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Jeanne posted a neat summary of the uses of the terms GÇÿhetairosGÇÖ, GÇÿsomatophylaxGÇÖ, and GÇÿphilosGÇÖ, ostensibly to clear my confusion; since I was not confused merely in disagreement I have gone back through Arrian, with the occaisional nod to the other sources in order to explain my position more clearly.To try and tackle the whole structure of Macedonian Society in a post would not be practical so I shall confine myself to pointing out the instances when, I believe HETAIROS is used for SOMATOPHYLAX.II 6 i, 16 vii and 25 ii, all refer to the Assembly (syllagon) of the Companions, at 16 viii in company with the generals of the army, ilarchs and taxiarchs ( at 7 ii the generals, ilarchs and leaders of the allies are convened and I posit that reference to the Companions has dropped out), at 25 ii Parmenion speaks and so the prescence of the generals can be inferred (although it is not a report of Ptolemy or Aristoboulos).Jeanne would I am sure say that this is a reference to a body of 100 or so GÇÿCompanion advisorsGÇÖ; I do not find this body feasible.If the Seven are meant we have a manageable meeting of thirty or so, of whom probably only half were actually involved in decision taking the lesser ranks being there to receive orders and their KingGÇÖs exhortation. A decision making meeting of over 100 is simply not possible, especially in a tent.Stylistically too the lists are in hierarchical order starting with the highest ranking; I donGÇÖt think a large body who must have included ordinary cavalrymen answers this requirement, but the Seven do.Further, at V 28 ii and VII 11 i, it is noted that GÇÿnot even the Companions were admittedGÇÖ into AlexanderGÇÖs presence. This is pretty unemphatic if it refers to ad-hoc councillors in a broad-based group, but is striking if the very people denied access are those who are accustomed to guard him.A crucial passage is VII 24 ii from Aristoboulos, which states GÇÿOn either side of the throne were the couches with silver feet upon which the attendant Companions were wont to sitGǪGÇÖ common hypaspists would not be permitted to sit in the Royal presence but the Inner Guard, the Seven might. Also Curtius informs us that two Somatophylakes guarded the King at night VII 6 xxii (on this occaision Ptolemy and Leonnatos), and it seems reasonable that two may have attended him at public events.Against this may be cited VII 11ii, where the attendant Companions leave with the Bodyguards, however the context would make t

Against this may be cited VII 11ii, where the attendant Companions leave with the Bodyguards, however the context would make the somatophylakes here hypaspists!The trouble is that Arrian hasnGÇÖt a clue what the terms really mean and merely copies them from his sources who used them differently as well. This is what historiography thrives on. Long Live Confusion.

Alas, my problem is that much of my info is in an article I want to publish, so I don't want to post it to the internet. That sounds like a cop-out, but isn't. When/if the article is published, I'll let folks know. In the meantime, I version of it has been published as part of my dissertation, Chapter 2, "Hephaistion Amyntoros: Eminence Grise at the Court of Alexander the Great." J. Reames-Zimmerman, Penn State Univ., 1998.

Understood, if I was working for something I would want to keep my theories to myself too. But if youwanted a discussion I am contactable on my own e-mail which is one to one and as I am sadly not an academic, you would not believe how much I wanted to lose a professorship through 'gross moral turpitude'when I was a student; it was as near as I have ever come to an ambition!Seriously, though how do you get to read another person's disertation/thesis I see them in references but my library is encouraging the dumbing down of the masses and I find it increasingly difficult to point out to underpaid but supercillious twits that the pursuit of seemingly futile knowledge is what separates barbarism from civilisation without recourse to violence.

Okay, here is the link to my dissertation abstract:
http://home.earthlink.net/~mathetria/dissabst.htmlAt the bottom is a link to University Microfilms, where you can order a (relatively cheap) paper, unbound copy for about $36, or it used to be that. I think, now, you can also get it digitally, although I'm not sure. In any case, that version is already in print and available, and has most of the primary sources cited, etc. :-)Dr. Jeanne