Tod Philipps II.

Projekttitel: eManual Alte Geschichte
Modul [optional]:
Autor_in: Diodor
Lizenz: CC-BY-NC-SA

Diodor, 16, 93-94 – Original:

[93] τοῦ δὲ θεάτρου πληρωθέντος αὐτὸς ὁ Φίλιππος ᾔει λευκὸν ἔχων ἱμάτιον καὶ προστεταχὼς τοὺς δορυφόρους μακρὰν ἀφεστῶτας ἀφ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ συνακολουθεῖν: ἐνεδείκνυτο γὰρ πᾶσιν ὅτι τηρούμενος τῇ κοινῇ τῶν Ἑλλήνων εὐνοίᾳ τῆς τῶν δορυφόρων φυλακῆς οὐκ ἔχει χρείαν. [2] τηλικαύτης δ᾽ οὔσης περὶ αὐτὸν ὑπεροχῆς καὶ πάντων ἐπαινούντων ἅμα καὶ μακαριζόντων τὸν ἄνδρα παράδοξος καὶ παντελῶς ἀνέλπιστος ἐφάνη κατὰ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπιβουλὴ καὶ θάνατος. [3] ἵνα δὲ σαφὴς ὁ περὶ τούτων γένηται λόγος, προεκθησόμεθα τὰς αἰτίας τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς. Παυσανίας ἦν τὸ μὲν γένος Μακεδὼν ἐκ τῆς Ὀρεστίδος καλουμένης, τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως σωματοφύλαξ καὶ διὰ τὸ κάλλος φίλος γεγονὼς τοῦ Φιλίππου. [4] οὗτος ὁρῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως ἀγαπώμενον ἕτερον Παυσανίαν ὁμώνυμον ἑαυτῷ ὀνειδιστικοῖς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐχρήσατο λόγοις, φήσας ἀνδρόγυνον εἶναι καὶ τοὺς τῶν βουλομένων ἔρωτας ἑτοίμως προσδέχεσθαι. [5] ὁ δὲ τὴν ἐκ τῆς λοιδορίας ὕβριν οὐκ ἐνέγκας τὸ μὲν παρὸν κατεσιώπησεν, Ἀττάλῳ δέ τινι τῶν φίλων ἐπικοινωσάμενος περὶ τῶν μελλόντων πράττεσθαι ἑκουσίως καὶ παραδόξως ἑαυτὸν ἐκ τοῦ ζῆν μετέστησεν. [6] μετ᾽ ὀλίγας γὰρ ἡμέρας τοῦ Φιλίππου πρὸς Πλευρίαν τὸν τῶν Ἰλλυριῶν βασιλέα διαγωνιζομένου πρὸ τοῦ βασιλέως στὰς ἁπάσας τὰς φερομένας ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν πληγὰς ἀνεδέξατο τῷ ἰδίῳ σώματι καὶ μετήλλαξεν. [7] διαβοηθείσης δὲ τῆς πράξεως ὁ μὲν Ἄτταλος, εἷς ὢν τῶν ἐξ αὐλῆς καὶ πολὺ δυναμένων παρὰ τῷ βασιλεῖ, ἐκάλεσεν ἐπὶ δεῖπνον τὸν Παυσανίαν καὶ πολὺν ἐμφορήσας ἄκρατον παρέδωκεν αὐτοῦ τὸ σῶμα τοῖς ὀρεωκόμοις εἰς ὕβριν καὶ παροινίαν ἑταιρικήν. [8] ὁ δὲ ἀνανήψας ἐκ τῆς μέθης καὶ τῇ τοῦ σώματος ὕβρει περιαλγὴς γενόμενος τοῦ Ἀττάλου κατηγόρησεν ἐπὶ τοῦ βασιλέως. ὁ δὲ Φίλιππος παρωξύνθη μὲν ἐπὶ τῇ παρανομίᾳ τῆς πράξεως, διὰ δὲ τὴν πρὸς Ἄτταλον οἰκειότητα καὶ τὴν εἰς τὸ παρὸν αὐτοῦ χρείαν οὐκ ἐβούλετο μισοπονηρεῖν: [9] ἦν γὰρ ὁ Ἄτταλος τῆς μὲν ἐπιγαμηθείσης γυναικὸς ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως Κλεοπάτρας ἀδελφιδοῦς, ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς προαπεσταλμένης δυνάμεως εἰς τὴν Ἀσίαν στρατηγὸς προκεχειρισμένος, ἐν δὲ τοῖς πολεμικοῖς ἀγῶσιν ἀνδρεῖος. διόπερ ὁ βασιλεὺς πραῧναι βουλόμενος τοῦ Παυσανίου τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ πάθει γεγενημένην δικαίαν ὀργὴν δωρεὰς ἀξιολόγους ἀπένειμεν αὐτῷ καὶ κατὰ τὴν σωματοφυλακίαν προῆγεν αὐτὸν ἐντίμως.
[94] ὁ δὲ Παυσανίας ἀμετάθετον φυλάττων τὴν ὀργὴν ἔσπευδε μὴ μόνον παρὰ τοῦ πράξαντος λαβεῖν τιμωρίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ τοῦ μὴ τιμωροῦντος αὐτῷ. συνεπελάβετο δὲ ταύτης τῆς προαιρέσεως μάλιστα ὁ σοφιστὴς Ἑρμοκράτης. τοῦ γὰρ Παυσανίου σχολάζοντος αὐτῷ καὶ κατὰ τὴν διατριβὴν πυθομένου πῶς ἄν τις γένοιτο ἐπιφανέστατος, ὁ σοφιστὴς ἀπεκρίθη εἰ τὸν τὰ μέγιστα πράξαντα ἀνέλοι: τῇ γὰρ περὶ τούτου μνήμῃ συμπεριληφθήσεσθαι καὶ τὸν τὴν ἀναίρεσιν αὐτοῦ ποιησάμενον. [2] ἀνενέγκας δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἰδίαν ὀργὴν τὸν λόγον καὶ διὰ τὸν θυμὸν οὐδεμίαν τῆς γνώμης ὑπέρθεσιν ποιησάμενος ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς ὑποκειμένοις ἀγῶσι τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν συνεστήσατο τοιῷδέ τινι τρόπῳ. [3] ἵππους παραστησάμενος ταῖς πύλαις παρῆλθε πρὸς τὰς εἰς τὸ θέατρον εἰσόδους ἔχων κεκρυμμένην Κελτικὴν μάχαιραν. τοῦ δὲ Φιλίππου τοὺς παρακολουθοῦντας φίλους κελεύσαντος προεισελθεῖν εἰς τὸ θέατρον καὶ τῶν δορυφόρων διεστώτων, ὁρῶν τὸν βασιλέα μεμονωμένον προσέδραμε καὶ διὰ τῶν πλευρῶν διανταίαν ἐνέγκας πληγὴν τὸν μὲν βασιλέα νεκρὸν ἐξέτεινεν, αὐτὸς δ᾽ ἐπὶ τὰς πύλας καὶ τοὺς ἡτοιμασμένους πρὸς τὴν φυγὴν ἔθεεν ἵππους. [4] εὐθὺς δὲ τῶν σωματοφυλάκων οἱ μὲν πρὸς τὸ σῶμα τοῦ βασιλέως ὥρμησαν, οἱ δ᾽ ἐπὶ τὸν τοῦ σφαγέως διωγμὸν ἐξεχύθησαν, ἐν οἷς ὑπῆρχον καὶ Λεόννατος καὶ Περδίκκας καὶ Ἄτταλος. ὁ δὲ Παυσανίας προλαβὼν τῆς διώξεως ἔφθασεν ἂν ἐπὶ τὸν ἵππον ἀναπηδήσας, εἰ μὴ τῆς ὑποδέσεως περὶ ἄμπελόν τινα περιπλακείσης ἔπεσεν. διόπερ οἱ περὶ τὸν Περδίκκαν καταλαβόντες αὐτὸν ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἀνιστάμενον καὶ συγκεντήσαντες ἀνεῖλον.

