-punjab-land-of-five-rivers.html"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><i>Punjab</i></b></st1:place></a> to the West, where they were received as exotic pets by the rich and famous of his time.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFiILxKcC9M3rgDGKusqHrfmtH37dLPYPBEzHX8p9pA3xMnzop7yNoaZoiJ6eIYvEU1UrlDSBNydzo7qXR1F1in1ma8bMv7cxSvV2JKYANwOMLGg67SwpF5VBZSQdhg0Jwf6BfGzIyHVQ-t3_NKLdAKKExzZotT7zE_3zmAL--pXM52QqiCGest2cpoY/s1600/028%20Pergamon.%20Floormosaik%20Altar%20room%20Palace%20V%202nd%20cBC.%20PergM.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFiILxKcC9M3rgDGKusqHrfmtH37dLPYPBEzHX8p9pA3xMnzop7yNoaZoiJ6eIYvEU1UrlDSBNydzo7qXR1F1in1ma8bMv7cxSvV2JKYANwOMLGg67SwpF5VBZSQdhg0Jwf6BfGzIyHVQ-t3_NKLdAKKExzZotT7zE_3zmAL--pXM52QqiCGest2cpoY/s320/028%20Pergamon.%20Floormosaik%20Altar%20room%20Palace%20V%202nd%20cBC.%20PergM.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="text-align: left;">The mosaic panel was made in <b><i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/51559446055954584/3970111226866015412">Pergamon</a>
</i></b>in the days of <i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/51559446055954584/3970111226866015412">Eumenes
II</a> </i>or</span><i style="text-align: left;"> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/51559446055954584/3970111226866015412">Attalus
II</a></i><span style="text-align: left;"> to decorate the so-called altar room of Palace V on the
city’s acropolis.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">The technique also used
the <i>opus vermiculatum</i> meant to
emphasize the contours of the bird – a parakeet in this case. To that effect, one or more rows of dark <i>tesserae </i>would
be inserted around the subject to enhance the pictorial effect and create an extra
contrast or a shadow. </span> </span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">It is hard to
imagine how the artisans of those days were still able to see what they were
doing handling those tiny bits of stone, marble, and glass varying between 0.5 to 1 millimeter in size and keeping an eye
on the contrast effect at the same time. High-skilled craftsmanship, no doubt.</span></p>Argyraspidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08284988922758243086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51559446055954584.post-76440572986914124822023-09-13T10:08:00.000+02:002023-09-13T10:08:10.977+02:00The Thrasyllos Monument in Athens<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">The rock on
which the Athenian Acropolis has been built holds several caves that were used in
antiquity as sanctuaries. Early settlers were attracted by the clean water from
its hidden natural sources. Some of these caves led very far inside but most
were rather small. Over time, some of these spaces were turned into
sanctuaries.</span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The most
striking example is the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on"><u>Thrasyllos</u></st1:placename><u> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Monument</st1:placetype></u></st1:place>, a temple inside a large
cave on the south slope of the Acropolis. It was created around 320 BC by <i>Thrasyllos</i>,
a judge in the Great Dionysia Festival. His son, <i>Thrasykles</i>, modified the
monument in 270 BC.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYtgjgvfngzMYiHYlhuUQ65PV_MEq6IFnvV03LS1HFHj5yCXDYvqkDHNLz_1gJUq7th7ZDh8w4Nijc0k_2YVTiUJaON9zl65w1PkWVQPPyj5pi-oDpGHscWRkYTwK7FMnDah6kiZtfkVsyhYZALQLSthSQv_1zIFkgOtwpAU9kluETBPLwWFaQPYNObaI/s952/thrassylos%20mnt%20reconstruction.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="721" data-original-width="952" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYtgjgvfngzMYiHYlhuUQ65PV_MEq6IFnvV03LS1HFHj5yCXDYvqkDHNLz_1gJUq7th7ZDh8w4Nijc0k_2YVTiUJaON9zl65w1PkWVQPPyj5pi-oDpGHscWRkYTwK7FMnDah6kiZtfkVsyhYZALQLSthSQv_1zIFkgOtwpAU9kluETBPLwWFaQPYNObaI/s320/thrassylos%20mnt%20reconstruction.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Few people know that its façade was an almost exact
copy of the west façade of the south wing of the Propylaea on the Acropolis
above. It has two door openings with pilasters and a central pillar, crowned
with a Doric architrave displaying a continuous row of <i>guttae</i>, a frieze,
