Mathetria: a woman scholar

Mother, writer, history professor, Homer fangirl and Alexander the Great geek. Author of Dancing with the Lion about Alexander. She/they

[jeannereames]

Welcome

I assume you’re here for All Things Alexander/Macedonia/Hephaistion. 😊 And/or because you’ve read Dancing with the Lion: Becoming, and Rise, in English or in its Italian translation.

If you’re not already aware, my website for the novels is Alexander’s Macedonia. There’s a lotta stuff there, both about the novels and Macedonia more generally. This includes some “outtakes”—scenes that didn’t make it into the novels, as well as short stories/scenes that cover the “missing year” (really 10 months) between the two novels. I also have vlogs showing the Macedonian countryside, audio clips of how the names are pronounced, and even a fun playlist for Alexander. You can waste some time there.

In addition, I have a YouTube channel Let's Talk Alexander the Great & Ancient Macedonia where I (and guests) address various topics. So you can see me chat about things "in person."

If you're hoping the novels will be translated into your language, alas, neither I, nor Riptide, control that. Inquiries come from publishers in other countries. The Italian publisher, Triskell Edizione, contacted Riptide to purchase rights. If you know of a publisher in your home country who you think might be interested in doing a translation, email them and suggest it. If you have friends, ask them to email as well. If a publisher gets enough "nudges," they may pursue rights.

As is evident, I’m happy to answer Asks! But I teach full-time, so real-life demands can require my full attention. If you drop an “ask,” it could be a week (or several) before I get to it--but I don’t want anybody to fear they’re being ignored.

Also, I’ve tagged all prior asks with “asks” to make it easy to search my blog, in order to see if your ask is one that I’ve answered before. That said, Tumblr's search engine has grown REALLY uncooperative, so I've compiled a PDF LIST of prior asks that are specifically public-history related about Alexander and the ancient world. Assume it WILL expand as time goes, so you can check back.

If you’re okay with it, ask with your name (as opposed to anon). That way, should I need to clarify something, I can contact you. I don’t want anyone NOT to ask because they’re too shy to use their name, but sometimes I get questions that I, in turn, have questions about. As most Asks don’t seem that controversial (at least, not to me), I’d like a way to contact the asker if I need to.

For the record, this Tumblr is inclusive: whatever race, religion, ethnicity, orientation, gender identification … pull up a chair.

People ask (a lot) if I plan to continue the Dancing with the Lion novel series about Alexander.

Short answer: YES.

But in order to do that, I must find a new publisher. Riptide bought Dancing with the Lion because they could cut it in half and market it as a romance (even if it’s really a coming-of-age historical). But they’re not interested in continuing it because it’s not really Romance, much less “happily ever after.”

Given the difficulty of selling historicals (it took me 25+ years to sell Alexander … no joke), I’m currently at work on an epic fantasy series that’s more widely marketable: Master of Battles. If I can get my foot in the door with a larger publisher--and more importantly, an agent--future Alexander novels may have a home. Right now, I’ve completed 5 of a projected 6 books. If/when it sells, I’ll be sure to let folks know, but I don’t intend to try selling it until it’s done, in part because I teach full time and want to be sure I can meet deadlines. Plus, I like to be sure all the details line up in my world-building.

What’s Master of Battles about?

When the Master of Battles becomes the Mother of Peace, their world is remade. An epic fantasy on an analog world that turns the conquest narrative on its head.

And pitch for book one: Fugitive shaman Teo, fleeing his cruel teacher, falls over the balcony of a quirky prince, setting off a prophecy that will change their world.

If you want to help in finding me a new publisher, the best way to do so is to leave a review (or at least a rating) for the Alexander novels on sites such as Goodreads, Amazon, or Storygraph, or mention it on other social media platforms such as BookTok on TikTok. Agents and larger publishing houses look at such metrics to decide if an author is worth taking a chance on.

Other information for new followers: I’m a tenured professor in history at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, and director of our Ancient Mediterranean Studies Program. I’ve been at UNO 25 years now and taught at PSU before that. I earned my PhD from Penn State in 1998, where I studied under Eugene N. Borza (In the Shadow of Olympus). I specialize in ancient Macedonia, but also publish on Greco-Macedonian religion, military, and gender.

I also happen to be a member of UNO’s Native American Studies faculty as proof our interests aren’t genetic. I’m largely of European descent but have Miami-Peoria ancestry too, Brouillette and Richardville families.

