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The Thread
This is not our history's story,
but rather dream weaved thread
that relates what might have been
and some probable possibilities.
Unknown artist's sculptures
at University College depict
obelisk's change to frames
of three church-like towers.
A gray, four-sided obelisk
is topped by golden pyramid
while robin-egg frameworks
go from small pyre to large house.
Heliopolitan creation myth
drew parallel between sun's arc
from night to day and dead's rise
from realm of darkness to light.
Osiris, his wife Isis and post-
humous son Horus of eternity
were worshipped together as
a pyramidal trinity in Egypt.
Earth and corn effigies of Osiris
buried in month of Khoiak
reflect rites of cultivators
based on direct sense of nature.
Olde Eleusinian Mysteries
were sacred, religious rituals
in Greece that revered gods
Demeter and Persephone.
Frazer thought worship of
Demeter developed or evolved
distinctly in its origin from
homage given to god Osiris.
In ode poem "To Demeter",
Homer gave praise to Demeter
or grain goddess who perhaps
emerged in Mycenaean age.
Tradition of Macedonia
attributed chant to Doi
(Demeter's original name)
who searched for Persephone.
"Doi-dole-Doidule
Dozhdo da zavrne
Da na doi zemlata"
(courtesy O. Belchevsky)
Leuce (daughter of Oceanus)
was led by Hades to underworld
and after death metamorphosed
to white poplar in Elysium.
Shifting leafed Populus alba
was tree of Autumn Equinox
and symbol of transformation
through death and rebirth.
Helios carried flaming ball
in chariot pulled by pairs
of horses fed herbs grown on
Island of the Blessed.
In prehistoric times, Leuce Is.
may have had sovereign rights
over Pontus by dominating
navigation and traffic.
Is makarios (a god's
blessedness) different from
or same as eudaimonia
(a human being's happiness)?
Nestor was Poseidon's
grandson who with Apollo built
tall walls of Troy that controlled
Hellespont entry and Black Sea.
The Voyage of Argo by Apollonius
of Rhodes told sail of Argonauts
along coast of Pontus Euxine
and branch (Ister) of Ocean Stream.
Respected scholar Eratosthenes
dated siege of Troy at 1194 B.C.
based on genealogies collated
by historian Hecataeus.
Apollo's wrath of pestilence
was directed at Achaean army
when priest Chryse was dismissed
with scorn by King Agamemnon.
In "Iliad", Homer imagined
that Paris' refusal to return Helen
from citadel to Menelaus' tent
prolonged war for ten years.
Generally, the theme of "Iliad"
was wrath of demi-god Achilles
and its tragic results for him,
friend Patroclus and comrades.
Judgement of Paris was not seen
as theme of poem because Iliad's
lines (24, 30-36) were interpreted
as interpolation by Aristarchos.
Hector or breaker of horses
killed by Achilles or breaker
of men who dragged his enemy
by rope through slit tendons.
Achilles gained immortality
through heroic deeds though
he's slain by Paris' arrow
guided by Apollo 'fore Troy's fall.
Those whose wishes are for futurity
are not those who act with spontaneity.
Former match tortoise's longevity
while latter catch moment's eternity.
At birth, Achilles' mortal heel
untouched by holy fire: at death,
immortal soul spirited away
by Thetis from his funeral pyre.
His body was ambrosia anointed
to preserve it from decay and
taken by Thetis to White Island
known as Leuce in Pontus Euxine.
Leuce was triangular isle
at Ister and Borysthenes'
mouths where mortals could not
remain and there was Elysium.
Longitude of 30 14' 41" east.
Latitude of 45 15' 53" north.
Area of seventeen hectares.
Circumference of 1973 metres.
Leuce should not be confused
with island known as Tendra
where Achilles' sanctuary found
and name-stone was unearthed.
In poem called "Aetiopida"
by Aretines, Ajax and
Odysseus took Achilleus'
white ashes to White Island.
Apollodorus described how
Achilles dies and afterwards
comrades-in-arms mix bones
with Patroclus' on Leuce.
Isle of white sand and birds
known as Island of the Blessed,
but today called Ostriv
Zmiyinyy off of Danube Delta.
Old sailors' tales told of clash
clang and cling of armaments
during day and drunken
carousing and singing in night.
Both Euxine (modern Black Sea)
and Propontis became domain
of sea-god Achilles whose temple
could be found on this his isle.