and a cornice. The frieze depicts five olive wreaths on either side of the
central ivy wreath. The three columns above the cornice supported the bronze
choragic tripods. <i>Pausanias</i>
tells us that the cave held a representation of Apollo and Artemis killing the children of Niobe. </span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Paintings inside the cave referred to a marble statue
of Dionysus probably added to the top of the monument in the 4<sup>th</sup> century
AD. It was removed in 1802 by Lord Elgin, who took it to the <st1:placename w:st="on"><u>British</u></st1:placename><u> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Museum</st1:placetype></u>
in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b>London</b></st1:place></st1:city>. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Under Ottoman rule, a small chapel was built inside
the cave known as the Virgin Mary of the Cave. It was used by the Athenians who
came to pray for the health of their sick children. The chapel was decorated
with Biblical frescos, and a marble icon of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary,
recently restored. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Most of the marble entrance collapsed in 1827 during
the Ottoman siege and bombardment of the Acropolis. As so often, the stone
material was reused elsewhere in the city and, in particular, for the
restoration of the Byzantine Church of Panaghia Sotiras tou Nikodimou. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-XySIsGQQC3PB-1xTP9od0xSGbqzbN4AnkK_WZ3m-irfwImHnbpfqD2fw0x9B5CYeyqqPmba_4gMWquD0Oscl1x7FRiRHR3ykwT_unP1yByIlZymkatg-Vrksm9GmgPxp1VjFYmcSpVhIdR2WQOXFlY6ESB0jbuAPmalGDkeIyeJj99khBtsJU2hlfg/s225/201px-Thrasyllos_Monument.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="201" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-XySIsGQQC3PB-1xTP9od0xSGbqzbN4AnkK_WZ3m-irfwImHnbpfqD2fw0x9B5CYeyqqPmba_4gMWquD0Oscl1x7FRiRHR3ykwT_unP1yByIlZymkatg-Vrksm9GmgPxp1VjFYmcSpVhIdR2WQOXFlY6ESB0jbuAPmalGDkeIyeJj99khBtsJU2hlfg/s1600/201px-Thrasyllos_Monument.jpg" width="201" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choragic_Monument_of_Thrasyllos">Reconstruction drawing by J</a></i><span style="text-align: justify;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choragic_Monument_of_Thrasyllos">ames Stuart and Nicholas Revett</a>]</i></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The restoration of the <st1:placename w:st="on"><u>Thrasyllos</u></st1:placename><u>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Monument</st1:placetype></u> started in 2011 assisted
by archaeologists of the <u>National Archaeological Museum</u> in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><i>Athens</i></b></st1:place></st1:city>. We have to
thank the English architects James Stuart and Nicholas Revett for having left
us so many drawings of what they witnessed in 18th-century <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><i>Athens</i></b></st1:place></st1:city>. Their work was of great help
to reconstruct the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on"><u>Thrasyllos</u></st1:placename><u>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Monument</st1:placetype></u></st1:place> and provided
a clear copy of the original Greek inscriptions. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh706jt7KN0wamkcSTmfkzH7cRlV9kI8P0IEjEuX7-EMULrrVqpS6_J08C7IHj2ZIitx3gYnsdL3pAgdeDQ96NVcIIGHeByAiX2znt2sBFjaTwUkOovUIsNS4PcJkNT4HauIWcgcUI0F9xdn-pBDmnftsojVieoIfZcm5j9U6h0RCyHsBH9TOumVWeBciY/s2560/078%20Acropolis%20from%20the%20new%20Museum.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh706jt7KN0wamkcSTmfkzH7cRlV9kI8P0IEjEuX7-EMULrrVqpS6_J08C7IHj2ZIitx3gYnsdL3pAgdeDQ96NVcIIGHeByAiX2znt2sBFjaTwUkOovUIsNS4PcJkNT4HauIWcgcUI0F9xdn-pBDmnftsojVieoIfZcm5j9U6h0RCyHsBH9TOumVWeBciY/s320/078%20Acropolis%20from%20the%20new%20Museum.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This impressive <st1:placename w:st="on"><u>Choragic</u></st1:placename><u>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Monument</st1:placetype></u> was meant to be seen by
all of ancient <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><i>Athens</i></b></st1:place></st1:city>.