My academic articles, as listed on my professional CV, are mostly available on academia-edu. In addition, I do occasional pop media stuff: interviews or consulting for radio or documentaries, such as The History Channel's Ancient Empires: Alexander or Netflix's Alexander: Making of a God. Interviews involving the novels are listed at the top of my Bio on the website. I also have a blog, “Mathetria: a Woman Scholar,” which is infrequently updated, but it exists. Plus now, the YouTube channel mentioned above.

Yes, I AM working on an academic book about Hephaistion and Krateros. When I originally conceived of the monograph, I planned a court study about the two most important men of Alexander’s private circle in his latter years. Yet a number of things (mostly personal/family) delayed embarking on it, and about the time I got back to it…Covid-19 struck! Delayed again. But my sabbatical in the spring of 2024 allowed me to return to it, and it is currently in process!

[jeannereames]

Happy Birthday to Alexander the Great!

(Yes, it was probably the 19th, not the 20th.)

[jeannereames]

Hello, Professor, do you think Alexander was a very organised person?

Almost certainly, in order to get done the amount of stuff he did. :-)

[jeannereames]

Hello Professor,

I know this isn’t your field of study, but I was wondering if you might have any pointers about the research and excavation of the Villa of the Papyri in Herculaneum. Lately, the newest study using AI technology (and may I say: finally something AI might actually be useful for!) has popped up again in popular media, and it made me curious about the current state of the art. If I remember correctly, most of what has been deciphered so far leans heavily toward philosophical material (as a dear historian friend of mine likes to joke: damn philosophy! lol), but a few years ago there were some intriguing tidbits about possible fragments related to Alexander’s generals during the Successor Wars (I don't know how much was "sensationalist headlines for the media" vs reality).

If I'm not mistaken, the Villa has only been partially excavated, and I’m not sure whether archaeologists believe that most of the surviving papyri have already been recovered or not, nor if there are any active excavations going on. (Also… IIRC, because Pompeii and Herculaneum were destroyed in such different ways, papyri would have been preserved only in the latter, which makes me wonder how much might still be hiding under the modern town — especially since a great part of ancient Herculaneum is still buried.)

And wouldn’t it be funny if a town claiming Heracles as its founder ended up helping us shed some light on a monarchy claiming descent from the same guy :D

Yeah, this is not something I’m that up on, but I hear bits. And I agree, THIS is precisely the sort of thing AI is good for. While it seems a number of the scrolls are philosophical, and specifically stoic, at least one seems to reference the era of the Successors, not ATG himself or earlier Macedon.

Guessing what this might be is hard to say. It could simply be more of what we’ve already go, although even a more complete copy of Diodoros, books 18-20 would be welcome, as 20 is very fragmentary, and the others (including 17, on ATG) have some frustrating lacunae.

Other possibilities include Dionysius of Halikarnassos, although again, we already have much of his. But it would be a real treat if it was, say, Poseidonios, or Hieronymos of Kardia—the source on which Diodoros seems to have (primarily) depended for books 18-20. Oh, how fantastic if we could find the original source in order to tell how much (and what) Diodoros may have changed or abbreviated. The names popping up make it seem too late to be Ephoros, alas, or Theopompos. It could be Polybius, although I think he might start too late for the names mentioned. (I’d have to go and look.)

Anyway, if this Roman villa kept a lot of Stoic literature, Poseidonios is a real possibility. He was lauded in antiquity as an excellent historian, as well as a Stoic philosopher and scholar. We’d all be jumping for joy if we found Poseidonios!!!

[jeannereames]

Update: August 17th. Come watch Jenn Finn and I try to inject some rational conclusions into the discussion of what killed Der Grosse One. LOL The History Channel, not sure of the air time: check locally. Likely not available outside the US/Canada for a while. (sorry!)

[jeannereames]

Hello Dr. Reames! I recently discovered your playlist for Alexander and absolutely love it; it turns out we have the exact same taste in music! I am curious to know what led you to pick these specific songs for him?

I've just always thought/(assumed) that Alexander would be a fan of heavy metal. LOL

For those wondering what the asker is talking about...

Alexander's Playlist

I will add that many years ago a friend of mine whose brother sang opera was convinced ATG would have LOVED the spectacle of opera, so I offer that too. Basically, I think he’d have adored much stage music.

