Talk:Bagoas (courtier)

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Renault[edit]

Bagoas' primary significance today is arguably that he is the narrator of a novel written by Mary Renault. To exclude her viewpoint from an article about him because she is not an academic is simply parochial. Nareek 20:20, 3 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know about "primary" but feel free to include that material. Haiduc 23:00, 3 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In THIS article I think it's ok if we present his view, with a brief criticism of Curtius; but it should be kept treated separately, after having spoken of the Bagoas presented by the ancient sources. But if it expands to much it becomes reasonable to split the article forming one exclusively for Renault's book Persian Boy.--Aldux 23:34, 3 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Personally, I would have preferred stronger language: The claim by Curtius that Persian Kings were buried in Spartan simplicity is just plain total nonsense. But I understand the reasons why this would be considered rather improper, so I won't insist on this point. Das Baz, 8 April 2006, 11:21 AM>

Pederast[edit]

I meant to say in the edit summary--how is Bagoas a pederast? Nareek 03:50, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The confusion is an unfortunate result of the category "Pederastic lovers" being renamed "Pederasts." But Bagoas was involved in pederastic relationships with both Darius and Alexander, as per a number of ancient historians. Haiduc 03:53, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hmmm...There isn't a lot of infromation regarding Bagoas, is there? Does anyone know what happened to him after Alexander's death? XEclipsex 00:38, 20 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

A boy loved by a pederast is called a Pederomenos in Greek. No one knows what happened to Bagoas after the death of Alexander the Great. Mary Renault says he probably died very soon after, but for fictional purposes she imagined that he helped Ptolemy transport Alexander's mummy to Alexandria and then settled comfortably in that great city. Das Baz, aka Erudil 18:38, 28 January 2009 (UTC)

Context[edit]

Which famous kiss? Which harrowing episode? The article alludes to them, but what's the context?Snowgrouse (talk) 11:18, 3 July 2009 (UTC) I've restored the information about the famous kiss. The kiss followed the harrowing episode of the Gedrossian desert. Bagoas must have behaved very bravely and nobly during the desert crossing, to have become so popular with the troops. Das Baz, aka Erudil 18:19, 22 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Did Bagoas exist?[edit]

This article should have some mention of the opinion of William W. Tarn, the noted biographer of Alexander, who maintained that Bagoas never existed, but was invented by Dicaearchus to discredit Alexander. See e.g. Tarn, Alexander the Great, (2002 edition) p. 98: "the eunuch Bagoas, invented by Dicaearchus the Peripatetic" and elsewhere in that volume. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 208.73.31.50 (talk) 15:41, 13 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Plutarch shows Bagoas in a very positive light. Tarn is wrong. Das Baz, aka Erudil 18:19, 22 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

To clarify: If Bagoas had been invented for negative propaganda purposes, he would not appear in such a positive light in Plutarch. Das Baz, aka Erudil 18:40, 22 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]