L'assedio di Perinto (341/0 a.C.) nella percezione dei politici e degli storici contemporanei e la conclusione delle Storie di Eforo

Abstract

By examining the views on the siege of Perinthus (341/ 0 B. C.) that such politicians, rhetoricians and historiographers as Demosthenes, Anaximenes of Lampsacus and Theopompus of Chios held about the same time, this paper shows that this event was considered as significant not only for the politics and history of Greece, but also for the politics and history of the entire world. The analyses of Diod. XVI 75, 1-2 and Arr. Anab. II 14, 4-5 confirm that fourth-century sources interpreted the siege of Perinthus in light of Philip II’s strategies against Persia and Alexander’s diabasis in 334 B. C. Even though this interpretive position greatly depends on Alexander’s success over the Persians in 330 B. C., nonetheless it should not be dismissed merely as the result of a panhellenistic retrospective post 330, for Philip II’s plans against Persia can be attested as already in progress in the years 340’ s, that is, prior to Alexander’s expedition. The discussion here proposed casts new light on the much-debated question concerning the reasons for which Ephorus of Cyme’s universal history, dating to the IV century B. C., ended with the siege of Perinthus. This paper argues that such a conclusion was not by chance, and suggests that either Demophilus, son of Ephorus and author of Book XXX (the last book of the entire work), selected it taking into account the ecumenical significance of the siege, which both he and his contemporaries recognized, or Ephorus himself wanted it before his death, planning for such an end point if not to the whole work, at least to a book that he intended yet to write. Considerations follow on the meaning of the end point in the works of the fifth-and fourth-century historians of the Greek world – the end point is consciously chosen by the historian to stress the beginning of a new historical development – and on the great attention paid by Ephorus’ universal history to present politics.