[jeannereames]

Hello Dr. Reames,

This question is more about the field of History rather than something specific to an area of expertise.

For context, I specialize in Early Modern France and England. Right now my research is focused on the religious tensions in Sixteenth Century France. So I'm unsure if the pattern I noticed is localized to certain periods or geography or if it's across the board.

The question: I have noticed that historians, in their Acknowledgements/Prefaces/Introductions, make statements of apology. Either for potential errors or for providing very niche information that is tangential to the broad overview they were asked to actually write about. My professors never gave me an answer while I was in school other than "that's just what is done". Do you have to do this or able to provide insight into why this kind of disclaimer exists?

Thank you for your time!

I don’t think there’s anything particularly special about it. It serves a couple functions, as I see it.

1) Since most scholars have other scholars (friends) read their manuscript or portions of it, plus the publisher will solicit external feedback (hence the whole “refereed” thing)…it’s a way of saying, “If there are mistakes in here, don’t blame the people who gave of their free time to help me out with feedback.” You’re essentially letting others off the hook for any conclusions you draw with which they might not agree.

So that’s the chief and most obvious reason.

2) It also, on a lesser level, covers your own ass legally. I’ve never heard of a lawsuit over this, but I’m sure some asshole has tried to file one. More likely to be a publisher-acquired external reader. If you ended up ignoring something the reader suggested, but didn’t include such a remark, somebody *might* claim that you’ve implied they agreed with/liked everything you said. Frankly, I find this really unlikely, but it’s possible. It’s not unlike the standard disclaimer publishers put in every work of fiction that these characters aren’t real people, etc. It’s meant as a cover-your-ass move.

But really, it’s the first one. That’s the chief reason I use it. A courtesy to any and all external readers, either a friend or someone you don’t know, that gives them “plausible deniability.” Ha. If there’s something in the book they don’t like, they can just say, “Wasn’t my idea,” and you’ve given them that get-out-of-jail-free card.

Hope that helps.

[jeannereames]

Macedonian (Elite) Women

This was originally an "ask" but it seems to have disappeared. I have TON in my box (why they're temporarily off), but at least I'd copied the ask itself (as I often do, as I write these offline).

I was thinking that too little is talked about the strong women in ATG's family (& their tragic endings): Olympias, Cleopatra, Roxane, Thessalonike, Eurydice (and I guess also her mother, Cynane), they all met a tragic end. And in a way, I guess that means that eliminating them was quite important to get to the prize (even when they then followed up the assassination with sumptuous funerals to conceal their involvement. Props to Olympias for her own ruthlessness when it came to political killings, no need to dissimulate afterwards ;) ) Who do you think would deserve more historical recognition among them? And whose story do you find more tragic? For me, I'd say probably Cleopatra (but it's a tight battle! Thessalonike's one is pretty brutal, too) Do you also have any recommendations for further reading on these women? I’m familiar with Carney’s Olympias, but I don’t know much about the others. (Or perhaps you have any recs for historical fiction about them? The only one I’ve read is Renault’s Funeral Games, where some of them are quite prominent.)

I’m not sure who deserves more historical recognition. I like them all in quite different ways. Olympias was just kick-ass. Kleopatra was (I think) the clever one (and I have a soft spot for her), Thessalonike the loyal one, and who managed to live the longest although she was forced to marry Kassandros and then was killed by her own son. Kynanna was her own measure of kick-ass (she figures in Rise), as was her daughter. Even Roxana wasn’t anybody to mess with. But maybe my favorite Macedonian woman of all time? PHILA, Antipatros’s daughter (Krateros’s second wife and Demetrios’s last).

I think, if anybody deserves a historical novel, it’s Phila. Yes, over Olympias. In part because she lived through at least a decent part of Philip’s reign, all of Alexander’s, and much of the Successor Wars that followed, first in Macedonia, then traveling with her first husband Balakros (one of Philip’s Somatophylakes) to Asia Minor after he was made satrap of Cilicia. Then she was (briefly) married to Krateros—long enough for him to knock her up, anyway.😊 Then Antigonos more or less strong-armed his pretty, dimwitted son Demetrios Poliorketes to marry her, even though she was old enough to be his mother (if barely). Of all the powerful Macedonian women, she’s among the few lauded by various ancient authors from Diodoros to Plutarch, writers often hostile to other women at the court. I find it interesting because she’s also said to have been exceptionally bright and wise, especially the former wasn’t normally a “virtue” to traditionalist male authors.

