THE INFLUENCE OF ACHAEMENID PERSIA ON FOURTH-CENTURY AND EARLY HELLENISTIC GREEK TYRANNY Miles Lester-Pearson A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of St Andrews 2015 Full metadata for this item is available in St Andrews Research Repository at: http://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/ Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10023/11826 This item is protected by original copyright The influence of Achaemenid Persia on fourth-century and early Hellenistic Greek tyranny Miles Lester-Pearson This thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of St Andrews Submitted February 2015 1. Candidate’s declarations: I, Miles Lester-Pearson, hereby certify that this thesis, which is approximately 88,000 words in length, has been written by me, and that it is the record of work carried out by me, or principally by myself in collaboration with others as acknowledged, and that it has not been submitted in any previous application for a higher degree. I was admitted as a research student in September 2010 and as a candidate for the degree of PhD in September 2011; the higher study for which this is a record was carried out in the University of St Andrews between 2010 and 2015. Date: Signature of Candidate: 2. Supervisor’s declaration: I hereby certify that the candidate has fulfilled the conditions of the Resolution and Regulations appropriate for the degree of PhD in the University of St Andrews and that the candidate is qualified to submit this thesis in application for that degree. Date: Signature of Supervisor: 3. Permission for publication: In submitting this thesis to the University of St Andrews I understand that I am giving permissi on for it to be made available for use in accordance with the regulations of the University Library for the time being in force, subject to any copyright vested in the work not being affected thereby. I also understand that the title and the abstract will be published, and that a copy of the work may be made and supplied to any bona fide library or research worker, that my thesis will be electronically accessible for personal or research use unless exempt by award of an embargo as requested below, and that the library has the right to migrate my thesis into new electronic forms as required to ensure continued access to the thesis. I have obtained any third-party copyright permissions that may be required in order to allow such access and migration, or have requested the appropriate embargo below. The following is an agreed request by candidate and supervisor regarding the publication of this thesis: 1 PRINTED COPY a) No embargo on print copy ELECTRONIC COPY a) Embargo on all or part of electronic copy for a peri od of two years (maximum five) on the following ground: Publication would preclude future publication Date: Signature of Candidate: signature of supervisor: 2 Acknowledgments Numerous people from the Department of Classics at St Andrews have helped me throughout the process of this thesis. Thanks must go first of all to Sian Lewis, who as my thesis supervisor believed in my research project and in my ability to complete it from the beginning. Her insightful comments on numerous drafts, as well as her determination to go above and beyond what was required as a supervisor in both time and effort have been invaluable. Thanks must also go to Felix Racine for his supervisorial comments and for his continued support and advice. Nicholas Wiater made perceptive comments about the epithet Ceraunus at an initial work-in progress presentation, as well as in correspondence. Risto-Matti Sarilo’s knowledge of Photius and the epitome of Memnon of Heraclea and his willingness to discuss my research ad absurdum have been of immense help. Allison Weir contributed some important points to the layout of the new Hecatomnid sarcophagus from Mylasa. I have also benefitted from discussions with Philip Baiocchi about Syracusan tyrants. Thanks must also go to the Classics Office team of Irene, Margaret and Carol, who have helped considerably over the years with a variety of queries and problems. Thanks are also due to Jonathan Prag, who kindly offered to advise me on my research during a semester as a visiting student in the Classics department at Oxford University in 2013, helping in particular with the Sicilian tyrants, but also with fitting in to the research culture in Oxford. Keith Wilmot has kept in touch and followed my career for ten years since I first began my studies in the Ancient World with him, and I am grateful to him for setting me down this path, and especially for his advice to study at St Andrews. Numerous academics and research students outside of my departmental affiliations have helped in a variety of