Callisthenes of Olynthos

Callisthenes of Olynth ( Greek Καλλισθένης Kallisthénēs ; * around 370 BC ; † around 327 ) was a Macedonian historian . His work on Alexander the Great had a decisive influence on the image of Alexander the subsequent historians.

Life

Callisthenes, a relative (probably nephew) and pupil of the philosopher Aristotle , was taught by him at times together with Alexander the great and became friends with him. He is later taken along as the official historian of Alexander's campaign in Asia.

Probably because of Alexander's personal admiration for Homer and because of political-propagandistic considerations, the dissemination and idealization of Alexander's deeds (also the title of the work by Callisthenes) was spread through Callisthenes in a homerizing style in the Greek world.

Callisthenes fell in the summer of 327 BC. BC in disgrace with Alexander, since he turned against the planned introduction of proskynesis : After Kallisthenes' personal refusal to carry out the prosksynesis (previously demonstrated by some others) against Alexander, the other Macedonians present also refused. In his criticism, Callisthenes mainly used religious arguments against this gesture of submission: A Macedonian only kneels before one god. Alexander had to give in to a certain extent as far as this point was concerned (only Persians had to prosecynise him in the future). Precisely because until then, Callisthenes had always propagated a mythical image of Alexander, Alexander apparently viewed his attitude as a personal betrayal.

As a trainer of the basilikoi paides , Kallisthenes was arrested as part of the so-called page conspiracy on suspicion of involvement in the conspiracy. Presumably he was then directly tortured and executed (according to Ptolemy ). The parallel tradition in Aristobulus of Kassandria and Chares of Mytilene , who report the death of Callisthenes in captivity, can be seen as an attempt to exonerate Alexander.

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Callisthenes was considered a respected historian even before the Alexander procession, which is probably why he was chosen by Alexander as court historian. Kallisthenes had previously written several works, including Hellenika ("Greek History") in ten books, in which the period from 387/86 to 357/56 BC. As well as a work on the "holy war" against the Phocians; only very few fragments of these works have survived. Evidently Ephorus , for example, used the Hellenica of Callisthenes.

In the deeds of Alexander , of which no book number has survived, Alexander was glorified by Callisthenes in an almost panegyric way, which was shown, among other things, in the following representations:

• Alexander is descended from Heracles and Achilles . Alexander accepted this myth even before the Asian campaign, perhaps even believed it himself.
• Alexander is a great advocate of the Panhellenic idea.
• In Lycia the sea is said to have given way to Alexander.
• The oracle of Zeus Ammon in the Egyptian oasis of Siwa had declared Alexander the son of Zeus Amun , thereby raising Alexander to the level of the gods.

The deeds of Alexander are to be regarded as the main work of Callisthenes, which obviously served the propaganda in favor of Alexander. The work, which was published in sections and dates back to about 331 BC. BC, aimed primarily at the Greek audience, who should be conveyed the image of a heroic, almost godlike military leader who fought against the Persians. He emphasized the Panhellenic character of the campaign. The work was also enriched with numerous digressions. It contained a lot of important information, which of course was written from the perspective of the court. The work was apparently used by various subsequent Alexander historians and had a great influence on the Alexander image of subsequent generations and historians.

Only a few fragments of the deeds of Alexander , as of the other works of Callisthenes, have survived.

Pseudo-Callisthenes

A distinction between Callisthenes and Olynthos is an author of the 3rd century, referred to in research as pseudo-Callisthenes , who used fabulous materials in his work (see Alexander novel ). For a long time, Callisthenes was also considered the author of such a work, but his historical work probably served as the basis.

Text output

• Felix Jacoby : The Fragments of the Greek Historians No. 124

literature

Overview representations

• Felix Jacoby : Callisthenes. In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume X, 2, Stuttgart 1919, Sp. 1674-1707.
• Carlo Scardino: Callisthenes of Olynth. In: Bernhard Zimmermann , Antonios Rengakos (Hrsg.): Handbook of the Greek literature of antiquity. Volume 2: The Literature of the Classical and Hellenistic Period. CH Beck, Munich 2014, ISBN 978-3-406-61818-5 , p. 640 f.
• Hatto H. Schmitt, Ernst Vogt (Ed.): Small Lexicon of Hellenism . Study edition, Wiesbaden 2003, especially p. 223 f. (with further literature).
• Walter Spoerri : Callisthène d'Olynthe. In: Richard Goulet (ed.): Dictionnaire des philosophes antiques. Volume 2, CNRS Éditions, Paris 1994, ISBN 2-271-05195-9 , pp. 183-221

Investigations

• David Golan: The Fate of a Court Historian, Callisthenes . In: Athenaeum 66, 1988, p. 99 ff.
• Lionel Pearson: The Lost Histories of Alexander the Great . American Philological Association, New York 1960, pp. 22 ff. ( Online version ).

Web links

• Literature by and about Kallisthenes von Olynth in the catalog of the German National Library
• Marie Louise Chaumont: Callisthenes . In: Ehsan Yarshater (Ed.): Encyclopædia Iranica (English, including references)
• Jona Lendering: Callisthenes of Olynthus . In: Livius.org (English)

Remarks

1. ↑ The Fragments of the Greek Historians No. 138.
2. ↑ The Fragments of the Greek Historians No. 139.
3. ↑ The Fragments of the Greek Historians No. 125.
4. ↑ Kleines Lexikon des Hellenismus , p. 224; RE X, 2, col. 1707ff.