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Three Passages in Arrian

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2009

J. R. Hamilton
J. R. Hamilton
Affiliation:
University of Otago, Dunedin, N.Z
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Extract

While Alexander is at Memphis an army arrives from Antipater including (Arr. 3.5. 1). It is a little surprising that Droysen's suggestion to read MevlSas for tevolras should have been accepted so readily by editors. We do at least hear fa Menoetas later (Diodorus 19. 47) as Berve remarks. He further points out lat Menidas does not elsewhere, so far as we know, command infantry.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Classical Quarterly , Volume 5 , Issue 3-4 , December 1955 , pp. 217 - 221
Copyright
Copyright © The Classical Association 1955

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References

page 217 note 1 Arrian is in error here. Menes is sent with about 3,000 talents from Susa to the coast (Arr. 3. 16. 9) while Epocillus takes the Thessalians to the coast from Ecbatana on their discharge (Arr. 3. 19. 6). The instructions to Menes in the latter passage are presumably by letter.

page 217 note 2 ‘Curtius too used Ptolemy, and sometimes to good purpose’ (Tarn, , Alexander the Great, ii. 102).Google Scholar

page 218 note 1 Tarn admits this possibility. They are similarly included in the phalanx at Arr. 4. 28. 8: …, as is proved by 4. 29. 1 (of the same force): . (cf. 4. 30. 3).

page 219 note 1 Kaerst, Even (Philologus, 1892Google Scholar) admitted this and he did not admit much in favour of the letters of Alexander.

page 219 note 1 ‘When Alexander returned [to Bactria], he sent Craterus to reduce Catanes and Austanes and the hill country; he had still four battalions with him, which must [my italics] have been the same four, but which are called those of Polyperchon, Attalus, Alcetas and “his own” (rv, 22,1). “His own” is obviously Gorgias'.’ Tarn, , op. cit., p. 145.Google Scholar

page 210 note 1 Schachermeyr, F., Alexander der Grosse, p. 285 and n.187 (p. 515)Google Scholar, suggests that Craterus was at this time engaged in Margiane. His arguments are attractive and the fact that Craterus made for the north west of Bactria and not for Bactra itself may support this.

page 210 note 2 Perhaps both battalions required rest: certainly they had had a stiff fight against Spitamenes (4. 17. 6).

page 210 note 3 The difficulty does not, of course, arise if we accept the view of Berve and others that Alexander had as many as ten battalions at the same time. Tarn has, however, disposed of this misconception.

page 210 note 4 See Tarn's, brilliant analysis, op. cit., p. 144.Google Scholar

page 210 note 5 That Arrian does not mention Philotas' subsequent history (?death) is hardly surprising in view of the scrappiness of his narrative. As Thirlwall remarks (vol. vi, p. 358, n. 1): ‘It seems as if Arrian, like Alexander, was impatient to reach India.’