08-29-2007, 03:49 AM
Hi, Kai !
1) Caution must be used in using this source, because it is a work of fiction, and Xenophon could dress the legendary Cyrus' guards in whatever he could imagine ( even if based on what he had seen.) c.f. Xen.Cyro.VI.iv.2 where a Persian called Abradatas mounts his chariot dressed in much gold, a purple tunic down to his feet, a linen corselet and even the helmet plume is purple/hyacinth !! All most improbable and imaginative !
2) Evidence should be weighed. On the one hand, we have Xenophon's fictional Guards dressed uniformly in purple ( unlikely), on the other we have iconograhical representations from before and after this time showing The Great King's guards dressed in several colours (but not purple!), with yellow tones predominant
[quote]Calling the throat-guard of the cuirass e.g. “fictionâ€
Quote:Thanks for the reply John.....uu.mm...actually it's Paul - ASFIK John Warry is deceased.
Quote:Still, references to the Kyrupaideia are in no way to be dismissed so lightly.I did not "dismiss" them at all. I simply made two points:-
1) Caution must be used in using this source, because it is a work of fiction, and Xenophon could dress the legendary Cyrus' guards in whatever he could imagine ( even if based on what he had seen.) c.f. Xen.Cyro.VI.iv.2 where a Persian called Abradatas mounts his chariot dressed in much gold, a purple tunic down to his feet, a linen corselet and even the helmet plume is purple/hyacinth !! All most improbable and imaginative !
2) Evidence should be weighed. On the one hand, we have Xenophon's fictional Guards dressed uniformly in purple ( unlikely), on the other we have iconograhical representations from before and after this time showing The Great King's guards dressed in several colours (but not purple!), with yellow tones predominant
[quote]Calling the throat-guard of the cuirass e.g. “fictionâ€
"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff