WAR IN THE HELLENISTIC WORLD

THE MEMORY OF WAR
praise victory in a more general sense, and thus to contribute to the identity
and self-confidence of the Pergamenes. A decree of Pergamon (I.Pergamon
246; SEG XXXIV 1251) concerns the festivities of a commemorative
anniversary for a victory of Attalos III, but the opponent is, unfortunately,
not known.
While at Plataia the Greeks could jointly celebrate their pan-Hellenic
identity, they did not lack opportunities to separately celebrate the memory
of their conflicts as well. Interestingly, the commemorative anniversaries of
Greek wars in the Hellenistic period do not concern the wars between
Greek cities, but the wars against or between kings. There are a few exceptions
– for example, the commemorative anniversaries celebrated in the
Cretan city of Lyttos, known from a (still unpublished) inscription of the
late second century. One of them commemorated the re-foundation of
the city after its destruction during the Lyttian War (ca. 220 BC), the other
commemorated the destruction of the neighboring city of Dreros (late
third/early second century). A neighbor is often the worst enemy, and not
only in Hellenistic Greece, but this particular anniversary meant more to
the Lyttians than just a victory over a traditional enemy. During the Lyttian
War the Drerians had sworn never to stop fighting against the Lyttians (see
chapter 3, section 1); the destruction of the enemy was in Lyttian collective
memory intrinsically connected with survival, revenge, and the beginning of
a new era.
But apart from this festival, the Hellenistic commemorative anniversaries
of wars and battles are connected with the wars of kings – and were usually
short-lived. The Samians introduced the festival Antigoneia and Demetria
in 306 BC upon the announcement of the victory of Demetrios at the seabattle
of Salamis in Cyprus (IG XII.6 56; epi tois euangeliois). The Athenians
introduced in 304 BC a sacrifice to Agathe Tyche (“Good Fortune”) and
to kings Antigonos the One-Eyed and Demetrios the Besieger after the
latter’s victory in the Peloponnese during one of the Wars of the Successors
(SEG XXX 69). The campaigns of Philip V of Macedon in Asia Minor
(ca. 204–200 BC), the dangers for the Karian cities, and their rescue from
this danger are the most probable background of festivals in Knidos (SEG
XXXVIII 812) and Bargylia (I.Iasos 613; cf. SEG XLV 1508 A/B) that
commemorated the miracles of Artemis. The festival of Artemis Kindyas at
Bargylia was continually enlarged until the late second century, commemorating
not only this particular war, but also other miracles (epiphaneiai)
of Artemis during later wars. Two other contemporary festivals, this time
in Thessaly, also focused on defeats of Philip V. The Eleutheria of Larisa,
dedicated to Zeus Eleutherios, was a contest of the Thessalian League
established when it acquired its autonomy after the Roman victory at Kynos
Kephalai (ca. 197 BC; IG IX.2 525–6, 528–30, 534; Syll. 3 613). After the
battle at Pydna, which heralded the end of the Macedonian kingdom, the
city of Larisa established another competition to honor its cavalrymen who
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