Alexander, Heracles and Ammon

[job]

"Obviously, Heracles, who is on his [Alexander's] coins, was more important to him [than Achilles]." In fact there is a much less speculative and more persuasive explanation for such representation. Alexander's paternal grandfather Amyntas III and his uncle Perdiccas III issued the same type Heracles coins. As you know, the Macedonian royal family claimed descent from the Temenid kings of Argos, who traced their origins to Heracles. Thus, they were all honoring their dynastic progenitor. Had Alexander been of the Epirote Molossian dynasty, he might very well have used Achilles, the paternal grandfather of Molossus, on his coinage. (2) Where, pray tell, in the sources, coinage or pictorial representation does Alexander compare himself (or is compared by anyone else during his lifetime) to Ammon?

[marcus]

Hi John,Yes, I think that's a good point - certainly not one I'd thought of myself, but I'm no great shakes when it comes to numismatics.Actually, following on from your second question, I'm interested in where Alexander is attested as portraying himself as Zeus and Dionysus, let alone Ammon. Unless I'm being very stupid/forgetful at the present time, I can't think of any.All the bestMarcus

[smittysmitty]

I must be missing something here, for I understand neither question/statement?

[ruthaki]

It never occured to me that just because he wore the horns of Ammon on his helmet (and supposedly had some made for Bucephalus) that he meant to infer he was immitating Ammon. But who knows? He liked to wear the Herakles lion's head cape too, so they say. Makes for an interesting romantic image.

[jona]

A very quick and too brief reply because I am currently doing the last check of my book.Yes, Heracles coins were not unknown, but there were other types. Alexander's coins were, if I recall correctly (no time to check library until Thursday), philippeioi; during his father's reign, they had the imagine of Apollo. Why did Alexander prefer, of several (how much? don't known) possible types, the Heracles type? Second point, many numismatologists say that Alexander's Heracles coins increasingly show Alexander's features. IMHO, this suggests that Alexander liked Heracles.Alexander also introduced new types of coinage. There's the "maritime Nike coin" which is sometimes accepted as evidence for Nearchus' naval campaign (http://www.livius.org/ne-nn/nearchus/nike_mast.jpg ), and there's the gorgeous Zeus-like coin minted after 326 (on which there's the lovely book by Frank Holt - http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/bmcr/2004/2004-06-34.html ). Why didn't Alexander create Achilles coins, if the homeric hero was so close to his heart? He could have done so after his battle against a river at the Acesines, or could have used some sort Patrocles imagery after the death of Hephaestion. He did not.So, I still maintain that there's no evidence for an Achilles parallel during his lifetime. This may be coincidental, but on the other hand, people allowed him to get away with the Zeus parallel, so why should he have settled for anything less?Jona

[jona]

"Where, pray tell, in the sources, coinage or pictorial representation does Alexander compare himself (or is compared by anyone else during his lifetime) to Ammon?"Not, you are right. Yet, we come very close, because(a) Ephippus, a very early source, says Alexander carried horns and the other attributes (I can fully quote it on Thursday - I have no copy of Jacoby's FGrH at home);(b) Arrian says that Alexander's soldiers shouted that Alexander should continue his campaign with his father Ammon (7.8.3). Unlike the Achilles parallel (e.g., Troy at 1.12.1), Arrian does not use "they say" or "they say" (which is his way of distancing himself from information), nor does he write "Ptolemy says" or "Aristobulus says" (his way of saying that he found something in only one of the two sources he considered reliable).So my evidence is Ephippus and Arrian's implied statement that it was Ptolemy and Aristobulus.Jona

[susan]

The quotation from Ephippus is Ephippus of Olynthus :Athenaeus collection 12.537E-538BEphippus, again, says that Alexander also wore the sacred vestments at his dinner parties, at one time putting on the purple robe of Ammon, and thin slippers and horns just like the gods, at another time the costume of Artemis, which he often wore even in his chariot, wearing the Persian garb and showing above the shoulders the bow and hunting-spear of the goddess, while at still other times he was garbed in the costume of Hermes; on other occasions as a rule, and in every-day use, he wore a purple riding-cloak, a purple tunic with white stripes, and the Macedonian hat with the royal fillet; but on social occasions he wore the winged sandals and broad-brimmed hat on his head, and carried the caduceus in his hand; yet often, again, he bore the lionGÇÖs skin and club in imitation of Heracles.
Susan

[beausefaless]

Alexander continued to mint Philip's gold, Apollo/horse and his own gold lifetime issues (336-323 BCE)O/ Head of Athena to right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with a serpent.R/ Nike standing to left, holding wreath in out stretched right hand, and in left hand, ships mast over left shoulder. At left, METhe coinage of ATG honored the gods who's protection he needed in the expansion of his empire. His reasons for using representation of Athena and winged Nike on his gold staters are not clear but my guess is his plans to conquer the Persian empire, Athena was an appropriate choice as the traditional campaign of the Greeks, and Nike equally appropriate as a symbol of triumph in battle.Nearchus never entered Alexanders mind for his staters were minted along with Philips gold beginning in 336 BCE.Thanks for the toxicology report!Regards, Andrew

[beausefaless]

The gold stater you describe appears to be of later mintage circa 323 BCE as other staters with different logos under/over Nike's right hand. I believe these staters are of posthumous issue. I could be wrong.

[jona]

Thanks!Jona

[maximus]

Alexander commissioned a painting by the great artist Apelles depicting himself as Zeus Ammon. He is represented as the god by the fact that he throws thunderbolts and that he has an eagle, Zeus is often depicted with an eagle. In fact Callisthenes writes in his history that Alexander asked Apelles to depict him in this way.