Alexander exhibit in Russia!

[marcus]

Likewise, Alexander - Welcome to Pothos!

Take a look at the review in The St. Petersburg Times, especially the second photograph which is of items from the time of Alexander the Great. It looks like they have a gold Scythian arrow case similar to the one found at Vergina, but more fascinating are the bronze greaves and a helmet which have had their patina removed - they have been polished! It would be unfair to say that this would not be done in the west because we don’t know the history of the pieces, but what a rare opportunity to see how ancient armor must have looked back in the day.

Thanks for the link, Amyntoros - enjoyed reading that. I thought the reviewer was remarkably well-informed ('cos, let's face it, they aren't usually).

ATB

[jan]

Thanks, Amyntoros, for sharing all this information about the The Hermitage. Likewise, appreciated the article in the St. Petersburg Times, and couldn't help but laugh at the statement "had pretensions of being a god". Talk about condescending attitudes! But the picture of the greaves is quite interesting...hope it does have travel plans for other cities in future times too...lucky St. Petersburg! Good for them!

[jan]

HI Amyntoros, Well, I really like it! The helmet is teriffic. Wonder when this was made and by whom? but the cigar ring makes me laugh! Makes a great engagement ring! Just love the look though, puffy or not!

[AlexMikh]

ПРИВЕТ!

thank you, Amyntoros!
thank you, Marcus!

yes, the Alexander's campaign stired up the whole world! In Russia the first version of that Romance was the Serbian version. It came about in the XV-th century. It was the adventure romance. Alexander met different fantastical heros and creatures (giants, fleas, hexapod beasts ). So there was mainly a made-up subject rather than historical as usual. As for an english versian of it i don't know anything. The same way as Russian translations of the different European versians of the Alexander Romance

Thanks for the link. Also let me show you something
http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/html_En/ ... 1_154.html
This is the Hermitage's site (and its english version). and you can see there some exhibits.
but as the exhibition goes up till May, possibly i'll have a chance to visit it. (i hope.. very hope)
unfortunately, it is far from my town to St. Petersburg .

yours faithfully,
Alexander Mikhaylov.

До свидания!

[amyntoros]

In Russia the first version of that Romance was the Serbian version. It came about in the XV-th century. It was the adventure romance. Alexander met different fantastical heros and creatures (giants, fleas, hexapod beasts ). So there was mainly a made-up subject rather than historical as usual.

Hi Alexander,

I remember looking for an English translation of the Serbian Alexander Romance a couple of years ago, to no avail. It was just my usual curiosity as to how much it might vary from other versions.

Thank you for the link to the Hermitage site – it looks like a wonderful place. I do hope you have the opportunity to visit the exhibition before it is over. If you do, please tell us more about it – and take photographs (if they allow it).

The helmet is teriffic. Wonder when this was made and by whom?

Nobody of any great importance, I suspect. There were thousands upon thousands of these helmets made during the period, although very few have survived because bronze was a valuable metal. Each conquest or battle resulted in bronze armor (and statues) being melted down and reused for other purposes. All surviving pieces of armor have been discovered in the few un-looted graves that have been located, or the occasional religious site where they were offered to the gods. In fact, recently there was a short article out of Bulgaria where several Macedonian helmets and greaves were found buried in a ditch. It was stated that these items were religious offerings, but I’ve no idea how or why they made this determination. Unfortunately, there’s little follow-up to these discoveries and, as far as I know, no archaeological research done ‘in situ’. Most similar news items tell of archaeological findings being discovered one day and then exhibited in museums before the week is out! It’s a shame, really, that we’ll never learn more.

Best regards,