Where have all the Persians gone?
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2015 4:41 pm
We have many examples of Macedonian soldiers being greatly displeased at Alexander's adoption of Persian customs (Arr. 7.8.1;Plut. Alex. 71). Some Persianization examples include:
The question I have is what happened to all the main groups of Persians after Alexander’s death:
- Royal advisor
- Satraps
- Persian cavalry, honor guard, Persian-only units and mixed units of footsoldiers
We also know that some of the Persian customs (e.g., concentric seating at feasts) were continued upon Alexander’s death. Was this evidence of the Successors becoming more accepting of Persians/Persian customs?
- Early in the campaign, Alexander adopted the title “king of Asia” and the Persian tent
After the death of Darius, he began wearing Persian royal dress
In Bactra, Clietus had to beg Persian ushers for an audience with Alexander
In Bactra, he adopted the practice of proskynesis, vocally objected to by Callisthenes and Cassander
In Babylon, he adopted the Bagoas as a royal advisor
In Susa, he welcomed the 30,000 Persian epigoni
In Susa, he forced the Asian brides onto 80 of his Companions
In Opis, he adopted Persian arrangement of feasting and concentric seating
In Opis, he introduced Persians into the Companion Calvary and created Persian units in the Macedonian fashion within his army and shortly afterward incorporated Persians into the Macedonian phalanx
In Opis, he added 1,000 Persian honor guard, including Darius’ brother Oxyarthres, who executed Macedonian mutineers
About this time, he named select Persians “kinsmen” and gave them the Persian privilege of kissing the king
and he married three Asian princesses.
The question I have is what happened to all the main groups of Persians after Alexander’s death:
- Royal advisor
- Satraps
- Persian cavalry, honor guard, Persian-only units and mixed units of footsoldiers
We also know that some of the Persian customs (e.g., concentric seating at feasts) were continued upon Alexander’s death. Was this evidence of the Successors becoming more accepting of Persians/Persian customs?