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1.
Portrait Coins of Alexander the Great
In the same case as the Object of the Month, coin No.s 8 & 9
Alexander the Great was a Macedonian king who lived from 356-323BC.
He was a great military commander who conquered a 3,000-mile empire
from the Adriatic Sea to the Indus River. Although his image never
appeared on coins during his lifetime, shortly after his death at
the age of 32, it did start to be used in this way. These coins show
him as he often appears: wearing bulls’ horns which signify his
divinity and his association with the god Zeus-Ammon. This is echoed
by the bulls’ horns seen on the object of the month. Coin No.9
comes from Thrace (a region in the north Aegean) and was minted by
Lysimachus, one of Alexander’s followers.
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2.
Greek sealstone showing head of Alexander,
Acc no. 1892.1499
Greek Gallery, Gallery 33, first floor, right hand
Greek sealstones case on far wall
In the top of this case there is a sealstone of Alexander the Great
from the 4th century BC. Below (pictured right) is an impression of
the sealstone to help you make out the original image. He wears the
horns of Zeus-Ammon as echoed on the coin of Demetrius Poliorcetes.
Gems and sealstones were used to seal letters as well as voting urns
or even doors in order to protect privacy and property. They served
the purpose of our written signature today in an age when not many
people could write.
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3. Black-figure
pottery oil-jar showing Poseidon
Greek Gallery, Gallery 33, first floor, Greek Gods case (nearest
sealstones case)
This 5th century BC Athenian oil-jar shows Poseidon on horseback
holding his trident - a 3-pronged spear used by Greek fishermen.
Poseidon was god of the sea and was adopted by Demetrius Poliorcetes
as his divine patron following a major naval victory. According
to Greek legend, Poseidon and his two brothers, Zeus and Hades,
dew lots for their portions of the world and he received the sea.
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