Alexander's Eyes

[Hologen]

It's well known that Alexander had heterochondria (different iris colors) but just for the sake of accuracy in my mind and knowing does anybody know of any of the old writings (Plutarch or Justin, etc.) that mention which eye was brown, and which one was blue? Or are there paintings or anything that are accurate to go by?

[Hologen]

Well I found this, which this fellow did a lovely job on: http://www.macedoniaontheweb.com/forum/ ... great.html
But it is a modern depiction so I may never know the truth.

However, typing "Alexander the Great eyes" into google brought up some interesting information on possibly Alexander or his soldier's descendants. They are the Kalash people of the Hindu Kush region of pakistan. They're beautiful people with an indian/aryan mix. Brown skin and blue/green eyes is remarkable looking. It makes sense that Alexander and his army would play some role in this historically. Him probably bringing the first Aryan-blooded people over there, and many of them staying. I don't know much about it though. But it would seem Alexander's wish to mix and unite the different races (those specifically at that time) has been carried out.

[Alexias]

I am not sure that it is well known. Plutarch, who talks about Alexander's appearance, never mentions it. I think that it is one of those myths about him.

Some scholars (can't remember who) have explained the tale by saying that one of his pupils may have been temporarily dilated due to a concussion or neck injury (hence the head held on one side), which personally I think is rubbish.

For this colour difference to be noticable though, it would argue that his eyes were blue. Yet the Pompei mosaics, based on Apelles' paintings (who was Alexander's prefered painter) of Gaugamela and his wedding to Roxane, show him with brown eyes, which in my opinion, better suits the description in Plutarch of the 'melting' quality of his gaze.

Sorry, just edited this. The wedding to Roxane is a wall painting, not a mosaic.

[Hologen]

Well if that is the case then it is not only me spreading rumors but historians alike. I wasn't sure what to believe either until I read it once again in Peter Green's book and I'd assumed he'd done his research. But he didn't cite any source for that one little tidbit unfortunately, so who knows.

In relation to the other thing I was talking about, it turns out those people are most likely not related to Alexander's army or any greek settlers at all but whatever the case it's an interesting read: http://euroheritage.net/greeksinasia.shtml

[marcus]

I am not sure that it is well known. Plutarch, who talks about Alexander's appearance, never mentions it. I think that it is one of those myths about him.
...
For this colour difference to be noticable though, it would argue that his eyes were blue. Yet the Pompei mosaics, based on Apelles' paintings (who was Alexander's prefered painter) of Gaugamela and his wedding to Roxane, show him with brown eyes, which in my opinion, better suits the description in Plutarch of the 'melting' quality of his gaze.

The different eye colour business appears only in the Alexander Romance. Plutarch is the only ancient author who mentions his eyes at all, and he refers to his "melting gaze/glance" (as Alexias says) and to the "liquid softness" of his eyes.

ATB

[agesilaos]

As Marcus says only in the Romance so if people want to take it seriously they really have to consider Bukephalos horned and eating flesh!

Nor should you continue to think that Alexander's men were Aryans; that belongs to a more modern mythology. The Aryans were a Northern Indian people who radiated into Europe bringing their Indo-European language but not retaining any racial or indeed cultural identity and moving steadily away from their linguistic roots too, which is why I managed to fail my French 'A' level !

[spitamenes]

It always sounded like a romance story to me. Im glad to know that is actually where it came from. As for the Kalash, they are a very culturally rich and colorful people. And they themselves have legends of being decended from the Macedonian army. That could have been a case of them being told this long ago and it becoming intertwined with they're own legends of course.

Marcus, I hope your having a good time on holiday. Or business. Whatever it is you have going on. Either way, sounds like a great time. Im heading to Chicago friday, anyone have recommendations on a good museum for a greek history bum such as myself? All the best...

[amyntoros]

Marcus, I hope your having a good time on holiday. Or business. Whatever it is you have going on. Either way, sounds like a great time. Im heading to Chicago friday, anyone have recommendations on a good museum for a greek history bum such as myself? All the best...

Really bad timing for your visit, I'm afraid. Chicago has the National Hellenic Musuem but they're building a new location and the current one has been closed since July first.

There's always the Oriental Institute Museum though. Have always wanted to go there.

Best regards,

[spitamenes]

I guess the oriental institute museum will suffice. And if not... ill just have to pay a visit to COMIC CON!

[Alexias]

Following a discussion elsewhere on Alexander's eyes, it seems that we usually assume that the Alexander Romance says that Alexander had one eye blue and one brown. But this is the quote from the Greek Alexander Romance translated by Richard Stoneman:

"When he (Alexander) was grown up, his appearance in no way resembled that of Philip or Olympias or the one who had sirred him(1), but was quite unique. In shape he was a man, but his hair was that of a lion and his eyes were asymmetrical - the right one being downward-slanting and the left one clear(2); his teeth were as sharp as nails, and his movements were as swift and violent as a lion's. His nurse was Lekane(3) the sister of Melas(4), his tutor and attendant was Cleonides, his grammar teachers was Polynices, his music teacher Leucippus of Limnae, his geometry teacher Melemnus, a Pelopponnesian, his teacher of rhetoric Anaximenes of Lampsacus, the son of Aristocles, and his philosophy teacher was Aristotle of Stageira, the son of Nicomachus.(5)"

Notes from the text
(1)Nectanebo II was the last Pharaoh of Egypt, who fled the country after the Persian conquest of 343 BC under Artaxerxes Ochus. He was skilled in magic and disguised himself as the god Ammon of Libya in order to have intercourse with Olympias.
(2)The asymmetry of Alexander's eyes is a traditional attribute: in the A text one eye is black, the other white, and the Armenian text describes Alexander's eyes as 'heavy-lidded'.
(3)Literally 'cauldron'
(4)Literally 'black'
(5)The Julius Valerius version adds that these details are confirmed in the 'learned histories' of Favorinus (c. AD 200)

This description of a white eye dragged down sound suspiciously like a description of Philip's eye injury, a scarred and perhaps blind eye. It would seem likely therefore that a description of Philip's eye injury has been transferred to Alexander and that any explanations of heterochromia iridum, neck injuries, concussion, blood pressure incidents etc. are unnecessary.

Forgot to say, the lion's mane sounds like a memory of Alexander dressing up as Heracles.