I found this courtesy of a BBC article.
Toilet seats of the ancient world
An ancient Roman toilet seat has been discovered along Hadrian's Wall. Just to prove a good design lasts forever...
I found this courtesy of a BBC article.
I found this courtesy of a BBC article.
The Tomb of Alexander the Great
There's been a lot of news recently about a major tomb discovery in Macedonia. In fact that tomb's been known of for years, but excavation is underway; the tomb has turned out to be massive and ornate, and it's just the right dating to be immediately post-Alexander the Great. This has almost inevitably caused people to announce that we've discovered the tomb of Alexander.
So could this be Alexander's grave?
No, not a hope in Hades.
After Alexander died, his Generals fought each other in a super-war for control of the empire. They were called the Successor Wars, and they weren't much fun. If you think Texas Chainsaw Massacre Meets Gladiator with a cast of tens of thousands then you wouldn't be far off. Throughout this brutal affair, whoever had possession of Alexander's dead body got extra victory points.
The major biographer of Alexander from the ancient world was a guy called Arrian. Arrian -- and every other ancient writer on the subject for that matter -- says that Ptolemy hijacked the body of Alexander while it was on its way elsewhere. (Yes, I know this is macabre.)
Ptolemy installed the body in Memphis, the capital of Egypt, while a temple and tomb was prepared in the newly-built city of Alexandria. (Alexandria was, of course, founded by Alexander.) Ptolemy's son, also called Ptolemy, oversaw the final installation of the corpse during the next generation.
Thus in the second century BC, Alexander is definitely in Alexandria, in a lovely temple in the middle of the city.
Cut to the birth of the Roman Empire. The history of Dio Cassius says that after Augustus conquered Marc Antony and Cleopatra in Egypt, he was taken to see the tomb of Alexander. The sarcophagus was opened and Augustus gazed upon Alexander's face.
Augustus, future first emperor of Rome, then got it into his head to kiss a 300 year old corpse. (Yes, this is kind of creepy.) Dio Cassius reports that in the process Augustus accidentally broke Alexander's nose.
It's possible that some time in the intervening years someone moved Alexander to Macedon, but if so, then who was Augustus pashing in 30BC? Furthermore, checking out Alexander's corpse became something of a de rigeur tourist attraction for high ranking Romans. Strabo and Caligula are both stated to have seen him, still in Alexandria. The tomb was eventually closed to tourists in the third century AD by Septimus Severus, who apparently had some sense of propiety.
Thus it's impossible that any grave in Macedonia could possibly hold Alexander. I'm thinking someone digging deep in Alexandria will eventually find it.
So could this be Alexander's grave?
No, not a hope in Hades.
After Alexander died, his Generals fought each other in a super-war for control of the empire. They were called the Successor Wars, and they weren't much fun. If you think Texas Chainsaw Massacre Meets Gladiator with a cast of tens of thousands then you wouldn't be far off. Throughout this brutal affair, whoever had possession of Alexander's dead body got extra victory points.
The major biographer of Alexander from the ancient world was a guy called Arrian. Arrian -- and every other ancient writer on the subject for that matter -- says that Ptolemy hijacked the body of Alexander while it was on its way elsewhere. (Yes, I know this is macabre.)
Ptolemy installed the body in Memphis, the capital of Egypt, while a temple and tomb was prepared in the newly-built city of Alexandria. (Alexandria was, of course, founded by Alexander.) Ptolemy's son, also called Ptolemy, oversaw the final installation of the corpse during the next generation.
Thus in the second century BC, Alexander is definitely in Alexandria, in a lovely temple in the middle of the city.
Cut to the birth of the Roman Empire. The history of Dio Cassius says that after Augustus conquered Marc Antony and Cleopatra in Egypt, he was taken to see the tomb of Alexander. The sarcophagus was opened and Augustus gazed upon Alexander's face.
Augustus, future first emperor of Rome, then got it into his head to kiss a 300 year old corpse. (Yes, this is kind of creepy.) Dio Cassius reports that in the process Augustus accidentally broke Alexander's nose.
It's possible that some time in the intervening years someone moved Alexander to Macedon, but if so, then who was Augustus pashing in 30BC? Furthermore, checking out Alexander's corpse became something of a de rigeur tourist attraction for high ranking Romans. Strabo and Caligula are both stated to have seen him, still in Alexandria. The tomb was eventually closed to tourists in the third century AD by Septimus Severus, who apparently had some sense of propiety.
Thus it's impossible that any grave in Macedonia could possibly hold Alexander. I'm thinking someone digging deep in Alexandria will eventually find it.
...mixes fact and fiction into a fine froth of a meal
The San Jose Mercury News has printed a mini-review of The Marathon Conspiracy, along with three other good books. I particularly liked the reviewers fun phrase "...mixes fact and fiction into a fine froth of a meal."
Here's the complete set of reviews. I think I'll be reading those other books.
Here's the complete set of reviews. I think I'll be reading those other books.
500,000 hits
This blog has passed half a million hits.
When I started it, I thought one or two, or perhaps as many as five people might be interested in odd facts about the ancient world. It turns out there are slightly more of us than I thought.
Thanks for reading!
When I started it, I thought one or two, or perhaps as many as five people might be interested in odd facts about the ancient world. It turns out there are slightly more of us than I thought.
Thanks for reading!
The Historical Novel Society has reviewed The Marathon Conspiracy. You can see the full review on their site here.
But if you'd like the summary version, here is how a publicist condensed it!
But if you'd like the summary version, here is how a publicist condensed it!
“The author’s knowledge of ancient Greece is superb…a really well-told story. Highly recommended.”
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