Alexander the Great and the mystery of the elephant medallions / Frank L. Holt.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Holt, Frank Lee.

Series:

Hellenistic culture and society ; 44.

Hellenistic culture and society ; 44

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Alexander, the Great, 356 B.C.-323 B.C--Numismatics.

Alexander.

Coins, Ancient.

Coins, Greek.

Elephants in numismatics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xv, 198 pages, 5 unnumbered pages of plates) : illustrations, maps

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Berkeley, Calif. : University of California Press, c2003.

Language Note:

English

System Details:

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Summary:

To all those who witnessed his extraordinary conquests, from Albania to India, Alexander the Great appeared invincible. How Alexander himself promoted this appearance-how he abetted the belief that he enjoyed divine favor and commanded even the forces of nature against his enemies-is the subject of Frank L. Holt's absorbing book. Solid evidence for the "supernaturalized" Alexander lies in a rare series of medallions that depict the triumphant young king at war against the elephants, archers, and chariots of Rajah Porus of India at the Battle of the Hydaspes River. Recovered from Afghanistan and Iraq in sensational and sometimes perilous circumstances, these ancient artifacts have long animated the modern historical debate about Alexander. Holt's book, the first devoted to the mystery of these ancient medallions, takes us into the history of their discovery and interpretation, into the knowable facts of their manufacture and meaning, and, ultimately, into the king's own psyche and his frightening theology of war. The result is a valuable analysis of Alexander history and myth, a vivid account of numismatics, and a spellbinding look into the age-old mechanics of megalomania.

Contents:

Front matter

CONTENTS

MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS

PREFACE

ONE. Man of Mystery

TWO. A Treasure

THREE. Picking a Fight

FOUR. Whose Pachyderm, Whole or Halved?

FIVE. Another Treasure

SIX. A Closer Look

SEVEN. A Dark and Stormy Night

APPENDIX A. THE PUBLISHED ELEPHANT MEDALLIONS

APPENDIX B. SOME POSSIBLE FORGERIES OF THE LARGE MEDALLION

APPENDIX C. THE 1973 IRAQ HOARD

INDEX

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 175-189) and index.

Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.

ISBN:

9786612358128

9781282358126

128235812X

9780520938786

052093878X

9781597344579

1597344575

OCLC:

475933399