She gets a little cameo in Rise. 😉 Assuming I can continue the books, you’ll see more of her.

I don’t, alas, have any good historical fiction recs for the women. I’ve told Beth Carney that, now she’s retired, she should write a novel about Olympias. Not sure she ever will.  Some years back, there was The Conqueror’s Wife by Stephanie Thornton, but I don’t care for it personally. Before that, back in the late ‘60s, there was a trilogy, later republished in the early ‘70s by Playboy as one long novel called just Roxane. Despite the publisher, it wasn’t that racy and had a lot of problems. Very much a product of the (late) sword-and-sandals movie era, with a cover to match. The two Romances don’t have a lot in common except that Alexander’s the bad guy in both.

Judy Tarr did one on Olympias prior to Alexander’s birth called Bring down the Sun, plus an earlier one called Queen of the Amazons. In general, I’m a fan of Judy’s, but these are not my favorites of hers. I thought the fictional Meriamon of Lord of the Two Lands was more compelling.

But otherwise, nobody has taken on the women. (I think there was a novel following Olympias called Son of the Bracelet, or something like that, but I never read it.) This doesn’t count gender-swaps like Kate Elliott’s Sun Chronicles.

Clearly somebody needs to get writing! LOL

[jeannereames]

Hephaistion or Hephaestion?

Given that I have a strong preference for the Greek transliteration (ai), I wondered about the rest of you? Do you have a preference, especially a strong one?

Also, as native language can matter (e.g., Germans use Greek transliterations, Italians use Latin), if English isn't your native language and you typically read about ATG in your own language, add it in tags. And, of course, reblog. :-)

Forgot to add Hefaistion/Hefaestion. Apologies! Put that in tags!

Which spelling do you prefer

Hephaistion, and it's a strong preference

Hephaistion, but it's not a strong preference

Hephaestion, and it's a strong preference

Hephaestion, and it's not a strong preference

I genuinely don't care (even a little bit)

Just show me the responses

Remaining time: 4 days 11 hours

[jeannereames]

Pasts Imperfect (7.16.26)

μοι ἔννεπε, μοῦσα, of this special Homer issue to prepare you to head to the theaters to see The Odyssey this week. Our resident Homer sage,

Pasts Imperfect has some good stuff on the Odyssey this week, including an article by Joel Christensen.

Also, if you're a Classicist or ancient historian (student or pro) and aren't subscribed to this great little newsletter on ancient history, especially in modern contexts, you should subscribe.

[zuggy]

forgot to upload this to tumblr—a paint-sketch of Hephaistion from Dancing with the Lion by @jeannereames, based on the final scene in Rise! Was such a joy to read these books, so many neat historical details and depth given to the characters 🥰

[jeannereames]

To get you in the proper mood.....

[jeannereames]

Dear Professor, as we know, our literary tradition for Alexander and for Macedonia comes almost entirely through Greek or Greco‑Roman authors, often writing from an Athenian perspective that tends to misread or flatten (some of) Macedonian cultural practices. And, conversely, those same authors describe the Persian court through long‑standing anti‑Asian stereotypes that distort Achaemenid culture just as much.

So I was wondering how different our picture of the Argead court might be if a Persian narrative tradition had survived. Based on what we know of Achaemenid court culture and of Macedonian customs, which aspects of Macedonian practice do you think Persian observers would have highlighted most strongly - for better or for worse?

If instead of Plutarch's we had the Parallel Lives of, say, an Achaemenid court scholar writing during Darius III reign or somewhen else down the line, what traits of Alexander (and/or of Macedonian culture) do you think he would have praised, and which would he have condemned?

I had this about half-written, then decided it might make a better short video. So here you go. The answer may surprise you, and it doesn't quite answer your question, but maybe it does. Sideways:

[aldebaranarfeiniel]

“Dancing with the Lion II: Rise” by @jeannereames (Thank you! 🥺✨👌🏻)

Review with spoilers

The second volume of the “Dancing with the Lion” duology covers the final years of Philip II's reign, leading up to his death. Alexandros comes of age, and although his relationship with his father is sustained by genuine affection, it becomes increasingly turbulent, marked by mutual distrust, tension, and insecurity. We encounter a proud and brilliant prince—impulsive, yet deeply in need of validation; intense in expressing that need, yet also reluctant to reveal the extent of his own insecurities.

