Ghost on the Throne - James S. Romm [155]
25 under, or against: Alexander took into his own employ many Greek mercenaries who had formerly fought on the Persian side and opposed him in battle.
26 Some citizens: Plutarch Phocion 23.
27 A cruel parodist: The text of this mock epitaph, and of the hymn to Hermias described in the following paragraph, is found in the life of Aristotle by Diogenes Laertius, chaps. 7–8.
28 would escape calumnies: Theophrastus was in fact indicted for impiety not long after Aristotle’s departure, but made a successful defense. Some fifteen years later he was forced into a brief exile by a political faction at Athens that sought to ban all philosophers but soon returned to the city and lived out the remainder of his life there.
29 “the Hellenic War”: It was also sometimes referred to as “the war against Antipater.” It was rechristened the Lamian War later in antiquity and is so termed by Diodorus, as well as by most modern historians, after the place where much of the action was centered. Ashton has traced the history of the nomenclature in “Lamian War: Stat magni nominis umbra.” I have preferred to use the original name.
30 Antipater tried a ruse: Described by Polyaenus, the Greek military writer, in his collection of tricks and subterfuges, Stratagems of War 4.4.3. The other movements in the opening phase of the war are found in Diodorus 18.12–13.
31 with weary irony: The tone of the comment is hard to discern from Plutarch’s account of it (Phocion 23.4). Read differently, the remark could be a straightforward expression of doubt as to the long-term prospects of Leosthenes’ efforts.
32 a total restoration: The details of Demosthenes’ return to Athens are found in Plutarch, Demosthenes 27.6–8.
Chapter 4: Resistance, Rebellion, Reconquest
1 communications lines: Hilltop criers are described by Diodorus 19.17.7; astandai by Herodotus 7.98 and Xenophon Education of Cyrus 8.6.17–18; fire signals by Aeschylus Persians 249–56, Herodotus 9.3, and Aristotle De mundo 398b30–35. Evidence also survives in Persian sources; see Briant’s From Cyrus to Alexander, 369–71. The use of moving poles for coded fire-beacon messages is known from Judaic sources.
2 particularly kind: The details that follow are from Quintus Curtius 5.2.16–22, 10.5.19–25.
3 purges within her own family: Quintus Curtius (10.5.23) reports that eighty of Sisygambis’ brothers were murdered in a single day by the notoriously cruel Artaxerxes III, head of a different line of the royal family, and that she had lost six of her seven sons.
4 at some point: There is no evidence to indicate how or when this change of destination was decided. The sources agree that Alexander wished to be buried at the temple of Ammon (Diodorus 18.3.5; Curtius 10.5.4; Justin 12.15.7), but Pausanias says that when the cortege left Babylon, it was headed for Aegae (1.6.3). Discussion by Badian in the first segment of “King’s Notebooks.”
5 no one yet imagined: Among the greatest mysteries to historians of the post-Alexander era is the scale of Antigonus’ ambitions. He was to be the first of the generals to crown himself king, in 306, but at what point he set his sights on royalty, or on domination of the whole of Alexander’s empire, is very difficult to determine. Almost certainly, though, these did not become his goals until several years after Alexander’s death.
6 Antigonus had always liked Eumenes: Their friendship is attested by Plutarch, Eumenes 10.6.
7 giving satrapies to Greeks: The only previous satrapal assignments given to Greeks were in the farthest regions of the empire, Aria, Bactria, and Sogdiana. These undesirable locations were meager spoils compared with the Cappadocian post given to Eumenes.
8 while helping Philip: The anecdote, related by Plutarch in Alexander 70.4, actually refers to a man named Antigenes, but this is often regarded as an error for Antigonus.
9 only surviving son: Antigonus had once had a second son, Philip, who died in youth.
10 staggeringly handsome: Demetrius’ good looks are attested by Plutarch (Demetrius 2) and by the (admittedly idealized)