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Images of Alexander A Cure for Sick Minds?. Prof. Laura Leibman Humanities 110 Reed College Spring 2005. History as the Cure for Sick Minds.
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Images of AlexanderA Cure for Sick Minds? Prof. Laura Leibman Humanities 110 Reed College Spring 2005
History as the Cure for Sick Minds “The study of history is the best medicine for a sick mind; for in history you have a record of the infinite variety of human experience plainly set out for all to see; and in that record you can find..both examples and warnings” (Livy 1.1)
Alexander What examples and warnings did Alexander provide?
Sources • The Alexander Mosaic, House of the Faun (Pompeii) • Coins • Statues
The House of the Faun 2nd c. B.C. Pompeii Atrium house with peristyles. Alexander mosaic found here.
Coinage Portrait of Alexander shortly after his death, struck 42 years after his death in 281-280 bce. THRACE, Kings of. Lysimachos. 323-281 BC. AR Tetradrachm. Lysimachia mint. Struck Head of the deified Alexander right, with horn of Ammon / BASILEWS LUSIMACOU, Athena seated left, holding Nike in her extended right hand, left arm leaning on her shield; lion head left above elephant left in inner left field; QE monogram on throne.
Origins of Image Portrait derived from Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress. On back of this coin was Zeus seated, holding eagle and scepter sickle and M before, monogram under throne. Minted by Alexander the Great (III) 336-323 BCE Greek - Babylon mint, struck 325-323 BCE • .
Coinage Portrait of Alexander minted by his General and friend, Ptolemy I, with in 18 years of Alexander's death. Egypt, Ptolemy I, 310-305 B.C. rare bare breast variety AR Tetradrachm, 15.67g. 28mm. struck c.310-305 B.C. Head of the deified Alexander the Great r. wearing elephant skin. Rv. Athena striding r. holding spear and shield; eagle on thunderbolt at feet; monograms in fields to l. and r.; test cut in field to l. Toned. On most reverse dies for this type, Athena is wearing an aegis which covers her torso; on this unusual die, she wears only a chiton over her torso which is open to reveal a bare breast.
Sculpture Head of Alexander the Great. The Macedonian king is represented as a youth with luxuriantly wavy locks which rise upward from above the middle of his forehead like a lion's mane, a characteristic known from all Alexander portraits. Probably an original work of the sculpture, Leochares, carved around 330 BCE. (Acropolis Museum, Athens)
The Hair, the Hair… • Portraits of Augustus served as symbols of his political agenda rather than corresponding to his physical features as described in written sources. Augustus is always shown in an ideal, classicizing style, and he never ages over the length of his reign. One constant feature of Augustus's portraits is his hairstyle, with its distinctive forked locks of hair on his forehead. • This portrait was carved about the middle of the first century A.D., after Augustus' death in A.D. 14. (Getty Museum)