alex and idealogy Flashcards
cleitus+ disown p2
“it was the blood of the Macedonians and these wounds that made you grand enough to disown Philip and claim Ammon as your father”
cleitus + insulted by persian clothing
” and live with foreigners who will bow down before your Persian girdle and your white tunic”
cleitus+ insulted by mn’s being equal rank to persians
“the dead I call fortunate; they didn’t live to see Macedonians flogged by the rods of medians and begging Persians for permission to have an audience with their king”
what proskynesis is (strabo)
“kissing those of equal rank”
“When the Persians meet people in the street, they go up to those they know and who are of equal rank and kiss them; to those of lower rank they offer their cheek and in this way they receive the kiss; but those of still lower rank only make obeisance “
what does callisthenese say when he is rejected by alex ?
” well I shall go away, poorer by a kiss”
a person said to not kiss callisthenese because
“my lord dont kiss him, he has not made obeisance to you”
the royal pages
“found alex’s polcieis intolerable” “
what did the royal pages consider themselves ?
“tyrannicides”
how to become famous? what callisthenese replied with
“if you kill the most famous man”
what did alex do at susa? (arrian)
“held weddings at Susa for himself and his companions”
what did alex do at opis> that led to mutiny
“releasing those from the army who are disabled and old”
how did the mn’s react to alex dismissing those from service who were old and disabled>
“dismiss every man and campaign with your father”
first among equals
“primus inter pares”
advantages of fusion policy:
- require less power/time to control the empire as Persian helped (to control other areas)
- fusing races together- harmony beneficial
- appease persian culture via adopting customs and showing respect
- creates cohesive community
- more reseoursce
- more power
-more soldriers
disadvantages of fusion policy:
- mn felt isolated due 2 new lifestyle
- mn culture very different from persian
- mn in top positions in the army(persians can feel slighted)
- contradicts primus inte paris
- hard to appease both mn and persians
- hard 2 control empire as both king of persian and king of mn
what did cleitus voice?
- Dislike for Alex’s status as “son of Ammon” (both his godly status AND his “abandoning” PII)
- Dislike for Alex’s adoption of Pn clothing
- A feeling that Alex was ignoring the Mns’ contribution to his success
- Disapproval of Alex’s treatment of conquered peoples, especially non-Mns as equals
- Disapproval of the adoption of Pn court customs which placed Alex above his subjects (contradicted p-i-p)
what did callisthenese openly dissaprove of?
“all the best and oldest of the Macedonians resented in their hearts”
plutarch on fusion policy
“the sight was offensive to the mns’ but they admired his other high qualities and thought they out to yield to him in some things which made for his pleasure or his fame”
during the Susa weddings how was alex acting?
as the great king/oriental king over primus inter pares/macedonian king
how many weddings were held at susa, which one survived and what did susa weddings showed
more than 90 marriages
selecues marriage because of “vested interest in his wife”
shows how far alex intended for fusion policy to extend
susa weddings
- The wedding ceremonies lasted five days
- They were celebrated in the traditional Pn manner.
- The ceremonies took place under a luxurious tent specially erected for the occasion.
- Each couple was given a dowry by Alex.
- The wedding party was entertained by entertainers recruited from all over the Gk world.
- Alex ordered that any men who had married Asiatic wives register their marriages. He rewarded the 10 000 who did so with wedding gifts. This was not part of the fusion policy, but a way of improving his relationship with his men.
who did alex marry? hint 3 people and h married another daughter to become ….. with alexander
Alexander married two princesses – Barsine, the eldest daughter of Darius III, and also a daughter of Artaxerxes III.
Hephaestion married another daughter of Darius. This ensured that Hephaestion and Alexander’s children would be relatives.
Alexander had already married Roxane, he fell in love with Roxane, This marriage was solemnised in Mn fashion.
why did the susa weddings happen?
- Fusion of the races.
- Alex’s decision as a king who now ruled in an oriental, autocratic manner.
- The transfer of power to the Mns through marriage to important Pn women.
