Moderator: pothos moderators
Well, not unless you're planning on a trip to New York - but there's this little item from the Ptolemaic area of the Metropolitan Museum's New Egyptian Galleries:Alexias wrote: Does anyone know of any other 'hidden' images of Alexander that could be visited?
That's an interesting one - in which gallery of the BM is it? The thing is, it clearly has the anastole in the hairstyle, which suggests that it's heavily influenced by Alexander sculptures, if not meant to be Alexander himself. The only thing is, that I'd be a bit surprised if the Etruscans were making busts of Alexander within 60 years of his death - but it would bear further investigation.Alexias wrote:Just thought I would share this image. It's an Etruscan terracotta head from the British Museum c300-250 BC. It is not labelled as Alexander, but it certainly looks like it has been influenced by his image, even if it isn't meant to be him.
The quality of the photo isn't very good because of the glass of the cabinet.
This image doesn't appear to be in Andrew Stewart's 'Faces of Power: Alexander's Image and Hellentistic Politics'.
Nor does the Roman bust of Alexander from Herculaneum which is now in Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, perhaps because it isn't very well publicised. Does anyone know of any other 'hidden' images of Alexander that could be visited?
He does, doesn't he? Although I supose he could be a Selucid.amyntoros wrote: the little fellow is wearing an elephant headress and he does look remarkably like Alexander to me.
Oh, yes, that certainly looks like Alexander! I don't think the tilt of the head and the parted lips are right for the time of Alcibiades though. It looks rather like someone has attached the wrong head to the wrong plinth.rocktupac wrote:I always thought this bust of Alcibiades, which is labeled as a Roman copy of a 4th century Greek sculpture, looked remarkably similar to Alexander and the classic 'Alexander pose'.
marcus wrote:
That's an interesting one - in which gallery of the BM is it? The thing is, it clearly has the anastole in the hairstyle, which suggests that it's heavily influenced by Alexander sculptures, if not meant to be Alexander himself. The only thing is, that I'd be a bit surprised if the Etruscans were making busts of Alexander within 60 years of his death - but it would bear further investigation.
ATB
Now that one really does look like Alexander to me, although clearly on the wrong body!Alexias wrote:This is the Roman bust from Herculaneum now in the entrance hall at Blenheim Palace, but I'm risking getting in trouble with this as taking photographs wasn't allowed inside the house!
Hi Jan,jan wrote:I found something interesting through images/google from a travelogue and that is a pledge by Alexander from Kos, Greece. As of yet, I am not fully skilled on how to cut and paste, to take a picture from one page and transfer it to another..so I sent it to facebook so I have it as a link there now. I can at least find my way back to it. Has anyone heard of it or know anything about it? It is dated 324 BC. The war is over. Alexander is uniting the territories into his common-wealth, discusses Greeks and Barbarians, dark and light skinned people..fascinating to read. Does anyone know anything more about this pledge?
Yep - it must be the same one from the tee shirts, the fictional "Opis Oath" which pervades the internet. The lines such as "On my part, I consider all of you equal, white or dark ..." ought to have been a dead giveaway from the beginning for all those who have insisted for years that this oath is legitimate despite there being no ancient source. Skin color had nothing whatsoever to do with whether one was considered a barbarian or not. But you and most Pothosians already know that.agesilaos wrote:Sounds like something I've seen on a tee-shirt; not a historical document just a cod plea for racial harmony ; let's face it if there was a blatant piece of epigraphic evidence for the 'Unity of Mankind' guff, we would not be able to argue about it!
What it is, is an almost word for word so-called precis of the Opis Oath, which can also be found, for example, here. I would also be very careful about the provenance of this! Not least because there is (a) clearly a nationalist agenda of some sort hidden in the website; and (b) factual inaccuracy.jan wrote:The pledge can be seen at travelpod.com. It is on a travelblog from the elop family. If one googles Alexander pledge, Kos, Greece, it does come up and there are several links to it. It is better than I not try to give a link as such. I was dubious at first myself. It is almost humorous to me, but then I began to take it rather seriously since it contains words that I wonder what they would have been in the Greek language instead of the English language. It is not the Opis speech but it does make one think of it. His calling them mortals made me ponder it a bit more, expecially then when he separates himself from everyone after telling them that they are all one big family and that God is a father to them all. Then he says "my side" which really separates him from those who are all equal to one another, making me think that it maybe has a ring of truth to it.
I'll need to go back and check the Opis Speech, because I don't remember it saying all of these things at all - but that could be my memory!Alexander's speech at Opis in 324 BC, otherwise known as Alexander's Oath, given about one year before his death in the presence of 9,000 Greek and Asian officers, has become the beacon of state leaders and international organizations in their route toward the third millennium. The main points which he made in this speech are as follows:
• Now that the wars are over, I wish you to find happiness through peace.
• May all mortals live from now on in harmony, as one nation, for the sake of common prosperity.
• Consider the world as your country, with common laws, governed by men of merit, regardless of race.
• I do not distinguish between Greeks and barbarians, as do the narrow-minded.
• I am not interested in the country or race of origin of people.
• I only distinguish people according to their virtues.
• To me every virtuous foreigner is Greek and each non-virtuous Greek is worse than a barbarian.
• If you are ever faced with differences, do not resort to arms, but resolve them peacefully. If need be, I can act as your arbitrator.
• God should not be viewed as an authoritarian ruler, but as our common father.
• As for myself, I consider all persons, black or white, as equals.
• I wish you to be my partners and not just members of our commonwealth.
• As far as I am able, I shall see to it that all my promises come true.
• Regard this oath as a symbol of love.
The oath at Opis conveys a message, which originated in Macedonia and has not been emphasized enough. The message, emanating from Alexander's native land, was not to conquer nations or to acquire riches, or even to satisfy rivalrous passions between nations, but to unite all people with the bonds of peace, amalgamation and mutual communication.
