Alexander Sarcophagus, Unknown artist, Ancient Greece
Unknown artist, Ancient Greece·Alexander Sarcophagus·c. 325–311 BCE·Pentelic marble with traces of paint·Istanbul Archaeology Museums, Istanbul↓

Unknown artist, Ancient Greece

Alexander Sarcophagus, c. 325–311 BCE

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Not Alexander's tomb, but a marble coffin from the royal necropolis at Sidon, probably made for Abdalonymus, the king Alexander installed there in 332 BCE, though some argue for a Persian governor. Its reliefs show Alexander fighting Persians at the Battle of Issus on one side and Macedonians and Persians hunting lions together on the other. Much of its original paint survives.

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On the battle side, Alexander charges on horseback wearing a lion's scalp as a helmet, the emblem of Heracles. Look for traces of original colour on the cloaks and saddlecloths.

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