Hanging Gardens of Babylon

[marcus]

I suppose this only relates to Alexander inasmuch as it's to do with Babylon; but I did find this very interesting.

As so often is the case, it's from RogueClassicism:

Relocating the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

All the best

[agesilaos]

Not a new theory Jona mentions it in his piece

http://rambambashi.wordpress.com/2009/0 ... g-gardens/

Nor does the 'proof' seem particularly strong, though I have always favoured the Ninevah theory but probably due to a natural perversity rather than any inherent strength in the arguments. Does a Garden in Ninevah preclude one in Babylon? I am slightly amazed that a city with a major river running through it might be considered too short of water to support a garden!

Other archaeologists claim to have found the site in Babylon, I think, or maybe they just found a way it might have been built, the geriatric memory...

[marcus]

Not a new theory Jona mentions it in his piece

http://rambambashi.wordpress.com/2009/0 ... g-gardens/

Nor does the 'proof' seem particularly strong, though I have always favoured the Ninevah theory but probably due to a natural perversity rather than any inherent strength in the arguments. Does a Garden in Ninevah preclude one in Babylon? I am slightly amazed that a city with a major river running through it might be considered too short of water to support a garden!

Other archaeologists claim to have found the site in Babylon, I think, or maybe they just found a way it might have been built, the geriatric memory...

I hadn't seen Jona's piece - thanks for the link.

I know what you mean about the level of proof. I must say, however, that Dalley does know her onions, so it isn't an argument I would dare to dismiss, or scoff at. I'm certainly not sure if there's any reason to suppose that there weren't two sets of gardens. And certainly, as I recall, there is a place in Nebuchadnezzar's palace by the Ishtar Gate where the archs have pointed to the possibility of garden terraces of some kind.

It's an intriguing notion, at the very least!

[agesilaos]

Dredging the old grey matter I think the doubts about Gardens stem from both Herodotos' and Ctesias' failure to mention, them despite both being familiar with the city and no strangers to tales of wonders. I suppose all those 'romantics' who have Alexander spending his last days in the cool by the cistern of the Gardens are going to have to revise their text

As I said I have always favoured the Ninevah Solution, good to have sound academic support for a bias!

[Xenophon]

Dredging the old grey matter I think the doubts about Gardens stem from both Herodotos' and Ctesias' failure to mention, them despite both being familiar with the city and no strangers to tales of wonders. I suppose all those 'romantics' who have Alexander spending his last days in the cool by the cistern of the Gardens are going to have to revise their text

As I said I have always favoured the Ninevah Solution, good to have sound academic support for a bias!

"no strangers to tales of wonders" is a bit of an understatement !

Almost everything Herodotus [I.78 onward] tells us about Babylon is a gross exaggeration at best, his version of Babylon is pretty much a 'fairy tale' one.....

I too think that if the famous "Hanging Gardens" existed at all, then they were more likely at Ninevah, but there is no reason not to think that gardens less substantial existed in and around Babylon's palaces...

[agesilaos]

Litotes (understatement) is ever my way, hyperbole (exaggeration) is a tad brash, dont-cha-know?

but there is no reason to think that gardens less substantial existed in and around Babylon's palaces...

Shurely shome mishtake; I suspect a 'not' has dropped out after 'reason'.

[Xenophon]

Yesh......definitely a shlip of the 'ol fingersh.......duly corrected!

Hic !! ....or was it due to dear old Dennis' problem ?