Category Archives for Arrian-Alexander
Arrian: Book Three—Gaugamela
Alexander deserves the glory which he has enjoyed for so many centuries and among all nations; but what if he had been beaten at Arbela [Gaugamela] having the Euphrates, the Tigris, and the deserts in his rear, without any strong places of refuge,… Continue reading
Alexander, the great administrator?
Book Three sees several changes in Alexander’s administrative choices and style. To date, most of the officers installed by Alexander as he marched through Ionia and the Levant have been Macedonians friends or trustees. The exceptions in the fir… Continue reading
The oracle of Ammon
Chapters 3 and 4 of Book Three cover Alexander’s visit to the shrine of Ammon, but questions raised by this trip linger long after the close of these chapters. Even though Arrian provides detail about the journey, full of marvels and supernatura… Continue reading
Arrian – Book III Discussion Questions
1. The Pilgrimage to the shrine of Ammon [3.3-3.4] After Alexander enters Egypt, founds Alexandria, and solidifies his control of the Mediterranean Sea (i.e. 3.1-3.2), he decides to take a long detour to visit the shrine of Ammon. What are his rea… Continue reading
Was Alexander reckless?
Posted by Bill Swislow, member of the Arrian reading group 2 Thinking about Alexander’s risk taking, it seems fair to say that by our standards his behavior is reckless on the face of it. After all, as pointed out on a recent call, our political l… Continue reading
Arrian Book 2 Conference Call Recording (Andre’s Group)
Here’s the audio recording for the Arrian Book 2 conference call (Andre’s group). Listen online or download the mp3 file and listen to it as a podcast on your ipod. Continue reading
Bryn Mawr calls Landmark Arrian a ‘clear hit’
Bogdan Burliga of Gdansk University published a glowing review of the Landmark Arrian, the new edition we are currently using in our two Reading Odyssey reading group sections. Most of the adult readers reading Arrian’s Campaigns of Alexander for … Continue reading
Veronese Painting Of Alexander Greeting The Family Of Darius After The Battle Of Issus
Wanted to share with the Arrian reading group this Mannerist painting by Veronese in the National Gallery in the UK. It shows the wife and daughters of Darius genuflecting before Alexander and his general Hephaestion after Alexander’s victory at t… Continue reading
Arrian – Book II Discussion Questions
After Book I concludes with Alexander’s occupation of various cities in Asia Minor, Book II opens with a return to the question of Persian naval superiority in the Mediterranean. Earlier in Book I, Alexander had deliberately disbanded much of his … Continue reading
Arrian: Alexander and the Greeks, burning down the house
As I mentioned in an earlier post, the paradoxical figure of Alexander continues to emerge in Book Three. I wanted to look a little at Alexander’s relationship with the Greeks, leading to the dismissal of Greek troops at Ecbatana (3.19.5-8) and th… Continue reading →
08. July 2011 by dwightgreen
Categories: Arrian-Alexander, Commentary | Tags: Alexander the Great, Arrian | 1 comment