Alcaeus, Antimenidas, Ascalon: Greek Mercenary Service in the Ancient Near East and the Testimony of Strabo

Summary According to a recent widely-cited article in this journal, the commonly accepted view that Antimenidas, brother of the Archaic poet Alcaeus of Mytilene, served as a mercenary on the side of the Babylonians during their campaign against the Philistine city of Ascalon in 604 is problematic. This article argues, by contrast, that the evidence in favour of this view, chiefly provided by Strabo, is robust, and that as a consequence 604 can be maintained as a precious absolute date within Alcaeus’ poetic career. The question of what Antimenidas’ involvement tells us about Greek mercenaries in the ancient Near East is also addressed.