Temple was 29.87 square metres,
built of uncut limestone,
and design was specific
to epoch called Cyclopean.
Excavations on Leuce in forties
revealed inscription to Achilles--
"Glaucus has dedicated me
to Achilles Lord of Leuce".
To Achilles, too, were named
great centres of Achilleion,
Achilleios and Chillia
(Densusianu, Prehistoric Dacia).
Egyptian priests told Herodotus
that Alexander (Paris) and Helen
arrived at Canobic Mouth
of river Nile due to ill winds.
Alexander's servants retreated
to shrine of Heracles and then
put sacred brands on themselves,
thus surrendering to godhead.
Proteus who came after Pheros
which may be title of ("Pharaoh")
banished Alexander and kept
Helen and property for husband.
Oral tradition said Achilles
was fourth of Helen's five husbands--
which included heroes Theseus,
Menelaus, Paris and Deiphobus.
Persistent belief of romance
held that Helen was carried off
after death to island of Leuce
where she married Achilles.
According to Philostratus,
Achilles married Helen
and son was Euphorion
who was type of winged being.
It was surmised Odysseus' trip
was not linked to west, but
with his search of unfriendly
sea renamed hospitable.
Rome was founded on seven hills
by Romulus or first of seven kings
in 753 B.C. based upon
Ab Urbe Condita calendar.
There was story memory-stored
that senators killed Romulus
whose body was cut into pieces
and scattered throughout land.
In The Golden Bough, Frazer
said that Romulus' day of death
was celebrated with sacred rites
connnected with fertilized fig.
Fourth century Macedonian
kingship seemed modelled
on Bronze Age monarchy
of priestly and martial power.
Hetairoi or Companions
were landed nobility serving king
and may recall Myrmidons
of Achilles who were called same.
Macedon's king was acclaimed by
army on parade where oaths
of lawful intentions were made
and rule of law limited king.
Philip (382-336 B.C.) traced line
back to Telemenus who founded
Argos who in turn came from
Heracles (son of Zeus and mortal).
One of three Argaed brothers
or Perdicas did boldly seize sun
to found Kingdom of Macedonia
with capital Aegeae in 650 B.C.
King Philip's lifetime injuries
included loss of his right eye,
shattered right collar bone
and wounded upper leg bone.
Olympic success was legendary:
winner of horse race in 356,
four-horse chariot in 352,
and two-horse chariot in 348.
Coinage of Macedonia
favoured his first-place win
by portraying naked youth
riding prancing horse.
Some historians imagined
that youth holding victory palm
was image of Alexander who
though never competed at an event.
Philip II of Macedon invited
many scholars to royal court
including Platonist philosopher
named Hermias of Artarneus.
Renowned philosopher Aristotle
was hired to teach Alexander
for three years at Mieza
between older Aegeae and Pella.
Tutor was born in Stageira
of Macedonia and father
who may have been Macedonian
was physician of King Amyntas II.
"It is said, I think, that even you
the best of princes, should
undertake the study of
the greatest things" On the Cosmos.
Word "cosmos" may have come from
Macedonian adjective KOS
meaning "winding/slanted" and
noun MOS meaning "bridge".
Macedonian star gazers
had seen cluster of stars
in our Milky Way Galaxy
looking like winding bridge.
As young man, Philip was held
hostage by city-state of Thebes
for period lasting three years
to check state's ambitions.
He learned polity from Pelopidas,
and war science from Pammenes
and Epaminondes whose wins
were at Leuctra and Mantinea.
Syntagma of Macedonian
phalanx under Philip II
was composed of sixteen
synomotia of sixteen men.
Hammond stated that Philip invented
word asthetairoi that combined
words astoi and heteairoi
meaning "townmen companions"
On brother's death, Philip was
regent of his young nephew:
his pressing concerns were
pretenders and foreign foes.
Plutarch said that wife Olympias
carried out rites of possession
and ecstacy in barbarous way
through Dionysian orgies.
Onomarchos gained big win
during period of Sacred War;
so while Philip was supreme leader,
he was not an invincible one.
At Battle of Crocus Field (352 B.C.),
his soldiers wore crowns of laurel
(as if favourites of Apollo)
and enemy threw away their arms.
Fallen Phocian peltast
gazed at crimson anemone
whose petals blew far away
with his expiring breath.
