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I think that a son of Alexander (either named Heracles or not) did exist. Perhaps he was the same son by Roxane who died (according to Metz Epitome 70) in Autumn 326 b.C. during the Indian campaign. But the Heracles who Polyperchon tried to pass off as Alexander's son was most likely a fake. But wha...

I think we'd take care when we say words like 'wife', 'concubine', 'legitimate' or 'illegitimate' heir, referring to the law of ancient Macedonia. The succession of a king, for instance, wasn't strictly arranged previously, but depended on various elements, i. e. his ability in winning a war, his we...

Xenophon, I think we cannot mark as propaganda the stories we don't believe were true according to our own standards. We have to demostrate it , or leave for good to study ancient history

Thank you, Alexias, for your post: you said exactly what I wanted to reply to Xenophon. But let me add some words about ancient sources. Most recently Alexandrian historians don't divide ancient sources in two schools anymore, but like best to test each element as they turn up. A "good" so...

Really amazing! Many years ago I bought the book of Nanno Marinatos on the religion of Thera and many other books on the finds in this gorgeous island, but I never saw photos so realistic. A lot of thanks to you, Pauline, for sharing with us things so beautiful!

Hi, Yearning of Atum! I want to strike a blow for your last post. You said the charge of rapist for Alexander isn't proved and you are right. Instead there are many proofs in ancient sources to uphold the opposite point of view. 1) Plutarch (Vita Alex. 22, 4-5) writes "When he [i.e.Alexander] k...

Hi, Pauline thanks for this post! The ring is really gorgeous, but what caught my imagination is the fashion of the women's skirts. I never saw before flounce skirts and plain skirts together in the same ring. Generally the latter are considered old-fashioned in comparison with the former. Perhaps i...

Now I can see at least this huge work of yours! Really grand, thanks for sharing!

Perhaps you are right, the horseman statuette isn't Alexander, but there are examples of interference in the later portraits of Alexander (e.g. the so-called Capitolium Alexander: he is represented as Helios, clearly not a contemporary identification). All his Italic representations, as the Alexande...

Very interesting collection. The most peculiar piece is, IMHO, the first one, the so-called Alexander on horse. Its oddity lies in its curious hair style: at first glance I thought he represented a bald man, now I believe he wore an helmet (lost, or only made of a lost colour over a plaster). The ot...

Really interesting te picture with the warriors. It is similar to the one in the well-known Mycenaean knife, in which there are two different typologies of shields. Thanks for sharing!

Hi delos13, really there is a word in ancient Greek very similar to 'Laphria', i.e.:'laphyra' that means 'spoils, booty'(nominative plural of 'laphyron'). In my Greek dictionary there is also an attempt to propose an ethymological explanation of that word (that is a nickname of Artemis, but also of ...

Yes, of course it is a tunic and a belt, but here we can see how plain clothes became symbols and afterwards banners and standards! Do you think the first banner was made explicitly to be a banner? The first banner was a trophy, and here we see the transformation of a dress into a war booty and, sub...

I'm not a specialist, Alexias, but I have read a lot about the Alexander Mosaic; well, I don't remember anyone assuming the standard was a Persian one. It seems, on the contrary, the original painting wanted to represent Darius' defeat by drawing him in the crowd of his enemies (symbolized by the lo...

I think a kind of standard or banner is visible on the right in the background of the Alexander Mosaic from Pompei. It is very damaged and it isn't possible to understand its real shape, colour and if there were any figure. But IMHO there is no doubt it isn't a weapon (shaft, lance). Therefore many ...