pho

tog

raph

y: x

xx

xx

xx

xx

xx

xx

xx

x

Words John AlexAnder McPhee

In the fourth century BC he overran most of the known world. This month Alexander the Great invades the Southern Hemisphere, with an array of

antiquities inspired by his reign on show at Sydney’s Australian Museum.

To ConQUerNew worlds

From top: gold bow and quiver cover, 350-325 BC; burgonet helmet, Italy, 1570-80; 19th-century plaque of a Roman mosaic showing Alexander’s Battle of Issus

74 Q A n TA S nov eMBer 201 2

pho

tog

raph

y: a

ll im

ag

es ©

th

e st

ate

her

mit

ag

e, s

t pe

ters

burg

, 201

2

The GonzAGA CAMeo is one of the most fascinating of all ancient gems. Created from three layers of Indian sardonyx, it is believed to have been carved in about the third century BC and was long thought to be a likeness of Alexander the Great and his mother Queen olympias. However, nothing conclusive is known of its history until 1542 when it appeared in an inven-tory of Isabella d’este’s collection. Wife of Francesco Gonzaga, d’este was

a powerful patron of the arts in Mantua during the renaissance. During this time, the cameo was said to have been admired by rubens as the finest portrait cameo in the world. Looted several times, it became part of the papal collection in the late-18th century. now Australians will have the opportunity to view this masterpiece in Alexander The Great: 2000 Years Of Treasures, a wide-ranging exhibition featuring more than 400 antiquities from the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, russia.

Greek vases and sculptures depicting heroes and mythological figures are among the oldest works in the exhibition and illustrate the strong artistic tradition of Alexan-der’s culture, which he brought to the many countries he conquered. Finely wrought gold jewellery, necklaces, massive earrings and a burial wreath demonstrate the wealth of the Greeks and their love of display. The gold and silver jewellery, vessels and harness decorations from Iran, Turkey and northern India confirm both the riches of the kingdoms Alexander conquered and the influence of Greek art he took with him.

The Gonzaga cameo’s travels didn’t end in 18th-century rome. Following napoleon’s invasion of Italy, the cameo was again looted and surfaced in the collection of the emperor’s ex-wife, Josephine, an admirer of ancient jewels, especially cameos. After napoleon was deposed in 1814, Tsar Alexander I made several visits to Josephine at her Château de Malmaison, outside Paris. The pair shared an enthusiasm for art and the Gonzaga cameo was reputedly a gift to the Tsar in exchange for his assistance in what must have been a difficult time for Josephine, as well as the last year of her life.

As it was still thought to have been a portrait of Alexander the Great, the cameo may have held a special significance for Josephine as a reminder of her first husband, Alexandre de Beauharnais, who was guillotined during the French revolution.

The Gonzaga cameo (above); 17th-century Flemish tapestry depicting Alexander and the family of Darius (top)

BloCKBUSTer sYdNEY

76 Q A n TA S nov eMBer 201 2

pho

tog

raph

y: a

ll im

ag

es ©

th

e st

ate

her

mit

ag

e, s

t pe

ters

burg

, 201

2

2nd-century Roman statue of the god Dionysus (left); 16th-century Shiraz miniature of Alexander with the dying King Darius (far left); iron helmet (4th century BC) found in Ukraine in 1834 (below)

Certainly to the Tsar, the cameo portrait of his illustrious namesake, a gift from one of the most intelligent and (once) beautiful women of his time, remained a great treasure. As part of the russian royal collection, it eventually passed into the State Hermitage Museum, where it has been identified as a likely portrait of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, King of egypt 285-246 BC, and Arsinoe II, his sister and second wife.

Arms, including helmets, are some of the most evocative objects in the exhibition and it is easy to imagine them being worn by soldiers. Most impressive is an iron helmet, a rare survivor from the 4th century BC, discovered in a burial site near Kerch, Ukraine, in 1834. It may be similar to one that Plutarch mentions, which belonged to Alexander. richly decorated with silver and gold, and the face of Athena, and with cheek protectors, it is possible to see where a plume was placed to mark the helmet as belonging to an important person. A magnificent bronze breastplate features the head of Medusa, whose gaze could turn men to stone. To curse the wearer’s enemy, she pokes out her tongue.

