Ctesias of Cnidus in the Whirlwind of Time: Life among superpowers
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| Year of publication | 2024 |
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| Description | Ctesias of Cnidus lived in a period of rapid twists and sudden changes of fortune. During his life, he experienced the rule of three different superpowers of his age: Athenian, Spartan, and Achaemenid. His hometown of Cnidus changed hands of its master several times in a brief period of time. Ctesias himself also made a long stay at the court of the Achaemenid king and later worked as a diplomat in his service. Even though his most famous work, Persica, was undoubtedly limited to the history of the empires in Asia, Ctesias was accused of having pro-Spartan tendencies. In my lecture, I examined the period influences on his writing and how various key events from the late fifth and early fourth century BCE surrounding his life and the region of southwestern Asia Minor transferred into his text. A no less important question was how his claimed meetings with several prominent figures of this period affected his world view and whether he was biased towards one of the power players of his time. |
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