ptsd in Alexanders army

[spitamenes]

Arrian might have intentionally left it out because killing off an entire town and uprooting anything that would give a sign of its exsitence at all, would not have fit with his pro views on Alexander.
then again, he could have left it out because he didn't believe it to be true either.

[marcus]

Arrian might have intentionally left it out because killing off an entire town and uprooting anything that would give a sign of its exsitence at all, would not have fit with his pro views on Alexander.
then again, he could have left it out because he didn't believe it to be true either.

That is possible, of course. I suddenly had a thought and checked the contents of Diodorus Bk 17 - it is there, although it doesn't survive in the text itself. But no mention in Justin.

I shall have to look up where I read about it possibly not being true, because of course it is possible that Arrian just left it out because he didn't want to spoil Alexander's image. Plutarch's point in Moralia is that not even Alexander's most ardent apologists could excuse his butchery. I just wish I could remember where I read it - too many books to wade through, unfortunately! So if anyone else can offer any ideas ...?

ATB

[amyntoros]

Arrian might have intentionally left it out because killing off an entire town and uprooting anything that would give a sign of its exsitence at all, would not have fit with his pro views on Alexander.
then again, he could have left it out because he didn't believe it to be true either.

That is possible, of course. I suddenly had a thought and checked the contents of Diodorus Bk 17 - it is there, although it doesn't survive in the text itself. But no mention in Justin.

I shall have to look up where I read about it possibly not being true, because of course it is possible that Arrian just left it out because he didn't want to spoil Alexander's image. Plutarch's point in Moralia is that not even Alexander's most ardent apologists could excuse his butchery. I just wish I could remember where I read it - too many books to wade through, unfortunately! So if anyone else can offer any ideas ...?

You probably won't be surprised to know that W.W. Tarn wrote an article in the Classical Review xxxvi, 1922, p. 63 dismissing the massacre as false. And there's actually a copy of the article online here!. It seems his most ardent apologist of the last century did find a way to excuse Alexander.

There's a follow-up in Tarn's Alexander the Great, Volume 2, but at least one of the pages is missing in the online version here.

Best regards,

[spitamenes]

Arrian might have intentionally left it out because killing off an entire town and uprooting anything that would give a sign of its exsitence at all, would not have fit with his pro views on Alexander.
then again, he could have left it out because he didn't believe it to be true either.

That is possible, of course. I suddenly had a thought and checked the contents of Diodorus Bk 17 - it is there, although it doesn't survive in the text itself. But no mention in Justin.

I shall have to look up where I read about it possibly not being true, because of course it is possible that Arrian just left it out because he didn't want to spoil Alexander's image. Plutarch's point in Moralia is that not even Alexander's most ardent apologists could excuse his butchery. I just wish I could remember where I read it - too many books to wade through, unfortunately! So if anyone else can offer any ideas ...?

You probably won't be surprised to know that W.W. Tarn wrote an article in the Classical Review xxxvi, 1922, p. 63 dismissing the massacre as false. And there's actually a copy of the article online here!. It seems his most ardent apologist of the last century did find a way to excuse Alexander.

There's a follow-up in Tarn's Alexander the Great, Volume 2, but at least one of the pages is missing in the online version here.

Best regards,

Amyntoros,
Thanks for sharing the links. I'm going to have to track down a copy of Tarn soon. I've only read parts of what he's written.

[marcus]

You probably won't be surprised to know that W.W. Tarn wrote an article in the Classical Review xxxvi, 1922, p. 63 dismissing the massacre as false. And there's actually a copy of the article online here!. It seems his most ardent apologist of the last century did find a way to excuse Alexander.

Well, of course Tarn found a reason to excuse Alexander. I do have a feeling that I've read others' suspicions about the incident - but I might well be wrong.

ATB