Today, it is an eye-catcher overlooking the Theater of Dionysus. The Monument
is clearly visible from the terrace of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on"><u>New</u></st1:placename><u> <st1:placename w:st="on">Acropolis</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Museum</st1:placetype></u></st1:place> as seen in my
picture from 2015. </span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For safety reasons, the interior of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on"><u>Thrasyllos</u></st1:placename><u> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Monument</st1:placetype></u></st1:place> is not open to the public yet.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Argyraspidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08284988922758243086noreply@blogger.com0Athens 105 58, Greece37.9715323 23.72574929.6612984638211543 -11.4305008 66.281766136178845 58.881999199999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51559446055954584.post-76513522730936249512023-09-05T16:14:00.001+02:002023-09-05T16:14:29.753+02:00Bronze equestrian statuette from Albania<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u><span lang="EN-US">The </span><st1:place style="text-align: justify;" w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Getty</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Villa</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Museum</st1:placetype></st1:place></u><span style="text-align: justify;"> in <b>Malibu</b>, California, is hosting a
special exhibition, </span><a href="https://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/horseman/" style="text-align: justify;">The Horse and Rider from
Albania</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> from July 26, 2023, through January 29, 2024. The centerpiece is a
beautiful bronze equestrian statuette that was found in 2018 by a farmer
plowing his land. This happened near the ancient city of </span><st1:city style="text-align: justify;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><i>Arnisa</i></b></st1:place></st1:city><span style="text-align: justify;">, modern </span><b style="text-align: justify;">Babunjë</b><span style="text-align: justify;">. Based on the </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Geography of </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Claudius</i> </span><i style="font-family: verdana;">Ptolemy</i><span style="font-family: verdana;"> from the 2nd</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> century AD, </span><b style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Arnisa</i></b><span style="font-family: verdana;"> belonged to the </span><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2015/01/alexanders-psychological-warfare-in.html" style="font-family: verdana;">Illyrian
Taulantians</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXNQUbK6bgKqTxgQXb5cI20wGqPJCe1rvZNA82SrTPilgi_UgZfPC914td_qN_SnHYkZOXL9m1X4b-nauWzGlFikGeBUqF-okfDqPDIw_QEmCxSOyMLfpBcM9AGOlQFQwp-l2pxmELG7ESt-lRyPYZZoAk0JL212OYpkDkA_krK9JiLNxyWYjyAWXeCk/s1024/38149801_2000x2000_x1024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="915" data-original-width="1024" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXNQUbK6bgKqTxgQXb5cI20wGqPJCe1rvZNA82SrTPilgi_UgZfPC914td_qN_SnHYkZOXL9m1X4b-nauWzGlFikGeBUqF-okfDqPDIw_QEmCxSOyMLfpBcM9AGOlQFQwp-l2pxmELG7ESt-lRyPYZZoAk0JL212OYpkDkA_krK9JiLNxyWYjyAWXeCk/s320/38149801_2000x2000_x1024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">[<em style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/horseman/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Statuette of a Horse and Rider</span></a>,</em></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Greek, 520–500 B.C. Bronze. Albanian Institute
of Archaeology, Tirana</i></span>.</div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/horseman/">Picture from Getty Museum</a></i>]</div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">The city was
settled by people from nearby <a href="Along the Via Egnatia: from Ohrid to Elbasan"><b><i>Apollonia</i></b></a> (see: <b><u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2015/03/along-via-egnatia-from-ohrid-to-elbasan.html">Along
the Via Egnatia: from Ohrid to Elbasan</a></u></b>) in the early 6th century BC. It was an ideal location close to the river Seman with ample fertile land. <b><i>Arnisa</i></b>
itself was built according to the Hippodamian plan (see: <b><u><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-hippodamian-plan-not-so-greek-after.html">The
Hippodamian plan, not so Greek after all</a></u></b>) and covered an area of
five to six hectares. It was surrounded by a fortification wall made of
carefully carved blocks that perfectly fit together as seen in other Illyrian
