marcus wrote:I hope the Diodorus conference was good - will you feed anything back to Pothos?
Oh, and your subsequent travels?
ATB
The conference was quite good. There was very little that would come under the aegis of this site and some of the material was on the arcane side. The keynote addresses were quite good: Sacks has moved from his original position (having not indulged in Diodorus for quite some time) and Rubincam, too, has moderated some views of the "slavish copyist".
Roisman's paper, delivered via video conferencing due to the hurricane, was interesting. The interminable debate over Hieronymus surfaced for a time and he is blamed for the not so laudatory description of Antigonus' performances at Paraetecene and Gabiene. This was all manna from heaven for that inveterate "Monophthalmid" Richard Billows who resembled the Chesire cat. I dissented, naturally. That the Cardian could so malign the founder of the Antigonid dynasty (calling him a rebel amongst other things) is most difficult to allow. Ditto the laudatory descriptions of his bitter enemy Ptolemy. This was explained as Diodorus using a Ptolemaic source or even Ptolemy himself. I would claim that if the glowing descriptions of Ptolemy cannot be Hieronymus then nor can the minimalising and derogatory descriptions of Antigonus be the Cardian.
The blaming of Peucestas for the Eumenid defeat is also laid at the Cardian's feet: he has blackened the former somatophylax to exculpate Eumenes. More manna from heaven. Whilst this is possible it is more likely exaggeration on the Cardian's behalf. What is clear is that Peucestas is found well ensconced in Antigonus' entourage for years after the battle (though not as a satrap). Antigonus has, again, suborned a commander of the opposing side.
Roisman has a book due next year on the subject of Alexander's veterans in the years after his death. This will be a most interesting read. Another presenter, John Walsh, is to publish a book on Antipater next year as well. He needs to find "six months" free of academic responsibilities (and me luring him to pubs) to finalise. I will be interested in that as well.
The subsequent travels went very well thank you. Managed to get to Vindolanda in the ever-present drizzle/showers and the Eagle and Child (in Stavely, Cumbria) was reached despite the difficulties of fifteen yard visibility through the surrounds of Kirkstone Pass. Dunster is a pretty village and the Stag's Head a wonderful overnighter - not to mention centuries old bar. The castle wasn't bad either. The drive through Exmoor NP was fascinatingly full of pheasants. Bodinick-by-Fowey was charming for three nights if wet and wild in the first and Salaminia thought Mevagissey charming. Keith Floyd's old Malster's Arms in Tuckenhay was nice as well. Many a real ale consumed. It is gradually appearing on Facebook.
Paralus
Ἐπὶ τοὺς πατέρας, ὦ κακαὶ κεφαλαί, τοὺς μετὰ Φιλίππου καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου τὰ ὅλα κατειργασμένους;
Wicked men, you sin against your fathers, who conquered the whole world under Philip and Alexander.
Academia.edu