08-05-2002, 11:54 PM
Hi<br>
<br>
This is really in response to Sander's response in the New Papyri Found thread, but as I started writng I realised it might be a bit too long for a reply.<br>
<br>
I did some work on Arrian in regard to Polyaenus' Strategemata and especially the latter's Alexander Stratagems. I see Alexander as a subject that was especially popular at the beginning of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus' reign, especially once it was know Lucius Verus would embark to personally lead the Parthian campaign. There are several works we know of dedicated to Alexander published in 161/162. McCleod argued that the Anabasis of Arrian was published then. (I'm sorry I don't have my precise references with me since I am at work (which answers an earlier thread too).) This explosion of Alexander material was directly related to the Parthian War and Polyaenus makes reference to his inherited ability to defeat Persians/Parthians precisely because he was Macedonian. I published an article in Archaiognosia 11 on this (Murray K. Dahm 'Polyaenus of Macedon and Alexander the Great' - I think I'll have to drop Muzzaguchi now), I don't think it is on line but I have some off prints if you would like one - let me know and I will make my email public in my file and you can email me off site and let me know your address.<br>
<br>
I did do some work on Arrian's Ektaxis as a non-extraordinary formation but I have not compared it to the Strategikon (of Maurice?). Instead i looked at Wheeler's 1979 Chiron article ('The Legion as Phalanx') and an Embolon article and others (once again apologies for my lack of references) and examined the ancient sources for evidence of the Legion deployed as a phalanx. This was in order to argue that the tactics that would have been used by Verus and his generals in the Parthian War would have been those of the phalanx. (the Suda records Polyaenus wrote a Tactica in 3 books (which I think is separate to the Strategemata in EM but this is lost) I also used the Tactica of Arrian and Aelian to argue that there were specific tactical aims in such works despite their antiquarian nature and Second Sophistic values. (Aelian for instance probably dedicated his Tactica to Trajan just prior to the Parthian campaign and that he too stressed the 'Alexander angle'. Dio Cassius records the admiration Trajan held for Alexander and it is possible that Aelian's appeal did not fall on deaf ears (He also appeals to the esteem Trajan held for Frontiunus - for which see Vegetius). Polyaenus' work was read by Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus - The preface to book five refers to it (Book four contained the Alexander stratagems and the Macedonian race in general) and Polyaenus could not have made such a claim if it was blatantly untrue.<br>
<br>
I continue to examine this issue and have recently turned my attention to the much more difficult issue of the Tactica of Asclepiodotus - which has no apparent practical context - or does it??!! I will keep you posted.<br>
<br>
However, in a recent seminar I gave at Sydney University a colleague took me to task over this 'practical Tactica' issue. (I will be intrigued by these new papyri and see if they 'blow me out of the water' or him - not that i am vindictive mind you). I also wish to argue for the continued practicality of Graeco/Roman didactic manuals throughout history - the translations of Aelian in the 17th century for pike phalanxes in the Low Countries and translations of both Polyaenus and Frontinus' Strategemata as training manuals for officers in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. But Enough!<br>
<br>
I will look at Maurice - if not his work please tell me.<br>
<br>
I am sorry for such a huge, unreferenced rant. If any one is interested or annoyed by my cloudy assertions i will post my references when I have them on hand.<br>
<br>
Cheers<br>
<br>
Murray Dahm<br>
Muzzaguchi <p></p><i></i>
<br>
This is really in response to Sander's response in the New Papyri Found thread, but as I started writng I realised it might be a bit too long for a reply.<br>
<br>
I did some work on Arrian in regard to Polyaenus' Strategemata and especially the latter's Alexander Stratagems. I see Alexander as a subject that was especially popular at the beginning of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus' reign, especially once it was know Lucius Verus would embark to personally lead the Parthian campaign. There are several works we know of dedicated to Alexander published in 161/162. McCleod argued that the Anabasis of Arrian was published then. (I'm sorry I don't have my precise references with me since I am at work (which answers an earlier thread too).) This explosion of Alexander material was directly related to the Parthian War and Polyaenus makes reference to his inherited ability to defeat Persians/Parthians precisely because he was Macedonian. I published an article in Archaiognosia 11 on this (Murray K. Dahm 'Polyaenus of Macedon and Alexander the Great' - I think I'll have to drop Muzzaguchi now), I don't think it is on line but I have some off prints if you would like one - let me know and I will make my email public in my file and you can email me off site and let me know your address.<br>
<br>
I did do some work on Arrian's Ektaxis as a non-extraordinary formation but I have not compared it to the Strategikon (of Maurice?). Instead i looked at Wheeler's 1979 Chiron article ('The Legion as Phalanx') and an Embolon article and others (once again apologies for my lack of references) and examined the ancient sources for evidence of the Legion deployed as a phalanx. This was in order to argue that the tactics that would have been used by Verus and his generals in the Parthian War would have been those of the phalanx. (the Suda records Polyaenus wrote a Tactica in 3 books (which I think is separate to the Strategemata in EM but this is lost) I also used the Tactica of Arrian and Aelian to argue that there were specific tactical aims in such works despite their antiquarian nature and Second Sophistic values. (Aelian for instance probably dedicated his Tactica to Trajan just prior to the Parthian campaign and that he too stressed the 'Alexander angle'. Dio Cassius records the admiration Trajan held for Alexander and it is possible that Aelian's appeal did not fall on deaf ears (He also appeals to the esteem Trajan held for Frontiunus - for which see Vegetius). Polyaenus' work was read by Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus - The preface to book five refers to it (Book four contained the Alexander stratagems and the Macedonian race in general) and Polyaenus could not have made such a claim if it was blatantly untrue.<br>
<br>
I continue to examine this issue and have recently turned my attention to the much more difficult issue of the Tactica of Asclepiodotus - which has no apparent practical context - or does it??!! I will keep you posted.<br>
<br>
However, in a recent seminar I gave at Sydney University a colleague took me to task over this 'practical Tactica' issue. (I will be intrigued by these new papyri and see if they 'blow me out of the water' or him - not that i am vindictive mind you). I also wish to argue for the continued practicality of Graeco/Roman didactic manuals throughout history - the translations of Aelian in the 17th century for pike phalanxes in the Low Countries and translations of both Polyaenus and Frontinus' Strategemata as training manuals for officers in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. But Enough!<br>
<br>
I will look at Maurice - if not his work please tell me.<br>
<br>
I am sorry for such a huge, unreferenced rant. If any one is interested or annoyed by my cloudy assertions i will post my references when I have them on hand.<br>
<br>
Cheers<br>
<br>
Murray Dahm<br>
Muzzaguchi <p></p><i></i>
Murray K Dahm
Moderator
\'\'\'\'No matter how many you kill, you cannot kill your successor\'\'\'\' - Seneca to Nero - Dio 62
\'\'\'\'There is no way of correcting wrongdoing in those who think that the height of virtue consists in the execution of their will\'\'\'\' - Ammianus Marcellinus 27.7.9
Moderator
\'\'\'\'No matter how many you kill, you cannot kill your successor\'\'\'\' - Seneca to Nero - Dio 62
\'\'\'\'There is no way of correcting wrongdoing in those who think that the height of virtue consists in the execution of their will\'\'\'\' - Ammianus Marcellinus 27.7.9
