Alex buried in Glass?

[Crater]

Once again I am trying to find source material for R.L. Fox's claim that Alex was buried in Glass? More specifically, Fox says: "The most penetrating tribute remains that of Augustus, founder of the line of Roman emperors. Visiting alexandria in Egypt, he asked for Alexander's sarcophagus to be brought from its shrine. Gazing at the body, he laid a crown of gold on its glass case and scattered some flowers to pay his respects"....
Thank you!

[marcus]

Hi George,This might seem obvious... but have you looked at the notes at the back of the Lane Fox book?Certainly in my edition of it the notes are quite difficult because they aren't numbered and are in continuous paragraphs, but they are quite good and do give references.All the bestMarcus

[Tre]

As I recall, one of the later Ptolemies was hard up for cash and melted the gold sarcphagus for coin and Alexander was interred in a replacement glass sarcophagus.

[Carl]

The source is a composite one. The reference to the glass (or 'glasslike', perhaps alabaster - see footnote in Loeb edition) sarcophagus is in Strabo XVII, I, 8:".....and the body of Alexander was carried off by Ptolemy and given sepulcher in Alexandria, where it still now lies - not, however, in the same sarcophagus as before, for the present one is made of glass, whereas the one wherein Ptolemy laid it was made of gold. The latter was plundered by the Ptolemy nicknamed 'Cocces' and 'Pareisactos', who came over from Syria but was immediately expelled, so that his plunder proved unprofitable to him."The reference to the visitation of Augustus is in Suetonius II, XVIII, 1:"About this time he had the sarcophagus and body of Alexander the Great brought forth from it's shrine, and after gazing on it, showed his respect by placing upon it a golden crown and strewing it with flowers..."Both quoted from volumes of the Loeb Classical Library.

[Thalestris-Alexandros]

Having such a grand time on this site...now the glass coffin. Well, there is a provocative scene in Youssef Chahine's film, "Alexandria Again and Forever" (Egyptian film 1989)where the director, in his fictionalized story, encounters the glass coffin. Chahine (portraying Yehia-an alter ego)and the waiter (who in reality has been searching for ATG's body)behold the Great's body encased in glass. It is a provocative scene, trust me. The film is a "mind trip".

[Tre]

Of course how can one forget Cleopatra with Liz Taylor and that other Alexander Richard Burton conversing in front of Alexander and his huge glass coffin (with a suitable blurry view of the body). Word has it this movie, which was excrutiating to watch (awful casting and acting) was actually a much better film but was hideously edited with the best stuff ending up on the cutting room floor.
Regards,Tre

[Thalestris-Alexandros]

The foreign film to which I refer is "Alexandria... Again and Forever" (Egypt 1989). Youseff Chahine's three-series film, and this one is the last. It was well done.