cities in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Albania</st1:place></st1:country-region>.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">Although only a
small part of <b><i>Arnisa</i></b> has been excavated so far, archaeologists believe that
the city flourished in the 5th and 4th centuries BC, and was
abandoned in the 3rd century BC when <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Macedonia</st1:country-region></st1:place> rose to power after <i>Alexander's </i>conquests. Others are
inclined to put an end to its prosperity in the days it was defeated by
the Romans.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">The small <a href="https://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/horseman/">Horse and Rider</a> is
approximately <st1:metricconverter productid="14.5 cm" w:st="on">14.5 cm</st1:metricconverter>
high and has been tentatively dated to around 500 BC. It was cast in one piece
of solid bronze and the rider’s face and the
horse’s nostrils and eyes were </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">carefully carved</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">Nothing of the
kind has been found so far in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Albania</st1:country-region>
and scholars hope that future excavations will provide more information about
the site of <b><i>Arnisa</i></b> and the history of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Albania</st1:place></st1:country-region>.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">After the
exhibition at the Getty, the precious statuette will return home and find a
proper place at the <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2015/01/looking-for-illyrian-remains-in-albania.html">National
Historical Museum of Tirana</a>.</span></p>Argyraspidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08284988922758243086noreply@blogger.com0Babunjë, Albania40.880782 19.543420212.570548163821158 -15.6128298 69.191015836178849 54.6996702tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51559446055954584.post-50605235896871766882023-08-30T19:36:00.002+02:002023-08-30T19:46:30.102+02:00The Tabula Chigi quoting Alexander<p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">“Kings have knelt before my spear, and their peoples
too,<br /></span></i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">how many are the embraces of the Ocean around the
earth.<br /></span></i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">I am the son of <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2012/12/macedonia-philips-life-work-alexanders.html">Philip</a>, by Heracles a descendant of
Zeus,<br /></span></span></i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>and of my mother <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2013/01/olympias-mother-of-alexander-great-by.html">Olympias</a>, of the race of the Aeacids.”</i></span></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">This inscription is in Greek as it appears on the Tabula Chigi, in which <i>Alexander</i> speaks in the first person.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">This Tabula
Chigi is a tablet made of antique yellow marble, 15.5 x <st1:metricconverter productid="9 cm" w:st="on">9 cm</st1:metricconverter> and <st1:metricconverter productid="1.5 cm" w:st="on">1.5 cm</st1:metricconverter> thick, from between
the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD. It belongs to a series of “tabula
iliaca” named after <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2011/04/iliad-by-homer-new.html">the Iliad</a> because most of the scenes tell episodes from <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2011/04/iliad-by-homer-new.html"><i>Homer’s</i> </a>book.</span> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieyman8Xd8aLF9xnXLJWXk2K9PROX5bmkzvrg_e45Ue5xZwSTB_sKN1vqiUTE6ni-zE3kQqlbmOatLVdAPaUQvn1zfLoy7km46QvKOZb4-knr3K-aFGU1kQUgMomzqPEou3TtiXhNWhwSC6FXR2zc-hbX7dgznk7_EMkNmPiWcQTRdwCNHGUxMpPN1TnE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2581" data-original-width="1920" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieyman8Xd8aLF9xnXLJWXk2K9PROX5bmkzvrg_e45Ue5xZwSTB_sKN1vqiUTE6ni-zE3kQqlbmOatLVdAPaUQvn1zfLoy7km46QvKOZb4-knr3K-aFGU1kQUgMomzqPEou3TtiXhNWhwSC6FXR2zc-hbX7dgznk7_EMkNmPiWcQTRdwCNHGUxMpPN1TnE" width="179" /></span></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">[Picture from <a href="https://www.raicultura.it/arte/foto/2023/07/Listante-e-leternita-4b76d91d-abcc-4561-a49c-c3e6254fd96a.html">Rai Cultura, Arte</a>]</span></i></div></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">We don’t know
for whom or why these panels were created. They may have served to decorate
some libraries or to disseminate a story, or they simply had a votive function.
