Temporary Hiatus

I have decided that two blogs are too time-consuming to maintain so I will be shifting - at least temporarily - any posts that concern ancient celebration to my other blog, http://specialeventguru.blogspot.com/. I thank readers for following my ramblings here. I still believe that ancient celebration is a fascinating subject that lacks a coordinated approach and intensive research. I have not finished by any means.

How Effective was the Design of Ptolemy's Grand Procession?

If the entire event was considered to be the Ptolemaieia, then it resembled closely what was known to occur in similar events in ancient Greece, notably other Panhellenic events such as the Olympics in Olympia, the Pythian Games in Delphi, the Isthmian Games in Corinth, and the Panathenaeia in Athens. They all incorporated athletics, performing art, at least one procession, and feasts. The difference? This Ptolemaieia appears to have been the most grandiose, although it was the first of what was to be a series of events held every four years so was probably more elaborate. Nevertheless, the design was noteworthy for three reasons.

First, the procession was, from historical records, arguably the longest up to that point in time in physical and temporal length anywhere in the world. Although we do not know for sure the procession’s route, we do know that similar Greek processions usually ended up at the place of worship for the principle god. Logic would dictate that this was the Serapeum in Alexandria which just happened to be right next door to the stadium at that time. We know that the procession went through the stadium because Kallixeinos tells us. The start point would have to be a location that was capable of marshalling the huge numbers of “floats,” animals, slaves, entertainers, and soldiers. Although such a location is not known for sure, it has been suggested that the army was garrisoned just outside the palace grounds in the northeast corner of Alexandria. Because the garrison was probably of substantial size and very secure, it would have been a logical gathering spot. It would also have been logical for Ptolemy to want to show off the grandeur of his city and have the procession pass as many of the city’s features and sites as possible. He would thus have chosen the widest and most impressive boulevards as the route. From this information, I have created a likely route for the procession of about 5 km in blue in the figure below, leading from the army barracks, south along the Boulevard Argeus, west onto Meson Pedion, then south down the Boulevard Serapis to the stadium.

Suggested Route of Grand Procession of Ptolemy II (in blue)

By using the city’s streets in this manner, Ptolemy obtained the maximum exposure possible for the procession.

Second, the extensive use of symbolism in the parade elements and their arrangement in the procession was nothing short of brilliant. Even today, most parades are not designed with such a carefully crafted goal in mind, but are a rather loose accumulation of impressive images with little overall substance. The Grand Procession had its end purpose in mind from the very beginning. Like a staged performance, it began slowly and built to its impressive conclusion with the appearance of statues of Dionysus, Alexander, and Ptolemy I that linked them to Ptolemy II. Whether the famous catafalque of Alexander the Great was part of the Grand Procession is my own educated guess, although others have speculated similarly. The surviving text by Kallixeinos and Athenaeus does not state this at any point. However, simply from the pure logic of the situation, this must surely be a possibility. First, it is known that there are several missing parts (lacuna) of—and several inconsistencies in—the original text, whether parts written by Kallixeinos or parts written by Athenaeus centuries later. Second, the description of the final part of the Grand Procession that includes a statue of Alexander seems almost anti-climactic without something more. That something more would logically be the sarcophagus. Lastly, the appearance of the sarcophagus would be the real proof—and a much more convincing proof than a statue—to legitimize the royal lineage from Alexander down to Ptolemy II.

The last reason for the success of the procession was that Ptolemy pulled out all the stops in exhibiting the achievements of Alexandrian science and arts which, at that time, were the most advanced in the world. In addition, he added surprise and novelty, not unlike what good event designers of today use. For example, the giant mechanical statue of Nysa that independently stood up and poured milk, the cart with a wine press, and the magnificent oversized statues and symbols all attest to the ingenuity of the thinkers in the museion of Alexandria. If there was any unsuccessful attribute of the procession it was one of excess, Ptolemy’s arrogant pride in not knowing when enough gold and possessions were enough.

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References:

• Andronicus, M. (2003). Athletics and Education. In Koursi, M. (Ed.). The Olympic Games in Ancient Greece. Athens: Ekdotike Hellados S.A. pp. 43-79.
• Davis, H.T. (1957). Alexandria, the Golden City: Volume I—The City of the Ptolemies. Evanston, IL: The Principia Press of Illinois, Inc.
• Saunders, N.J. (2006). Alexander's Tomb: The Two-Thousand Year Obsession to Find the Lost Conquerer. Basic Books.
• Thompson, D.J. (1997). Philadelphus’ Procession: Dynastic Power in a Mediterranean Context. In Mooren, L. (Ed.). Politics, Administration and Society in the Hellenistic and Roman World: Proceedings of the International Colloquium, Bertinoro 19-24 July 1997. Leuven: Peeters. Studia Hellenistica; 35. pp. 365-388.

