Alexander died prematurely at the age of 32 in 323 BC, he left uncertainty and confusion. Starting from uncertain causes of his death to the foggy record of transporting his body - there are more questions than answers. Due to the lack of a legitimate heir and the quarrels between political leaders, the empire remained in a state of suspension (Erskine2002: 167). The construction of the funeral car took two years, while the embalmed body was waiting for burials.

Walter Crane - The story of Greece : told to boys and girls (191-?) by Macgregor, Mary Author: Walter Crane License:Public Domain

Such a long period of construction of the car preceding the funeral resulted from the exceptional momentum with which the vehicle was designed. It abounded in gilding, extensive sculptural elements, and paintings. The extensive report on the journey of the hearse from Babylon, where Alexander died, to Alexandria in Egypt, is provided by Diodorus Siculus in the elaboration of Bibliotheca Historia (part IV). The place of burial remained the subject of lively discussion: according to the Macedonian tradition, the body had to be transported to Vergina in Macedonia, but Alexander expressed his wish to rest in the Egyptian oasis Siwah - the place where he was recognized as the son of Zeus Ammon himself. Olga Palagia (2000: 170) suggests that the intention was to move the imperial capital to Alexandria.

Engraving of Babylon published in 1736 and based on ancient descriptions, Author:Andrew Chugg at alexanderstomb.com, License: copyrights expired-Public Domain

When Philip III of Arrhidaeus completed the two-year construction of the funeral hearse, Alexander's body was transported from Babylon to Egypt. Out of respect for Alexander, Ptolemy went to Syria for a meeting with the retinue and decided that the body deserves the greatest care (Diodorus Siculus 18.28). According to Elian Claudius, the Egyptian ruler, despite the difficulties that could arise from the huge size of the hearse, kidnapped the body, after which Perdiccas, one of Alexander’s generals, made an unsuccessful attempt to invade Egypt (Elian Claudius, Varia Historia). Diodor also provides a detailed description of Alexander’s funeral hearse, probably based on the works of the contemporary to Alexander historian Hieronymus of Cardia.

The funeral procession of Alexander the Great depicting the catafalque that transported the corpse from Babylon to Egypt; ,Luigi Ademollo 1764, 1849,Societa Calcografica di Firenze, Author:Andrew Chugg at alexanderstomb.com, License: copyrights expired-Public Domain

The amount of gold used to decorate the car was striking. It was to create an impression of abundance and divinity, and above all military strength. The olive wreath made of gold was to flash whenever the sun was reflected in it. The divine status of Alexander was completed by Ionic columns, making the car an architectural replica of the temple.

Mid-nineteenth century reconstruction of Alexander's catafalque based on the description by Diodorus, Author:Andrew Chugg at alexanderstomb.com, License: copyrights expired-Public Domain

The sides of the "temple" were decorated with paintings depicting preparations for the war and "Alexander wielding a golden sceptre", surrounded by officers, soldiers, elephants, cavalry and a navy. The cart was pulled by a team of 64 mules, each of which was decorated with gold and precious stones. The carriage housed a 6-by-4-meter treasury supported by a peristyle, and the corners of the vehicle were equipped with bells to signal an oncoming vehicle. In addition, on each corner stood a tropaion with a golden Nike statue. The entrance was guarded by golden lions, and the interior vault was lined with scarlet fabric. The vehicle moved on two axles, lifted by four wheels each. Wheel rims were gold-plated and iron hoops (Diodorus Siculus: 18:27).

Reconstruction of the catafalque drawn and engraved by Arsenne based on the description in Diodorus 1810, Author:Andrew Chugg at alexanderstomb.com, License: copyrights expired-Public Domain

Map of Alexandria. Possible site of the tomb is # 7 , Author: Limpzen License:CC BY-SA 4.0

Later in the report, Diodorus explains the circumstances of Alexander’s burial in the town he founded bearing his name. Ptolemy built an impressive grave there that suited the majesty and power of the ruler. After the funeral, the Olympics were organized, and the Ptolemaic gods were rewarded with crowds of visitors and a significant increase in volunteers for military service.

An example of art created in areas outside of Greece are sarcophagi designed for rulers, among others, prevailing in the kingdoms of Asia Minor (Papuci-Władyka, 2001: 321). Only four sarcophagi survived, discovered in 1887 during excavations in the necropolis of Sidon in Lebanon (Papuci-Władyka, 2001: 320). Alexander’s sarcophagus does not contain the remains of him (he was buried in Egypt). It is believed that it is the resting place of Abdalonymus, King of Sidon.(Papuci-Władyka, 2001: 392).

Alexander Sarcophagus, Long Side A, Istanbul Archaeology Museum, Author: Carole Raddato License:CC BY-SA 2.0

The hunt and the battle of Gaza, Author: G.dallorto License:CC BY-SA 2.5

Built like a tombstone, the sarcophagus is reminiscent of a sacral building in Ionic order. Details are characterized by a great precision of workmanship. In addition, this work is a perfect illustration of how the skillful use of polychrome, gave the sculptures realism. The artist used a wealth of colors and metal elements to enrich the relief adorning the walls of the sarcophagus.The perfectly preserved relief depicts the battles of the Greeks and Macedonians with the Persians in the battle of Issus and Gaza and the hunting scenes (during hunting near Sidon, Alexander fell off his horse and General Craterus saved him; (Stewart, 1991: 194).

Color reconstruction of the Alexander Sarcophagus, Istanbul Archaeology Museum, Author: Carole Raddato License:CC BY-SA 2.0

Heliogravure by Hector dEspouy, architectural details of the Alexander Sarcophagus, Author: Andrew Chugg at alexanderstomb.com, License: copyrights expired-Public Domain

The battle reliefs retain the classic sculptural style; many characters are depicted in "heroic nudity." The Hellenistic feature of the performance is the rapid dynamics of the scenes and the crowding of the characters (Papuci-Władyka, 2001: 393) Some of them are classically shaped - idealized, others express pathos. Alexander's sarcophagus sculptor's workshop highlights the imitation of nature (mimesis) to a degree unknown so far, some motifs from the sarcophagus resemble those from Pompeii, Alexander's Mosaic (probably a copy of the Hellenistic image from the 3rd century BC) This similarity is attributed to the hypothetical origin of both works from the common prototype, the lost image of Philoxenus of Eretria.

***References*** Images: sources linked below  Photo: @highonthehog * Palagia, O., Hephaestion’s Pyre and the Royal Hunt of Alexander, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2000 * Erskine, A., Life after Death: Alexandria and the Body of Alexander Greece & Rome 49, no. 2, 2002 * The Library of History of Diodorus Siculus of the Loeb Classical Library edition, 1963 * Claudius Aelianius, Varia Historia, Book XII, chapter 7 An English Translation of Claudius Aelianus' Varia Historia, Studies in Classics; V. 2, 1997 * Papuci-Władyka, E., Sztuka starożytnej grecji, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN SA, Warszawa, 2001 * Stewart, A., Greek Sculpture: An Exploration, Volume I: Text, Yale University Press, New Haven, 1991