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The article suggests the stories could have been propaganda.

• rsj_hn 5y ago
  Of course, but you can say this about any historical figure before the age of mass media. That's not a particularly insightful or novel criticism. What do we really know about Pericles, Alexander the Great, Tiberius? We have a handful of biographies that have been passed down, and you can accuse any of them of being propaganda.
  • indigochill 5y ago
    > you can say this about any historical figure before the age of mass media And after mass media! Just because we have an easier time disseminating information doesn't mean most of it isn't created with the intent to persuade the audience to believe things the author wants them to believe about the subject.
    • rsj_hn 5y ago
      Yes, you have to sift through it, but the point is you get more than one or two primary texts, and so with a variety of witnesses you can make a stronger case. In the ancient world, it's not uncommon to have only a single text from a specific point of view and so there are always charges of propaganda to deal with.