Papers by Andreas P. Parpas
The Maritime Economy of Ancient Cyprus in Terms of the New Institutional Economics
International Journal of Nautical Archaeology
Review by Maria Michael, PhD, Honor Frost Scholar, University of Southampton, UK
Alexander The Great And The Hellenistic Naval Presence In South Mesopotamia And The Gulf
الخليج العربي, 2017
Alexander the Great realized the military and political advantage of having a strong navy ever si... more Alexander the Great realized the military and political advantage of having a strong navy ever since he achieved the dissolution of the Persian fleet in the Mediterranean . His naval supremacy during the campaign in India reconfirmed how necessary it is to control the seas and the rivers. Therefore when he decided to set up Babylon as one of the capitals of his empire he went ahead with plans to construct a large port near the city capable of accomodating up to 1,000 ships. He ordered ships to be constructed on the coast of Phoenicia , then dismantled and tranported them down stream the Euprates river to the new port of Babylon. At the same time he construced a port on the shores of the Gulf which was called Alexandria on the Tigris . ( Pliny and Arrian). Alexandria was build in the area called Mesene on an artificial elevation or mound near to the point where the Shat Al Arab ( Confluence of Tigris and Euphrates – Pasitgris) meet with Karkeh or Karka river ( Eulaeyus in Pliny). Its purpose was to serve as a naval base protecting the entrance of the Shat al Arab and the large port under construction in Babylon as well as guarding the trade route from India and Arabia that Alrexander intended to develop further. ( already started under the Babylonians and the Achaemenids ). He gave instructions to explore further the sea routes in the Gulf and during his time but most definetely during the Seleucid period the island of Failakka, known in antiquity as Ikaros, was garissoned by Macedonian and Greek troops. There is also evidence that the island of Bahrain,known in Antiquity as Tylos, was also garrisoned by the Seleucids. Alexandria was initialy inhabited by residents from Durine and Macedonian invalid veterans. It was eventualy destroyed by floods and rebuild by Antiochus IV and refounded as Antiochia. The port was rebuild and refortified and provided with protective embankments. Antiochus appointed Hyspoasines, a Hellinized official of Persian origin, as governor (eparch). Hyspoasines eventually became independent ruler of Antiochia . He eventualy broke from the Seleucid authority and was running his own kingdom. Alexandria or Antiochia was renamed Charax Spasinou , the Palisade of Spasines or Hyspoasines ( Josephus, Antiquities 1.6.4) . ( The word Charax is derived from the Greek word «χαραξ» which means “palisaded fort” or the Aramaic word karka which means “fortified settlement”) In the Palmyrene inscriptions is given the Aramaic name Kark Ispasina
During the Neo Assyrian period, Assyrianization created a world economy that was served by a trad... more During the Neo Assyrian period, Assyrianization created a world economy that was served by a trade network that provided faster, better and more efficient communication that made the world smaller and more mobile.
The Neo Assyrians eventually became the masters of the Eastern Mediterranean. Is it possible that... more The Neo Assyrians eventually became the masters of the Eastern Mediterranean. Is it possible that a nascent Neo Assyrian navy was in operation in the Mediterranean in the late Neo Assyrian period?
Cyprus during the LBA period underwent an unprecedented period of economic intensification and s... more Cyprus during the LBA period underwent an unprecedented period of economic intensification and social development. The progress of its naval economy accelerated in such a way that gave her a prominent place among the countries of the region.The secret of its success was based on two pillars: the first was its institutions and the second the diversified export portfolio.
