Faces of power : Alexander's image and Hellenistic politics / Andrew Stewart. [electronic resource]

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Stewart, Andrew F.

Series:

Hellenistic culture and society ; 11

Hellenistic culture and society Faces of power

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

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

Alexander.

Portraits, Hellenistic.

Greece--Politics and government--To 146 B.C.

Greece.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xxxvii, 507 p., [8] p. of col. plates, [68] p. of plates ) ill., map ;

Place of Publication:

Berkeley : University of California Press, c1993.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Alexander the Great changed the face of the ancient world. During his life and after his death, his image in works of art exerted an unprecedented influence-on marbles, bronzes, ivories, frescoes, mosaics, coins, medals, even painted pottery and reliefware. Alexander's physiognomy became the most famous in history. But can we really know what meaning lies behind these images?Andrew Stewart demonstrates that these portraits-wildly divergent in character, quality, type, provenance, date, and purpose-actually transmit not so much a likeness of Alexander as a set of carefully crafted clichés that mobilize the notion "Alexander" for diverse ends and diverse audiences. Stewart discusses the portraits as studies in power and his original interpretation of them gives unprecedented fullness and shape to the idea and image called "Alexander."

Contents:

Appendix 1. Alexander's personal appearance: p. 341-358

Appendix 2. The Hellenistic and Roman republican portraits: literary and epigraphical testimonia: p. 359-418

Appendix 3. Cults of Alexander: p. 419-420

Appendix 4. Preserved Alexander portraits discussed in the text: p. 421-437

Appendix 5. The Getty fragments: a catalogue: p. 438-452

Appendix 6. Hephaistion: p. 453-455

Appendix 7. Alexander and the successors: a chronology (336-275 B.C.): p. 456-470

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (p. 471-492) and index.

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

ISBN:

0-520-90984-4

0-585-13992-X