The sacred triremes that are the subject of this post are the 5th and 4th century ships of Athens. They served in diplomatic missions, in sacred embassies, and took part in the boat races during festivals. They also served as scout and messenger ships, delivering official state messages, and when present in the line of battle they carried the admiral of the fleet. The Paralos was the most well-known. Read more
Greek and Macedonian warfare continued to develop after Mantinea, exemplified by the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BCE where Theban general Epaminondas devised a new tactic using the deep phalanx to destroy the myth of Spartan superiority, and the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BCE where Alexander the Great employed all the tactical advances developed over the previous one hundred years to defeat Darius' Persian army which was twice the… Read more
"The outward appearance of Alexander is best represented by the statues of him which Lysippus made, and it was by this artist alone that Alexander himself thought it fit that he should be modelled. For those peculiarities which many of his successors and friends afterwards tried to imitate, namely, the poise of the neck, which was bent slightly to the left, and the melting glance of his eyes, this artist… Read more
For centuries of European art, one of the most frequently portrayed moments from classical antiquity was that of an apocryphal meeting of the young Alexander of Macedonia (later to be known as "the Great") and the much older Diogenes of Sinope (later to be known as "the Cynic"). It is hard to imagine a more unlikely pair. Alexander was the brash young king of Macedonia, who had conquered Greece and… Read more
We were very excited to welcome back Professor Gregory Nagy and his guests. You may watch the video below. Several strands came up throughout the conversation, but here are some of the main topics: Twins, Patroklos and Achilles, continuity of traditions, Protesilaos, Alcibiades & Socrates, Alexander, Herakles, legend, sacred narrative, myth, and kleos. Read more
