tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post7583555979947567323..comments2024-03-25T17:26:33.773+09:00Comments on Here's no great matter: Truth, Lies, Sources (and Videotape).Prufrockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17659918463589870423noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-37325074525877045432016-12-03T14:00:59.138+09:002016-12-03T14:00:59.138+09:00Hi Sean, thanks for dropping by. Yes, I would agre...Hi Sean, thanks for dropping by. Yes, I would agree that Livy has possibly massaged the circumstances of Antiochus's departure. Appian has him leave the camp in what was presumably good order and then take flight once he sees the carnage in the centre; Livy has him take flight in despair at the renewed Roman resistance.<br /><br />Whether that is Livy's doing alone or whether he has used other sources is the thing I would really like to know. Livy does on various occasions show his awareness of different traditions. Dio's account is also probably closer to Livy's than Appians. Is that because he has read Livy or because he has read Livy's other sources besides Polybius?<br /><br />Hard to know, but interesting to think about.<br /><br />Thanks again!<br /><br />AaronPrufrockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659918463589870423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-40039525061866794582016-12-01T04:10:51.343+09:002016-12-01T04:10:51.343+09:00Hi Aaron,
I think an even better example of tha...Hi Aaron,<br /><br /> I think an even better example of that would be the fighting around Antiochus. Livy patriotically dwells on the valour of the Roman cavalry, while Appain ignores them as inconsequential; Appian has him decide that trying to break into a camp with just his cavalry is a bad job, and leisurely return to see how his phalanx is doing while sweeping aside Eumenes of Pergamon, while Livy has him chased away. Anyone who was there to see what happened was fighting for one side or the other and could not be unbiased. Whereas the differences between Appian and the story which Livt wants you to imagine but can't quite say out loud are the kind of thing where there was one clearly right version, and any honest observer who was not in the thick of the fight should have been able to agree on it.<br /><br /> But mostly, I want to agree on the larger point, that ancient historians are at least as unreliable as modern journalists, and need to be read with an eye on their political allegiances and choices of informants. Because the strangest things are said and writen by people who swear that they are just following the word of their sources and don't need any of that nasty German skepticism!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-49652370924389582182016-11-30T00:00:41.308+09:002016-11-30T00:00:41.308+09:00Absolutely, Fran! Ireland are now the real deal, a...Absolutely, Fran! Ireland are now the real deal, and they were cracking games. Can't wait for round 3, but I do hope we keep our tackles down when it comes!<br /><br />Cheers,<br />AaronPrufrockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659918463589870423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-15783939364348054472016-11-29T23:58:24.932+09:002016-11-29T23:58:24.932+09:00That's interesting - and slightly worrying! - ...That's interesting - and slightly worrying! - Norm. It's been said by better people than me, but we seem to be verging on a post-fact society now. The event is not so important; it's how it's spun that is. I'm becoming daily less convinced that our modern 'sophistication' is such a good thing!Prufrockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659918463589870423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-85909046069981388602016-11-29T18:05:10.839+09:002016-11-29T18:05:10.839+09:00Two good games and a historical win for the boys i...Two good games and a historical win for the boys in green!The Angry Lurkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01227314379603418332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-74831321240032950612016-11-29T03:40:44.041+09:002016-11-29T03:40:44.041+09:00Yes, good post. I was at an incident that was late...Yes, good post. I was at an incident that was later reported upon in the daily newspaper - I had some insight into the incident and the 'facts' as reported were a misrepresentation of what actually happened - though the motivator was quite clearly to get a sexed up story that would best catch the readers eye.<br /><br />The whole thing was no big deal, but it did give me a valuable lesson in not always trusting a supposed reliable source / account.Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.com