Historiography

what was Callisthenes’ role?

court historian

when did Callisthenes die?

327

what is the Alexander Romance?

mythological retelling of his life

name three historians from Alexander’s own companions

Aristobolus, Nearchus, Ptolemy of Lagus

what was Aristobolus’ role under Alexander?

siege engineer

what was Nearchus’ role under Alexander?

naval commander

what was Ptolemy’s role under Alexander?

one of the bodyguards

when was Diodorus Siculus writing?

1st century BC

when was Quintus Curtius Rufus writing?

mid 1st century AD

when was Plutarch writing?

early 2nd century AD

when was Arrian writing?

early 2nd century AD

when did Arrian enter the Roman senate?

120s AD

what was Arrian’s role in Cappadocia?

legatus

name two modern scholars responsible for the Great Man Theory regarding Alexander

Droysen and Tarn

what did Arrian write regarding the Successor period?

Events After Alexander

how many books did Events After Alexander take to cover how many years?

10 books to cover 4 years

what arrian citation for the campaign against the Mallians?

6.11

when did Alexander campaign against the Mallians?

326-5

what is paradoxical about Arrian’s source treatment of the Mallian campaign?

He follows Ptolemy’s account that Alexander only suffered one wound, not two, yet also notes that Ptolemy was not present at the time

which historian records that Ptolemy was not at the Mallian campaign?

Quintus Curtius Rufus

what does the Mallian campaign reveal about the historiographical tradition at the time Arrian is writing?

the history of Alexander is already studded by famous source divergences

arrian citation for him talking about his sources?

1.1.2

where was Arrian born and what did this make him?

Nicomedia, an ethnic Greek

what did Arrian later become in Athens?

an archon

who was Alexander compared to in Plutarch’s Parallel Lives?

Julius Caesar

quote from Plutarch explaining the nature of his work?

‘biography, not history’

what does Arrian say about the reliability of Ptolemy as a source?

‘it would have been more disgraceful for him to speak falsely than for another, given that he, too, was a king’

what did Diodorus write about in book 16, generally?

the reign of Philip

when did Philip reign?

359-336

citation of the ‘second preface’

1.12.2-5

how do the sources differ regarding the destruction of Thebes?

Arrian uses Ptolemy, to suggest that Perdiccas prematurely attacked. Diodorus places more emphasis on Alexander’s planning

Arrian citation for story about the procession in imitation of Dionysos?

6.28

why does Arrian not believe the story of Alexander revelling like Dionysus?

because neither Ptolemy or Aristobolus record it

who does record the story of Alexander revelling like Dionysus?

Plutarch, 67, Diodorus 17.106

Arrian citation for him defending Alexander on the count of his likening to a god?

7.29

Arrian quote for him defending Alexander on the count of his likening to a god?

“it may merely have been a clever means of inspiring awe in his subjects”

name an occasion (conspiracy) where Arrian’s narrative is possibly distorted due to his reliance on Ptolemy

Conspiracy of Pages

how is the Conspiracy of Pages narrative distorted in Arrian?

Curtius Rufus has it that the conspiracy was revealed to Ptolemy and Leonnatus, but in Arrian’s version it is just Ptolemy

how is Arrian’s narrative of Gaugamela a bit distorted via omission?

Diodorus and Curtius state that Perdiccas was wounded, but Arrian omits his name

when does Arrian regard a story as wholly true?

when Ptolemy and Aristobolus agree

arrian citation for Perdiccas supposedly prematurely attacking Thebes

1.8.1

diodorus citation for Perdiccas’ actions in the destruction of Thebes

17.12.3

according to Diodorus how did Perdiccas act at Thebes?

Alexander sent Perdiccas with troops to seize the a gate

why might Ptolemy misrepresent Perdiccas?

he was a later political rival

what does the Jaxartes episode demonstrate?

even eye-witness accounts could diverge

how do retellings of the Jaxartes episode diverge?

Ptolemy claims the city surrendered, Aristobolus claims they fought and were massacred

Arrian citation for a time when Ptolemy clearly self-aggrandised in his account? (discovered fires)

4.24.8-25.4

how is Ptolemy aggrandised in arrian 4.24.8-25.4?

he is presented as the correct assessor of the size of the army, and the best fighter

arrian citation for Ptolemy killing a the Aspasian chief?

4.24.2-5

how does 4.24.2-5 present Ptolemy?

as Homeric, akin to Patroclus in Iliad

when does Aristobolus write?

After the Battle of Ipsus in 301 BC

according to what source, how old was Aristobolus when he started writing his history?

Lucian, Macrobii, 22, he was 84

name three times when Aristobolus played down Alexander’s poor behaviour?

solved the Gordian knot with brains rather than force, Cleitus was responsible for his own death, Kallisthenes died whilst in captivity by sickness

which three sources make up the vulgate tradition?

Diodorus, Curtius, Justin

what source does the vulgate tradition supposedly use?

Cleitarchus

which historian is connected with Lysimachus’ quip: “and where was I at the time?”, and where is this anecdote recorded?

Onesicritus, Plutarch’s Alexander

name three ways that Ptolemy I is a master of propaganda?

he is the first successor to issue innovative coinage, he hijacks alexander’s body, he may have been behind the circulation of the Liber de Morte

what is the Liber de Morte?

a pamphlet on Alexander’s death and last testament, wherein Ptolemy is favoured as the true heir

which historian does Arrian mention once, that is not attested elsewhere?

Asklepiades

when does Arrian mention Asklepiades?

regarding the Roman embassy visiting Alexander in 323

what is weird about Arrian’s source usage regarding the roman embassy coming to Alexander?

Cleitarchus also mentions this, yet Arrian overlooks it, perhaps undermining the reliability of his own work

where does Arrian place the anecdote of Alexander denying water?

during his crossing of the Gedrosian desert, 6.26

what was the name of the Athenian courtesan that supposedly incited the burning of Persepolis?

Thais

why might Arrian have omitted Thais as a character from the burning of Persepolis story?

at the time, Thais was Ptolemy’s mistress

why is Thais an especially fitting symbol of revenge?

she was Athenian