The paper is based on a lecture given at the Anastasios Leventis Foundation on 4.10.18 . it deals... more The paper is based on a lecture given at the Anastasios Leventis Foundation on 4.10.18 . it deals with C.P.Cavafy poem " Philhellene" through the author's travels in the Near East on the footsteps of Alexander the Great campaign and his successors
HISTORY -25 (1.1) The Greek civilization and the Mesopotamian and other Eastern cultures and civi... more HISTORY -25 (1.1) The Greek civilization and the Mesopotamian and other Eastern cultures and civilizations -26 (1.2) Alexander: the king, military commander and statesman -28 C H A P T E R I I THE PERSIAN EMPIRE -33 (2.1) The Achaemenid dynasty -33 (2.2) The last of the Achaemenids -42 (2.3) Greco-Persian relations -43 (2.4) The Persian army -45 C H A P T E R I I I THE KINGDOM OF MACEDONIA -55 (3.1) The Macedonians -55 (3.2) King Philip II -61 (3.3) The Macedonian army -62 (3.4) The allied and mercenary armies -70 (3.5) Alexander's army that crossed the Hellespont into Asia Minor in 334 B.C. -75 C H A P T E R I V ARBELA IN ASSYRIA -77 (4.1) Assyria -77 (4.2) The city of Arbela and its patron goddess Ishtar of Arbela -80 (4.3) The Greek foundation myths for Arbela, the Kurds and the Kurdish mountains -86 (4.4) Ancient Near East and Greek religious parallels. Greek, Assyrian-Persian religious identification -90 C H A P T E R V THE ROAD TO GAuGAMELA AND ARBELA -93 (5.1) The march from Tyre to Thapsacus -95 (5.2) Darius' generous offer for a negotiated settlement -96 (5.3) Alexander's strategy and the route from Thapsacus to Tigris in Assyria -98 (5.4) The march of the Persian army from Babylon to Arbela -105 (5.5) The final march of Alexander the Great and Darius to Gaugamela -108 C H A P T E R V I THE MILITARY BATTLE OF GAuGAMELA -119 (6.1) The Macedonian army -123 (6.2) The Persian army -127 (6.3) The position of the Kurds in the battle -130 (6.4) The battle -132
HISTORY -25 (1.1) The Greek civilization and the Mesopotamian and other Eastern cultures and civi... more HISTORY -25 (1.1) The Greek civilization and the Mesopotamian and other Eastern cultures and civilizations -26 (1.2) Alexander: the king, military commander and statesman -28 C H A P T E R I I THE PERSIAN EMPIRE -33 (2.1) The Achaemenid dynasty -33 (2.2) The last of the Achaemenids -42 (2.3) Greco-Persian relations -43 (2.4) The Persian army -45 C H A P T E R I I I THE KINGDOM OF MACEDONIA -55 (3.1) The Macedonians -55 (3.2) King Philip II -61 (3.3) The Macedonian army -62 (3.4) The allied and mercenary armies -70 (3.5) Alexander's army that crossed the Hellespont into Asia Minor in 334 B.C. -75 C H A P T E R I V ARBELA IN ASSYRIA -77 (4.1) Assyria -77 (4.2) The city of Arbela and its patron goddess Ishtar of Arbela -80 (4.3) The Greek foundation myths for Arbela, the Kurds and the Kurdish mountains -86 (4.4) Ancient Near East and Greek religious parallels. Greek, Assyrian-Persian religious identification -90 C H A P T E R V THE ROAD TO GAuGAMELA AND ARBELA -93 (5.1) The march from Tyre to Thapsacus -95 (5.2) Darius' generous offer for a negotiated settlement -96 (5.3) Alexander's strategy and the route from Thapsacus to Tigris in Assyria -98 (5.4) The march of the Persian army from Babylon to Arbela -105
The extent of the Greco-Makedonian naval presence in the Persian Gulf during the Hellenistic peri... more The extent of the Greco-Makedonian naval presence in the Persian Gulf during the Hellenistic period is a matter that is still debated among historians dealing with the subject. The discovery of an inscription in Bahrain revealing the existence of a maritime district called “Tylos and the Islands”, with Tylos being the command centre of this district, strengthens the argument that the Seleukids established an extensive naval infrastructure in the Gulf, which was necessary to sustain a standing fleet and to allow them to have control over navigation and trade. It is this standing fleet and naval infrastructure that the Charakeneans inherited from the Seleukids, which permitted them and the Parthians to continue the Seleukid naval domination in the Gulf. The finding of an Asklepios bronze votive plaque in Bahrain might be the proof we need, which will allow us to propose that there was an Asklepieion at Bahrain, a healing sanctuary of Asklepios, the god of medicine in ancient Greek religion and mythology. Sumerian mythology portrays Dilmun (Bahrain) as a holy place and a place of healing. Perhaps these mythological perceptions together with a number of temples on the island encouraged the Greek colonists and military settlers on the island to introduce there the cult of Asklepios. It is quite possible that bringing the cult of Asklepios to Tylos and the Gulf was firmly backed and encouraged by Seleukid imperialism and ideology.