Projekttitel: eManual Alte Geschichte
Modul [optional]:
Übersetzung: C.H. Oldfather
Lizenz: CC-BY-NC-SA

Übersetzung

Every seat in the theatre was taken when Philip appeared wearing a white cloak, and by his express orders his bodyguard held away from him and followed only at a distance, since he wanted to show publicly that he was protected by the goodwill of all the Greeks, and had no need of a guard of spearmen. [2] Such was the pinnacle of success that he had attained, but as the praises and congratulations of all rang in his ears, suddenly without warning the plot against the king was revealed as death struck. [3] We shall set forth the reasons for this in order that our story may be clear. There was a Macedonian Pausanias who came of a family from the district Orestis. He a was bodyguard of the king and was beloved by him because of his beauty. [4] When he saw that the king was becoming enamoured of another Pausanias (a man of the same name as himself), he addressed him with abusive language, accusing him of being a hermaphrodite and prompt to accept the amorous advances of any who wished. [5] Unable to endure such an insult, the other kept silent for the time, but, after confiding to Attalus, one of his friends, what he proposed to do, he brought about his own death voluntarily and in a spectacular fashion. [6] For a few days after this, as Philip was engaged in battle with Pleurias, king of the Illyrians, Pausanias stepped in front of him and, receiving on his body all the blows directed at the king, so met his death. [7] The incident was widely discussed and Attalus, who was a member of the court circle and influential with the king, invited the first Pausanias to dinner and when he had plied him till drunk with unmixed wine, handed his unconscious body over to the muleteers to abuse in drunken licentiousness. [8] So he presently recovered from his drunken stupor and, deeply resenting the outrage to his person, charged Attalus before the king with the outrage. Philip shared his anger at the barbarity of the act but did not wish to punish Attalus at that time because of their relationship, and because Attalus’s services were needed urgently. [9] He was the nephew of the Cleopatra whom the king had just married as a new wife and he had been selected as a general of the advanced force being sent into Asia, for he was a man valiant in battle. For these reasons, the king tried to mollify the righteous anger of Pausanias at his treatment, giving him substantial presents and advancing him in honour among the bodyguards.
Pausanias, nevertheless, nursed his wrath implacably, and yearned to avenge himself, not only on the one who had done him wrong, but also on the one who failed to avenge him. In this design he was encouraged especially by the sophist Hermocrates. He was his pupil, and when he asked in the course of his instruction how one might become most famous, the sophist replied that it would be by killing the one who had accomplished most, for just as long as he was remembered, so long his slayer would be remembered also. [2] Pausanias connected this saying with his private resentment, and admitting no delay in his plans because of his grievance he determined to act under cover of the festival in the following manner. [3] He posted horses at the gates of the city and came to the entrance of the theatre carrying a Celtic dagger under his cloak. When Philip directed his attending friends to precede him into the theatre, while the guards kept their distance, he saw that the king was left alone, rushed at him, pierced him through his ribs, and stretched him out dead; then ran for the gates and the horses which he had prepared for his flight. [4] Immediately one group of the bodyguards hurried to the body of the king while the rest poured out in pursuit of the assassin; among these last were Leonnatus and Perdiccas and Attalus. Having a good start, Pausanias would have mounted his horse before they could catch him had he not caught his boot in a vine and fallen. As he was scrambling to his feet, Perdiccas and the rest came up with him and killed him with their javelins.