The Grand Procession of Ptolemy Philadelphus: What Was It All About?

Like the reign of Ramesses II centuries earlier, the reign of Ptolemy II (Philadelphos or Philadelphus) was the high point of the three hundred-year long Ptolemaic dynasty. During that time, Alexandria was the richest jewel in their empire. Thanks to the ego of Philadelphos, the Ptolemaieia—but especially the Grand Procession—formed one of the most ostentatious spectacles the world has ever seen.

The details of the procession were taken from an account written by Kallixeinos of Rhodes, presumably as a person present at the Ptolemaieia festival. What was originally written by Kallixeinos was re-recorded from now-lost writings by Athenaeus of Naucratis in Egypt, a Greek rhetorician and grammarian, in the end of the second or beginning of the third century CE, but parts of the original work were missing in Athenaeus. Very little is known about Kallixeinos, including whether he actually lived at the time of the festival. The one reference that has much credibility states that he is from the island of Rhodes and is the son of Megakles and Priest of Athena Lindia. Even this may not prove it was the same person.

Not all scholars agree that the Grand Procession was held at the same time as the Ptolemaieia, or exactly when each was first held. I have taken what seems to be the most prevalent viewpoint, that they were related and held in about February 278 BCE. The League of Islanders stated that the Ptolemaieia was to be equal to an Olympiad.

Ptolemy II was the son of Ptolemy I who was an army general and member of the Royal Bodyguards of Alexander the Great. Ptolemy I established the famous Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt when he broke the power of the Egyptian priests and named himself pharaoh. In order to prove he was legitimate, he linked himself to the deified Alexander, just as pharaohs throughout Egyptian history had taken steps to prove their relationship to gods. However, with Ptolemy II, the link was not there, or at least very weak. At the time of the Ptolemaieia, it had been over 54 years since Alexander had “liberated” the country from the Persians and the memories of his importance were probably fading. The Greeks in Egypt, though numerous, were solely there as conquerors, administrators, and mercenaries with few or no ties to the working population of Egyptians. In fact, Alexandria itself was primarily a Greek city, and a very progressive one. If the Ptolemies were to rule with any credibility, the situation had to be rectified. With the Ptolemaieia, Ptolemy II brought Alexander back into the public consciousness and through his creative staging of the procession, linked himself back to the hero. In other words, the primary reason for the spectacle was strongly political. It legitimized Ptolemy II as a genuine Egyptian pharaoh.

There was, however, another political reason and message to be taken from this event. Between 280 and 279 BCE, Ptolemy II engaged in a short war with another of the diadochis’ successors, Antiochus I, head of the Seleucid Empire that extended as far east as India. Although the exact reason is unknown, it was likely that Ptolemy wanted to protect his interests in Cyprus and Syria. He won the short war, known as the Carian War (also the first part of the First Syrian War) which ended with a truce, as it appears he was surprised and impressed with the power and ability of Antiochus. With this as the backdrop to the Grand Procession and Ptolemaieia, the extended display of military might was no surprise. The message was obviously intended for the other successors of the diadochi, and that message was that the Ptolemies were a dynasty with which they should not trifle.

What was a real mystery, however, was who truly instigated the festival, Ptolemy or his sister Arsinoe II. It is known from existing sources, for example, that Ptolemy II was “a magnificent voluptuary with intellectual and artistic interests….averse from bodily exertions” and that Arsinoe was “a power whose goodwill many men in those days found it wise to conciliate,” she having done away with many “threats” to her or her brother’s power. She apparently came to her brother’s court some time around the Ptolemaieia and married him shortly after it, interestingly enough not long before the start of the Second Syrian War. Knowing that he never led his troops in battle and had no taste for it probably meant that Arsinoe was the one who pulled the strings of state.

More to come next time about the staging of the event.

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References:

• Athenaeus of Naucratis. The deipnosophists, Volume I, Book V. Yonge, C.D. (Ed.). London: Henry G. Bohn. pp. 287-352. Retreived August 12, 2009, from http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/Literature.AthV1.
• Bennett, C. (2008). Arsinoe II. Egyptian Royal Genealogy. Retrieved April 4, 2009 from http://www.geocities.com/christopherjbennett/index.htm.
• Bevan, E.R. (1927). The House of Ptolemy: A History of Egypt Under the Ptolemaic Dynasty. London: Methuen.
• Lendering, J. (April 9, 2007). First Syrian War (Carian War; 280-279). Livius.Org. Retrieved March 16, 2010, from http://www.livius.org/su-sz/syrian_wars/1a_syrian_war.html.
• Rice, E.E. (1983). The Grand Procession of Ptolemy Philadelphus. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 209-210.
• Tarn, W.W. (Nov.1928). Ptolemy II. The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 14:3/4. pp. 246-260.