The Jewish War: Second half of Book 1

[cahn]

Last week: Some really interesting discussions on (among other things) Caesar Augustus, the temple in Egypt, and the destruction of the temple (in Jerusalem) as divine punishment and also free will.

This week: More Herod! Definitely went quite a bit faster than last week! Featuring lots and lots of family drama... the kind that includes a ton of bloodshed. I'll talk more about it in comments.

Next week: selenak can you give us a halfway point for Book 2? It looks a bit shorter but I'm also going to be crunched for time next week (and definitely won't be able to post until Sunday) so half a book is what it's going to have to be! ETA: Death of Emperor Claudius!

Comments

Alexander's death

[cahn]

huh, interesting! How does Plutarch treat the parallel between Alexander and whoever it is he's comparing Alexander to?

Re: Alexander's death

[selenak]

Wellllllll, the guy he's comparing Alexander to is one Caesar, Gaius Julius Caesar. Whose ending is one of the most famous deaths in history. Unfortunately, though, the direct comparison at the end of those lives has been lost. The editor of the edition with which you gifted me thinks:

"Whereas Alexander destroyed himself, Caesar is destroyed by forces outside himself which he cannot control Alexander is suspicious and harsh, seeing plot where they do not exists; Caesar is too forgiving of his former enemies and fails to take seriously warnings of a very real plot against his life. Alexander at the end of his life is increasingly superstitious; Caesar is dismissive of omens and warnings. In "Alexander" the pricise role, if any, played by the supernatural is left unclear. In "Caesar", on the other hand, Plutarch is unequivocal that the divine had a hand both in Caesar's murder and in the punishing of his murders."