As champion of Apollo,
Philip crucified or hanged
Onomarchos and drowned
three thousand desecrators.
In this year, Chinese sages
recorded sighting supernova
or appearance of bright star
that disappeared in short time.
According to Hellemans/Bunch,
SN352 was first recorded
observation of a supernova
in our Milky Way Galaxy.
Aristotle's Physics (350 B.C.)
proposed geocentric theory
which described stars as
permanent and unchanging.
Variations in brightness
of "wandering stars" or
Jupiter, Venus and Mars
could not be accounted for.
Since comets or "bearded stars"
were erratic and unexpected,
he concluded some of them
were emissions from earth.
We caught sight of it ourselves
"for star in thigh of Dog had
a tail, though a dim one".
Meteorologica, Book I (c.329)
A.G. Pingre (A.D. 1783) surmised
that this comet had appeared
in the year 340 B.C. within
constellation known as Leo.
Observation of a supernova
by Tycho Brahe in A.D. 1572
led him to contradict
Aristotle's unchanging rule.
In Tychonic cosmology,
sun and moon circled earth;
but, our own known planets
revolved in orbit around sun.
On Hveen, Brahe looked down to see
comet of 1572 was beyond moon,
tail pointed away from sun and
it followed elliptical path.
He concluded that comet was
further away than moon, followed
elongated orbit and passed
through planetary spheres.
This dealt blow to Aristotle's
notion of planetary spheres;
as well as, concept of perfect
and unchanging heavens.
Poet dreamt of tian, di and ren.
infinite possible necessities
finite probable choices
random unpredictable chances
Peace of Philocrates ended
when Macedonians laid siege
to Byzantium after having
captured Athenian corn ships.
Philip's fleet was temporarily
trapped in Black Sea when
Bosphorus was blocked with help
from isles Chios, Cos and Rhodes.
His fleet slipped by Byzantium
with a wily ruse, but barking dog
warned the city's defenders
thereby foiling his final siege.
In winter campaign, Philip fought
Scyths in Dobrudja region
at mouth of Ister (Danube) and
secured north-east Macedonia.
He may have married Scythian
princess to secure loyalty of king
through way of Macedon's kings
called "political polygamy".
When nomadic tribe was defeated,
Philip erected statue of Heracles
(symbol of Macedonian authority)
at mouth of river called Ister.
Herodotus compared Ister
or greatest of all rivers which
issues forth along Scythian border
to Nile's volume which exceeds it.
Philip--as leader of Amphictyons
and champion of Delphic Apollo--
attacked Greek position
at Chaeronea in summer of 338.
Life of King Philip was saved
by Alexander's cavalry charge
for which son was never fully
or wholly forgiven by father.
Victory ended independent
city-states and marked start
of unity with Hellenes League
under Macedonian Hegemon.
Some Greeks saw Philip and
Macedonians as barbarians:
would Aristotle have classified
them in a similar manner?
Philip's design might have been
to liberate Greeks under
Persian rule in Asia Minor
and/or full conquest of Persia.
At first Council meeting in 337,
Philip proposed League conduct
religious war against Persia
for desecration of temples.
O tell me, Pythian Apollo,
in most unambiguous words,
will my plans become the future
or is my future already planned?
"esteptai men ho tauros,
echei telos, estin ho thuson."
Wreathed is the bull. All is done.
There is also the one who will smite him.
In autumn of same year, there was
quarrel between father and son
at wedding banquet where Attalus
taunted son about legitimacy.
Philip drunkingly drew sword
against son and shortly thereafter
son and mother fled to Epirus,
but son continued on to Illyria.
Relations between father
and son remained strained as seen
by Philip's refusal to consent
to son's choice of bride to wed.
It was surmised that Olympias
planned assassination of Philip
and calculated that her son
gained most in succession terms.
Philip entered public theatre
in final act as king and Hegemon
within line of twelve statues
of gods and himself thirteenth.
Dressed in white robe and thus
appearing more than mortal man,
Philip was ironically stabbed
by one of his own bodyguard.
"When a devoted bull of mighty size,
A sinning nation's grand atonement, dies;
With such a plenty from the spouting veins,
A crimson stream the turfy altars stains."
As acorn strives for form of tree,
so strove descendant of gods to be
god, but approximated actuality
came through his seed's potentiality.
He died three hundred and thirty-six
years before Christian era:
life and deeds of this king
were shown with historical facts.
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