The latest opinion is that they were a kind of conversation piece for the
‘nouveaux riches’ who had no access or the skills to read literary texts.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">Another study
has suggested that the Chigi iliaca were meant to be read and understood by a
selected group of connoisseurs of Greek calligrams (sets of words arranged in
such a way that they form a thematically related image). So far, we know
twenty-two tabulae iliacae existed. <st1:country-region w:st="on">Italy</st1:country-region>
has the largest collection with seven tablets spread among the <st1:placename w:st="on"><u>Capitoline</u></st1:placename><u> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Museums</st1:placetype></u>,
the <u>Villa Albani</u>, the <st1:placename w:st="on"><u>Vatican</u></st1:placename><u>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Museums</st1:placetype></u> in <st1:city w:st="on"><b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2019/01/how-roman-roads-led-to-prosperity-of.html">Rome</a></i></b></st1:city>,
and the <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2022/04/unanswered-questions-about-alexander.html"><u>National Archaeological Museum</u> of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><i>Naples</i></b></st1:place></st1:city></a>.</span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhts5oM18-6qHPdX9XJBBOgTx4iOa92l5PaH6weYVY25AEYF8E7ZmqIhAQTnVTs6YuRv7Dcvg2datHgoNW7r-7wcqZsdVxHe0Qwpxt7Md3qNeK2XBAReb3kkx_dF-6mGKA3qDLchbgDwPdtBzoNBxrAnqtheNBkevofDMfSBdrwUBr1R2BJa6y82ikbjf0/s1853/illustrazione-tabula-chigi.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1853" data-original-width="1230" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhts5oM18-6qHPdX9XJBBOgTx4iOa92l5PaH6weYVY25AEYF8E7ZmqIhAQTnVTs6YuRv7Dcvg2datHgoNW7r-7wcqZsdVxHe0Qwpxt7Md3qNeK2XBAReb3kkx_dF-6mGKA3qDLchbgDwPdtBzoNBxrAnqtheNBkevofDMfSBdrwUBr1R2BJa6y82ikbjf0/s320/illustrazione-tabula-chigi.jpg" width="212" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">The Tabula Chigi
was discovered in <st1:metricconverter productid="1777 in" w:st="on">1777 in</st1:metricconverter>
a quarry belonging to the Chigi family. Over the years, the tablet disappeared
and was known only from 19th-century illustrations. In 1928, the last member of
this powerful family gave the tablet to his American wife. It was officially
called lost in 2012. However, it resurfaced recently in <st1:state w:st="on">New
York</st1:state> and was handed over to the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Italian</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place>
in the name of the last daughter of the Chigi family. It ended up in the <u><a href="https://www.finestresullarte.info/musei/colpo-del-mic-acquisita-tabula-chigi-per-museo-nazionale-romano">National Roman Museum,Palazzo Massimo</a>,</u> in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2019/01/how-roman-roads-led-to-prosperity-of.html">Rome</a></i></b></st1:city></st1:place>.
</span> </span></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">The tablet shows
two female figures facing each other, Europa and <st1:place w:st="on">Asia</st1:place>
as mentioned in the inscriptions. Between them stands an altar with a relief of
a cithara player, probably Apollo, flanked by two dancers, Muses or Graces.
With one hand, they hold up a tondo (round relief) with various figures; and
with the other hand, they hold a dish for libations and offerings. A Greek
inscription fills the space between the roundel and the altar, Europa and <st1:place w:st="on">Asia</st1:place>, and this is the text mentioned above. The Tabula
Chigi has survived in excellent condition.</span> </span></p>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dMdbEUbXCwI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana;">This unique
tablet has been on display during the exhibition “<i>The instant and eternity. Between us and the ancients</i>” together
with 300 exceptional artifacts from Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Italic, medieval,
modern, and contemporary civilizations. For the occasion, a section of the <u>Baths
of <a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2019/10/price-list-established-by-emperor.html">Diocletian</a></u>, part of the <u>National Roman Museum</u> in <b><i><a href="https://makedonia-alexandros.blogspot.com/2019/01/how-roman-roads-led-to-prosperity-of.html">Rome</a> </i></b>reopened after decades of
closure. </span></p>Argyraspidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08284988922758243086noreply@blogger.com0Viale Enrico de Nicola, 78, 00185 Roma RM, Italy41.9030822 12.498521441.494146433601941 11.94920499375 42.312017966398059 13.04783780625