Alexander the Great realized the military and political advantage of having a strong navy ever si... more Alexander the Great realized the military and political advantage of having a strong navy ever since he achieved the dissolution of the Persian fleet in the Mediterranean . His naval supremacy during the campaign in India reconfirmed how necessary it is to control the seas and the rivers. Therefore when he decided to set up Babylon as one of the capitals of his empire he went ahead with plans to construct a large port near the city capable of accomodating up to 1,000 ships. He ordered ships to be constructed on the coast of Phoenicia , then dismantled and tranported them down stream the Euprates river to the new port of Babylon. At the same time he construced a port on the shores of the Gulf which was called Alexandria on the Tigris . ( Pliny and Arrian). Alexandria was build in the area called Mesene on an artificial elevation or mound near to the point where the Shat Al Arab ( Confluence of Tigris and Euphrates – Pasitgris) meet with Karkeh or Karka river ( Eulaeyus in Pliny). Its purpose was to serve as a naval base protecting the entrance of the Shat al Arab and the large port under construction in Babylon as well as guarding the trade route from India and Arabia that Alrexander intended to develop further. ( already started under the Babylonians and the Achaemenids ). He gave instructions to explore further the sea routes in the Gulf and during his time but most definetely during the Seleucid period the island of Failakka, known in antiquity as Ikaros, was garissoned by Macedonian and Greek troops. There is also evidence that the island of Bahrain,known in Antiquity as Tylos, was also garrisoned by the Seleucids.
Alexandria was initialy inhabited by residents from Durine and Macedonian invalid veterans. It was eventualy destroyed by floods and rebuild by Antiochus IV and refounded as Antiochia. The port was rebuild and refortified and provided with protective embankments. Antiochus appointed Hyspoasines, a Hellinized official of Persian origin, as governor (eparch). Hyspoasines eventually became independent ruler of Antiochia . He eventualy broke from the Seleucid authority and was running his own kingdom. Alexandria or Antiochia was renamed Charax Spasinou , the Palisade of Spasines or Hyspoasines ( Josephus, Antiquities 1.6.4) . ( The word Charax is derived from the Greek word «χαραξ» which means “palisaded fort” or the Aramaic word karka which means “fortified settlement”) In the Palmyrene inscriptions is given the Aramaic name Kark Ispasina
Ory Amitay, of the University of Haifa, in his excellent paper published in 2008 in "Estratto da ... more Ory Amitay, of the University of Haifa, in his excellent paper published in 2008 in "Estratto da Athenaum -Studi di Litteratura a Storia dell' Antichita" of the University of Pavia, (1) introduced into Alexander's scholarship a much needed element from a Near Eastern point of view, based on local traditions and religious practices. In my book "Alexander the Great in Erbil", (2) I supported the view that, with the information available to us from Greco-Roman sources, the contemporary historians of Alexander have long exhausted the scholarship of the "Alexander phenomenon". If we stop looking at Alexander's campaign from the Hellenocentric point of view only and we try at the same time to look at aspects of his campaign from the Eastern point of view and tradition, we might have a chance to introduce a much needed fresh momentum into Alexander's scholarship. In his paper "Why did Alexander the Great besiege Tyre?" Ory Amitay does precisely that.
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Papers by Andreas P. Parpas
Alexandria was initialy inhabited by residents from Durine and Macedonian invalid veterans. It was eventualy destroyed by floods and rebuild by Antiochus IV and refounded as Antiochia. The port was rebuild and refortified and provided with protective embankments. Antiochus appointed Hyspoasines, a Hellinized official of Persian origin, as governor (eparch). Hyspoasines eventually became independent ruler of Antiochia . He eventualy broke from the Seleucid authority and was running his own kingdom. Alexandria or Antiochia was renamed Charax Spasinou , the Palisade of Spasines or Hyspoasines ( Josephus, Antiquities 1.6.4) . ( The word Charax is derived from the Greek word «χαραξ» which means “palisaded fort” or the Aramaic word karka which means “fortified settlement”) In the Palmyrene inscriptions is given the Aramaic name Kark Ispasina