Projekttitel: eManual Alte Geschichte
Modul [optional]:
Autor_in: Tobias Nowitzki
Lizenz: CC-BY-NC-SA

Diodor, 16, 93-94

Leitfragen:

1) Wie ist der Hergang des Attentats nach dem Bericht des Diodor?

2) Welche Rückschlüsse lässt die Quelle auf die Motive des Pausanias zu?

3) Was sagen die genannten Motive über die makedonische Oberschicht aus?

Kommentar:

Diodor war ein Historiker des späten Hellenismus und ist für uns eine wichtige Quelle für die Zeit Alexanders, besonders auch, weil er zeitlich viel näher an den Ereignissen ist, als es beispielsweise Plutarch und Arrian in der römischen Kaiserzeit sind.

In diesem Abschnitt behandelt Diodor den Hergang der Ereignisse um die Ermordung von Alexanders Vater, Philipp II. von Makedonien. Zwei seiner Leibwächter, die beide den Namen Pausanias tragen, stehen im Zentrum der Geschehnisse. Der erste Pausanias ist eifersüchtig, weil der König sich eher zu dem anderen Pausanias hingezogen fühlt, und beleidigt den Nebenbuhler schwer. Dieser tötet sich selbst, indem er den Tod in der Schlacht sucht. Daraufhin gibt Attalos, ein einflussreicher Adliger am Hofe, dem ersten Pausanias die Schuld am Tod des Nebenbuhlers und lässt ihn von seinen Maultiertreibern vergewaltigen. Für diese Schande will Pausanias Rache und fordert von Philipp die Bestrafung des Attalos. Da der König diesen noch benötigt, wird er nicht bestraft, und der erboste Pausanias tötet aus Rache Philipp im Theater und wird direkt danach selbst getötet.

Die Motive des Pausanias liegen klar auf der Hand: Sein Wunsch nach Rache treibt ihn an, ebenso wie die Ermunterungen des Sophisten Hermokrates. Denn es stellt sich an dieser Stelle die Frage, warum er sich nicht viel eher an Attalos rächt, der doch für die Vergewaltigung verantwortlich war. Viele moderne Forscher haben denn auch gemutmaßt, dass Pausanias dazu überredet wurde, Philipp zu töten, weil man den König loswerden wollte. Als ein potentieller Verschwörer bietet sich hier stets Philipps Sohn Alexander an, der nach dem Attentat König wurde und durch den Tod seines Vaters viel zu gewinnen hatte, da sein Stern am Hofe offenbar bereits zu sinken begann. Die Täterschaft kann heute nicht mehr geklärt werden, ist aber immer noch ein besonders heiß diskutiertes Thema der Altertumswissenschaften.

Die Quelle bietet uns faszinierende Einblicke in die Mentalität der makedonischen Oberschicht. Zuerst einmal fällt die Brutalität ins Auge, mit der alle Beteiligten vorgehen, ebenso wie die hohe Stellung, die sie ihrer eigenen Ehre zumessen. Wir sehen auch, wie intrigant am Hofe vorgegangen wird und wie sich die Adligen gegeneinander ausspielen. Interessant ist ebenfalls, wie stark in vielen Fällen die sexuelle Komponente ist: Die Eifersucht des Pausanias, die Beziehungen des Königs zu seinen Leibwächtern, die Vergewaltigung. Insgesamt bietet Diodor uns das Bild der makedonischen Adligen als einer hochkompetitiven Gesellschaft, die von der eigenen Ehre besessen ist, zur (sexuellen) Gewalt neigt und nicht zögert, kompromisslos Feinde aus dem Weg zu räumen. Auch mit dem eigenen Leben ist man erstaunlich kompromisslos, wie es der Pausanias zeigt, der in der Schlacht fällt.