Alexandros has not forgotten Aristoteles’ words, and he fears that his love for Hephaistion may undermine his ability to lead and diminish his authority. He is shaken by a painful inner conflict between his ambitions and the profound roots of that all encompassing affection. In this young man, all the defining qualities and driving impulses of the future "Megas Aléxandros" are already present, though yet to fully bloom: his famous ‘póthos’ the burning desire to press ever onward, to pursue, know and conquer; the terror of being unable to trust those who love him; and the necessity of mastering his own impulses lest he become enslaved by them.

Hephaistion supports, accepts, and follows Alexandros like a water pool for the rising Sun—not without suffering, but neither without receiving love in return. Together, the two young men grow into the complexity and fragility of their emotional bond as they negotiate their needs, their roles, and even the ways they express physical love, in a dance that is at once fierce and delicate, yet permeated by a feeling that encompasses every form of love one person can have for another: agápē, érōs, and philía.

Once again, the author demonstrates that it is possible to portray a profound passion—and the one shared by the historical Alexandros and Hephaistion undoubtedly was, regardless of how much sex they may or may not have had—without falling into the trap of modern romantic tropes.

The fact that we cannot fully identify with their attitudes, limitations, and beliefs regarding sexuality is precisely what makes this novel such a precious gem: it is historically faithful and deeply realistic. That slight "distance" from the characters may lessen the reader's sense of identification, but it enriches the story with authenticity and emotional and historical depth.

The oracle delivered to the young prince during his exile gave me chills, especially the reference to one day reaching the banks of the Indus, at the edge of the world, never to return home again. (Pascoli's poem “Aléxandros” has never left my mind.) I cannot help but think that “the shield” mentioned in the prophecy—the one whose loss would bring him to his death—is none other than Hephaistion himself.

Throughout the novel, I felt as though I were holding the hearts of the real Alexandros and Hephaistion in my hands, while never deceiving myself into believing that I truly was. I was also deeply moved by the deaths of Brephas and Amyntor, and by the boys' oath in the tradition of the lovers of the Sacred Band. I have always imagined that any pair of young lovers serving in the Macedonian army must have experienced profoundly conflicting emotions as they slaughtered those glorious and devoted warriors.

Even scenes that might appear small convey just how extraordinary the bond between the two boys truly is. When Philippos welcomes his son with affection and recognition, Hephaestion feels so happy and light that it is as though someone had lifted an entire panoply of armor from his shoulders: selfless love, finding complete joy in the happiness of the one he loves.

As in the first volume, the principal characters are superbly developed, but so are the supporting ones. Campaspē, in particular, surprised me greatly—and this is exactly how a "love triangle" (that truly isn’t) should be handled in this context. The depiction of court intrigue and the sociopolitical landscape of Hellas before Alexandros’ Asian campaign is richly detailed without ever becoming tedious.

I understand the editorial decision to divide the novel into two volumes, even though it is clear that it was conceived as a single work. Read as one complete novel, it is truly a masterpiece. I also greatly appreciated the extensive historical note at the end, which bears witness to the depth of research accumulated over a lifetime.

I will eagerly—and gratefully—await any continuation of the saga. The story of Alexandros and Hephaistion, a tale of adventure, knowledge and devotion, deserves a narrative of this caliber.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

[jeannereames]

Hello Prof :) Pop‑history often frames Alexander’s rise as if he simply “took his father’s army and ran off with it”, the way you’d take a turn‑key asset that requires no adjustments. This obviously highlights how crucial Philip’s military reforms were for Alexander’s later success - though the undertone of "Alexander's would be nothing without daddy" that I often got in some pop-history reaccounts makes me want to tear my hair out… Marius’ reforms were just as foundational for Caesar’s success, and yet no one uses that point against Caesar because that's how progression works? And you build (or destroy) over what others did before you? (but that’s another rabbit hole, sorry).

Anyway, back to my question: it seems impractical to assume that Alexander made no structural or organizational changes ever of his own, given how vastly different his campaign was from Philip’s - in scale, duration, logistics, and in the composition of the armies he faced (even before the changes he began implementing at the end of his reign to bring together his greek/macedonian soldiers and his persian ones)

So my question is: what changes did Alexander actually introduce to the military system Philip had established? And do we know when and why he implemented them?

