Prof Spawforth Youtube on Persianizing/Alexander's use of chariots

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amyntoros
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Prof Spawforth Youtube on Persianizing/Alexander's use of chariots

Post by amyntoros »

Here is a Youtube presentation of a lecture given at the British School at Athens by Professor Antony Spawforth (Newcastle University and BSA Visiting Fellow), the title being, "The King, the Bow and the Chariot: in Search of Alexander." I have only listened to the beginning so far but it is an interesting topic and I hope to finish it later. If you have forty nine minutes to spare, give it a listen. :)

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agesilaos
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Re: Prof Spawforth Youtube on Persianizing/Alexander's use of chariots

Post by agesilaos »

Interesting, but I remain unconvinced for the reasons expounded on a previous thread, briefly; the Assyrians did not dismount to hunt lions but struck from the car, Alexander practices jumping on and off the chariot, just as in the Greek sport Spawforth dismisses as a model :roll: The general theme that the purpose of the chariot riding was for the benefit of the Easterners seems right but he omits that the entrance to Babylon re-enacts a Babylonian ceremony in which the King of Babylon was enthroned every New Year Nisanu, Alexander entered during Tisritum which month marked the beginning of the second half of the year and meant 'the month of beginning'.
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Alexias
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Re: Prof Spawforth Youtube on Persianizing/Alexander's use of chariots

Post by Alexias »

Interesting notion that Alexander jumping on and off a chariot wasn't just a way to keep fit but practising doing it for Persian lion hunts - a necessary skill perhaps if hunting lions over a flat Assyrian plain rather than mountainous Greek terrain.

Spaworth perhaps misses one of the points of Alexander riding into Babylon on Darius's chariot ie emphasising his victory over Darius. The Babylonians would have seen Darius riding out to Gaugamela in the very same chariot, and for Alexander to ride the spoils of war back into the city was a visual symbol that it (and by extension the city) was now his.
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