ΛΟΓΟΙ ΔΥΝΑΜΕΝΟΙ ΤΗΝ ΣΗΝ ΑΡΧΗΝ ΩΦΕΛΕΙΝ (Speus. Phil. 8): The Political Use of Mythical History at the Macedonian Court down to the Age of Philip

Abstract

Abstract:A passage from Speusippus' letter to Philip underlines the value of the myths presented by the Athenian thinker in his missive as λόγοι δυνάμενοι τὴν σὴν ἀρχὴν ὠφελεῖν, that is, useful arguments for the king's rule. Speusippus' words are by no means trivial, considering that myths played a significant role as a political instrument in the Macedonian court since at least the reign of Alexander Philhellene, as Herodotus shows. Besides addressing the development of the mythical narratives related to the remote past of the Argead dynasty, this paper analyses the political use that the Macedonian rulers made of them and their successive adaptation to the necessities of the Argeadae, as well as the role that the Greek writers linked to the court played in shaping myths that, as Speusippus pointed out, became propagandistic λόγοι in the service of the Macedonian interests.