How Did Alexander Change the Macedonian Military Machine?

This is an excellent question—and point. Of course Alexander introduced changes, some quite substantial.

Even the name “Hypaspists” appears to have been his change from the earlier “Pezhetairoi” that Philip used. Alexander transferred it from the picked elite hoplite “guard” to the whole phalanx, previously called pezes (foot). Also sometimes sarissaphoi (sarissa weilders).

One of our eternal difficulties is confusion over terms. Even among the Greek authors, there’s not always consistency, and certainly when you move to the Latin authors, it gets harder. Military historians tend to use military handbooks to help with that, but these are all later, Hellenistic at the very earliest and projecting back into Alexander’s, or Philip’s time—or earlier—is dangerous, but occasionally necessary.

I’ll also add that exactly when Philip introduced the sarissa—and where he got the idea—is a point of disagreement, although I think pretty much everyone agrees it was in use by Chaironeia.

So successful armies are in a continual state of flux—or they stop being successful.

The “hammer and anvil” tactic Alexander used was certainly developed by Philip, but even that had to be modified when facing such a large army as the Persians at Gaugamela. Alexander had to plan for being enveloped—one (of several) reasons that battle plan is considered remarkable. In fact, every time Alexander faced a new type of combat, he had to innovate—it’s what he was quite good at: taking the toys and figuring out new things to do with them.

That said, a couple of changes stand out for me as particularly significant:

After Gaugamela, he introduced officer promotion on merit, not just birth, among lower levels, but (mostly) did not try to do this at the upper levels, where he’d have faced stiff resistance. It was more informal there and, fortunately for him, his top brass was largely competent. Again, Philip had blazed the way earlier by introducing pay to foot soldiers, helping divorce them from the traditional regional feudal system of Macedonian armies. Also, his creation of the Pezhetairoi (later Hypaspists) involved a picked unit chosen for size and skill, and not organized regionally. So, Alexander built on that after Gaugamela. Some present it in a sinister light: as the new “giver of good things,” it drove a wedge between his officers and their canton governors’ families. But it also takes wealth (or lack of it) out of the promotion mix, so it’s fairer. So I reckon it depends on which end of the telescope you look through.

The next change came after the death of Darius, when Alexander began to run two parallel courts, and integrated some highborn Persians into the Hetairoi. This was not particularly innovative as Macedonian kings had included at least Greeks in the Hetairoi back to Archelaos, and I’d be very much surprised if Alexander I didn’t make Bubares, his brother-in-law, an Hetairos. While for many Macedonian elite, being an Hetairos was essentially hereditary, it was still in the gift of the king to confirm—which meant he could make news ones as he saw fit.

A little bit later, during the Baktrian campaign, we see Alexander begin to integrate a few Asian allied troops into his own army. It wasn’t anywhere on the scale he did later in 324, but that was the beginning.

Then we get the splitting of the Companion cavalry; this was a total reorganization into 6 Hipparchies. If the Philotas Affair may have spurred the initial split assignment (to Kleitos and Hephaistion), Alexander must have realized it made more sense to have separate battalions with their own specific commander. And that likely owed to his experience fighting in Baktria and Sogdiana, where he frequently needed to divide troops to go in different directions.

In India, we see him reconstitute his own navy—not just borrow one. He needed ships to go down the Indus River system, but he also seems to have been thinking about increasing trade. So boats were on his mind, as was repairing or enlarging ports at major cities (such as Babylon).

At Susa and after, he began a major reorganization of the army, including the Epigoni that started a mutiny. 😊Those were the “Asian” youths armed and trained in Macedonia fashion. We also now have at least one all-Persian Companion hipparchy, and a few other things.

So that’s a quick overview of the military changes Alexander introduced. I’m sure I forgot something. It’s true he didn’t do much that was major until at least after Issos and really after Gaugamela. That may have owed to a need to prove the win at Granikos wasn’t a fluke. Also, as Gaugamela and Issos were essentially the same basic battle-plan with tweaks, he didn’t need to change anything there. But he’d already been introducing smaller changes such as the use of artillery against ground troops, not just cities. Up to that point, his changes had largely involved (different) sieges as dictated by their unique circumstances. That certainly continued too.