So who was Alexander and what made him great? Born in 356 BC, he was the son of King Philip II and Queen olympias

of Macedonia. He was tutored by the philosopher Aristotle, whose concepts of ethical behaviour and aesthetics had a lifelong impact on him. At 20, Alexander embarked on a world-changing military campaign, which took him from Greece through egypt and Asia Minor. He travelled as far north as Samarkand (in Uzbekistan) and northern India. Covering more than 35,000km and leading battles against the armies of the Persian empire ruled by Darius III, Alexander conquered 90 per cent of the known Western world. He did it for glory and gold.

The most famous city bearing his name, Alexandria in egypt, was founded by him as a seaport in 331 BC. It was planned with streets angled to catch the cooling breezes from the sea, an early example of environmental design. eight years later (323 BC) Alexander died in Babylon, aged 32. The location of his tomb remains a mystery.

The influence of Greek cultural and artistic traditions in the cities that Alexander founded resulted in rich legacies. Through the use of spoken and written Greek, a result of his conquests, ideas spread quickly. The influence of Hellenistic art was felt as far afield as India. While the battles were undoubtedly bloody, Alexander’s civility was

BloCKBUSTer sYdNEY

78 Q A n TA S nov eMBer 201 2

pho

tog

raph

y: a

ll im

ag

es ©

th

e st

ate

her

mit

ag

e, s

t pe

ters

burg

, 201

2

Alexander The Great: 2000 Years Of Treasures, Australian Museum, Sydney, from November 24. australianmuseum.net.au

For holiday packages to Sydney call Qantas Holidays on 1300 735 542 or visit qantas.com/holidaysaustralianway

Kings and queens, tsars and tsarinas, eight popes, and those of us called Alexander or Alexandra, have all been named in his honour

From top: silver tetrachma coins from Thrace, 323-281 BC; 12th-century Byzantine dish depicting Alexander flying with gryphons; basalt statue of Cleopatra VII of Egypt, 51-30 BC

legendary. After the defeat and death of Darius, Alexander accorded him full royal honours – and

also allowed his family to keep their considerable wealth and privileges. By the Middle Ages, Alexander

had become an almost mythical figure, seen as a wise leader who had ruled fairly and cared for the wellbeing of his

people. Few people of his time, and few since, have had such a widespread and lasting effect upon Western civilisation.

More than 2000 years after Alexander’s death, his influence is still apparent. Kings and queens, tsars and tsarinas, eight popes, and those of us

called Alexander or Alexandra, have all been named in his honour.In the exhibition, a large number of coins, cameos and carved hardstone gems

document the likenesses of the kings and heroes of Alexander’s time. His exploits were popular subjects for paintings, engravings, sculpture and tapestries in the 18th and 19th centuries. They include the conversation with the philosopher Diogenes, who had given up a life of luxury to live in a barrel near a marketplace.

Plutarch records how Alexander, when visiting the philosopher, asked if there was anything he could do for him. The reply – “Yes, stand out of my sunlight” – did not offend Alexander, who is said to have taken the attitude that if he was not Alexander then he would rather be Diogenes.

The Australian curatorial team’s contribution to the exhibition examines how Alexander continues to fascinate. In literature, he has featured in the work of Dante, racine and Kipling. In film, he has been portrayed conventionally by richard Burton (1956) and in oliver Stone’s Alexander (2004), but also in Sikander, the 1941 film that became a controversial symbol of Indian patriotism, and the Bollywood production Sikandar-E-Azam (1965). Songs about him by the likes of Iron Maiden, even computer games, ensure his continued popularity.

Mikhail Borisovich Piotrovsky, director of the State Hermitage Museum, says, “There are few heroes in world history who have not been cast down in recent years. Alexander has escaped such a fate and even Hollywood films tell his story with the admiration and reverence of authors of antiquity. He has long been not just a great and handsome conquering hero, but a symbol of how a clash of cultures can bring positive results.” c