Philip II and Alexander the Great: Father and Son ... - Historia Antigua

146 AFTER PHILIP AND ALEXANDER
Recently A. B. Bosworth has analyzed this account and argued with
great ingenuity that Hieronymus’ discussion of the Indian custom
and its origins was possibly either a reworking of Indian traditions or
a criticism of some of Diogenes the Cynic’s followers, who advocated
free choice of partners in marriage. I agree with Bosworth’s statement
that “there was on occasion an implied message, moral or political,
which the reader might detect beneath the plain text of the excursus”
in Hieronymus. 25 In the following I wish to show that the excursus
gains added signifi cance when viewed as a comment on events in
Eumenes’ war against Antigonus.
The digression on the Indian custom and the funeral is placed in
the context of the aforementioned contest between Eumenes and
Antigonus over who would bury the dead of the battle of Paraetacene
and so claim the right to victory. Eumenes, who fi rst wished to possess
the battlefi eld, was denied the privilege by his tired and hungry
troops: they shouted that they wanted to go back to their personal
baggage, and he was unable to punish them. Antigonus, who commenced
the burial, failed to fi nish the job because he was anxious to
retreat and give some relief to his army. This allowed Eumenes to
come back and give a splendid burial to the dead (Diod. 19.32.1–3).
The digression comes next. It tells of the Indian general Ceteus,
who died in battle, and who was married to two loving wives. After
explaining the origins of the custom whereby living widows joined
their dead husband on the pyre, the source comments that the introduction
of this law reversed the former lawlessness of Indian women,
and made them face death willingly, care about their husbands’ safety,
and compete with each other to gain a great reputation ( megistēs
eudoxias). We hear of rivalry between Ceteus’ wives over the right to
die with him, as if they were competing for excellence and honor ( hōs
huper aristiou sumphilotimoumenai). When the younger wife wished
to disqualify the older, pregnant wife because of her condition (the
law forbade cremation of pregnant wives), the older woman claimed
seniority, which ranked higher in respect ( entropē) and honor ( timē).
The generals in Eumenes’ army decided in favor of the nonpregnant
wife, and the other left the scene as if she had suffered a catastrophe.
The younger woman, however, went to her death as full of joy in her
victory as if she were going to a wedding, with her kin singing her
virtue ( aretē). She gave away all her precious jewelry (which the
source enthusiastically itemizes), climbed the pyre, and ended her
life heroically ( herōik ōs), making no ignoble sound ( oudemian
phonēn agenn ē). We are told that some of the spectators were moved
to pity, some to extraordinary praise, but that some Greeks viewed the
custom as savage and cruel. The next sentence reports on Eumenes’