So I hope that gives a sense of Alexander as military innovator: when, and why.

I have about a gajillion "asks" in my box right now even as I'm trying to spend days working on the book, so I've temporarily turned off asks until I can begin to catch up.

[jeannereames]

Ma’am, I believe your post regarding the starweaver blog and issues that occurred last November is misinformed. I do not believe you yourself carry any racist intent but your tolerance for the intolerant is subsequently intolerance for the victims of that bigotry. Multiple accounts of Black individuals in the classics space faced mass harassment coming from that blog, and they failed to disavow that violence for whatever reason.

They have also previously made comments sharing anti-immigrant sentiment, a belief often linked with racism as I’m sure you know, as racists describe their bigotry as only being anger at immigration rather than the colour of the people immigrating skin, therefore making their anti-immigrant sentiment possibly more malicious.

I furthermore find your descriptor of these events as ‘mean girl drama’ to be quite misleading and almost degrading, as you reduce the experiences of the Black victims to nothing more than simple drama than the harmful event it actually was.

An apology is owed I think to the Black community in the classics space on tumblr, a group already facing much bigotry from the classist side of the classics study. This is not harassment of you or vitriol of any sort, it’s a genuine attempt to educate on why that blog has been labelled as a not safe space for Black people, and why subsequently your continual promotion and support of it is harmful.

I sincerely hope that you take into account what I and many others have said, and have the grace to recognise your mistake and correct it.

And yes I am on anon, sadly a consequence of your promotion of that account is many racists have begun to believe they are welcome on your blog and so those that speak out against you risk harassment from those people, to avoid this I am using anon.

Thank you for any time you afford this ask.

So, this is the first polite response I have received since yesterday. Ergo, I will respond to it. Thank you.

What seems apparent is that this is not just one person harassing someone else. There is a much larger series of events that transpired than I was led to believe. If Starweaverblog did say racist things, that is a problem. She recently approached me to say she does not believe those things, so I take people at their word until proven otherwise. Especially when confronted with a pair of anonymous contradictory reports about a topic to which I was not a party in a fandom to which I do not belong, as was the original case. The simple approach is to say, "Hey, I think you were lied to or at least misled, it's not just one person, and here are the receipts you asked for," vs. aggressive confrontation towards a stranger. All of this has simply convinced me that it is wise to have nothing further to do with this entire situation or the people involved.

Know this: I do not support either homophobia or racism (or, for that matter, anti-immigrant sentiment), nor ever have. My opinion is on prior public record (including the last time this came up).

The Mediterranean and ancient near east represented an array of skin shades, so of course there were Black and Brown people there, even in places their people didn't originate and not necessarily as slaves. The historical record is clear on this. Not to mention mythological figures are, well … mythological. Not real people. The whole hoopla over casting Lupita Nyong’o as Helen strikes me as ridiculous in the same way as those angry over Black actors performing Shakespeare or in Hamilton—or a Black Achilles on the BCC. Classics needs more diverse voices, not fewer.

So, to the person who approached me with respect, I am truly sorry if you were hurt or made to feel you are not welcome on my blog or in Classics. You most certainly are. The same is true for any Black or Brown people with an interest in the ancient Mediterranean and ancient near east.

[jeannereames]

If Alexander had survived the fever of 323 BC, what do you think would have happened? Would he have remarried? Would he have conquered Arabia?

I thought I might have tackled this one, and indeed, I did. Here are two prior posts that address this, one pretty lengthy, one more focused on Hephaistion. I'll put the H. answer first, then the longer one.

Also, in case folks are unaware of it, Melissa Scott wrote an alternate history that was published WAY back in 1986(?) called A CHOICE OF DESTINIES, that might interest some of you. Melissa is cool beans. She's also Dr. Melissa Scott, and has been writing queer-friendly SFF since before it was in vogue. ;-) She has a HUGE publishing list. I'm always happy to push Melissa's stuff.

Post by @jeannereames · 1 image

💬 0  🔁 26  ❤️ 92 · If Hephaistion Hadn’t Died.... · Speculation time! If Hephaestion hadn't died before Alexander, how long do you think he

Post by @jeannereames · 1 image

💬 2  🔁 4  ❤️ 40 · What if Alexander Had Lived to Turn West? · Do you have any thoughts/theories on what it would've been like if Alexander e