ways. Bert van der Spek has been kind enough to pass on some of his forthcoming work, as well as helping with references and the new Cyrus Cylinder fragments via correspondence. Peter Liddel has kindly helped me over the 3 years in person and via correspondence on various topics, but particularly with epigraphic matters. Kyle Erickson discussed Seleucid kingship with me via correspondence and in person. Christopher Baron allowed me to read his monograph on Timaeus before its publication. Branko Van Oppen allowed me to read his forthcoming work and corresponded at length with me over some of the trickier points of Hellenistic marriages. John Holton allowed me to read his PhD thesis, and also offered helpful advice about Demetrius Poliorcetes. Thanks must also go to the postgraduate community in the department of Classics, who made me a welcome part of the group from the day I first arrived. Special thanks go to the Musketeers, Michael Furman, B.J. Harpe and Risto-Matti Sarilo, who between them have offered candid opinions on my research over pints of ale, put me up in their accommodation, and covered for me in my role as postgraduate representative during my mother’s illness, for which I shall always remain grateful. My last, but by no means least vote of thanks goes to my family, Tania, George and Jack, as well as our dogs Magic (who is sadly missed) and Marco. They have always supported my aspirations of research in the Ancient World and come together through the difficult period of my mother’s illness in a special way that makes me realise how lucky that we are to have each other. I am fortunate that my fiancée Nicola, whose patience and love never wavered during my research will be joining them in the future. This thesis is dedicated to my father Vernon whom I miss every day, and to my newborn son Logan. Miles Lester-Pearson Tredington, January 2015 4 Abstract This thesis is an examination of how Greek tyranny in the fourth century and the early Hellenistic age was influenced by Achaemenid Persia and the Ancient Near East. The introduction lays out the problems of interpreting the Ancient Near East through Greco-Roman sources, via Ephippus’ description of Alexander the Great, as well as discussing two important examples of Persianisation that have been examined in detail in the past: Pausanias of Sparta and Alexander the Great. The relevant Classical Greek and Achaemenid sources concerning Persian kingship are then considered, in order to establish four categories by which to examine the tyrannical dynasties chosen as case studies: Appearance, Accessibility, Dynasty and Military Function. Using these four categories, the dynasties of the Dionysii of Syracuse, the Clearchids of Heraclea Pontica, the Hecatomnids of Caria and Agathocles of Syracuse, chosen for their geographical and temporal variance, are examined individually over the next four chapters. Appearance concerns the ruler’s dress and body presentation, the use of status items such as crowns and sceptres, and the display of luxury. Accessibility concerns the use of architecture and fortifications, as well as court protocol and bodyguards, in order to control access to the ruler. Dynasty concerns family trees, marriages and the role of women, and the role of close family and subordinates in important administrative positions. Military Function concerns the role of the ruler in warfare as well as power symbols, titles and epithets. The analysis of the tyrannies taken altogether using the same categories forms the basis of the subsequent chapter, and allows for comparison with the Achaemenid Persian evidence in order to determine whether there is any significant correlation. This chapter also examines the potential methods of transmission. 5 The thesis concludes that there are significant similarities in some aspects of tyrannical rule with that of Achaemenid kingship, and demonstrates that tyrants were engaging in the political and philosophical discourse of the era. The ‘royal nature’ as demonstrated by Xenophon proves to be something that tyrants aspire to, without becoming kings in name. The thesis also concludes that thinking of Greek tyrants in rigid characterisation is no longer acceptable, whether temporally as alter and junger tyranny, or geographically as Greek rulers of Greek cities with no contextual influence. 6 Table of Contents Declaration 1 Acknowledgements 3 Abstract 5 Table of Contents 7 Abbreviations 11 List of Figures 13 1) Introduction 14 1.1) Alexander the Greco-Persian Conundrum 14 1.2) Pausanias 20 1.3) Alexander the Great 22 2) Persian Kingship 24 2.1) Classical Greek Attitudes towards Persian Kingship 25 2.1.1) Tragedy and Comedy 25 2.1.2) Aeschylus 25 2.1.30 Aristophanes 26 2.2.1) History and Persica