Alexandria's founded by Alexander

Alexandria's founded by Alexander the Great (by year BC): 334 Alexandria in Troia (Turkey) - 333 Alexandria at Issus/Alexandrette (Iskenderun, Turkey) - 332 Alexandria of Caria/by the Latmos (Alinda, Turkey) - 331 Alexandria Mygdoniae - 331 Alexandria (Egypt) - 330 Alexandria Ariana (Herat, Afghanistan) - 330 Alexandria of the Prophthasia/in Dragiana/Phrada (Farah, Afghanistan) - 330 Alexandria in Arachosia (Kandahar, Afghanistan) - 330 Alexandria in the Caucasus (Begram, Afghanistan) - 329 Alexandria of the Paropanisades (Ghazni, Afghanistan) - 329 Alexandria Eschate or Ultima (Khodjend, Tajikistan) - 329 Alexandria on the Oxus (Termez, Afghanistan) - 328 Alexandria in Margiana (Merv, Turkmenistan) - 326 Alexandria Nicaea (on the Hydaspes, India) - 326 Alexandria Bucephala (on the Hydaspes, India) - 325 Alexandria Sogdia - 325 Alexandria Oreitide - 325 Alexandria in Opiene / Alexandria on the Indus (confluence of Indus & Acesines, India) - 325 Alexandria Rambacia (Bela, Pakistan) - 325 Alexandria Xylinepolis (Patala, India) - 325 Alexandria in Carminia (Gulashkird, Iran) - 324 Alexandria-on-the-Tigris/Antiochia-in-Susiana/Charax (Spasinou Charax on the Tigris, Iraq) - ?Alexandria of Carmahle? (Kahnu)

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Nonsense about Alexander’s grave in Amphipolis

Recently many daring theories are circulating about the grave site that is still being excavated in Amphipolis. A few months ago, it was (tentatively) tied to Roxane, the wife of Alexander the Great and/or their son, Alexander IV (read more: Roxane’s tomb linked to the Lion of Amphipolis?). The theory is still at the stage of speculation as the tumulus itself has not yet been examined.


All parties, including the Ministry of Culture and Katerian Peristera responsible for the archaeological excavations near ancient Amphipolis, agree that because of the size of the tomb, they expect it to belong to “a significant individual,” but that is far as they can go for now.

Of course, the mound dates from the fourth century BC; of course, it is very impressive by its size as the marble-faced wall is 500 meters long and three meters high; and, of course, Amphipolis was an important city in ancient Macedonia to which Roxane and her infant son Alexander were exiled by Cassander. But it is far too early to speculate any further and certainly not in the direction of Alexander the Great in person. If, and I say IF his grave were to be found one day, it certainly would not be in a place like Amphipolis. The least the Macedonians could and would have done was to bury him in Aegae (Vergina) or in Pella.

These recent speculations are totally absurd and absolute nonsense in my eyes!

3 comments:

  1. Good points :) I feel very interested and excited though to find out! Even if it's not some past celebrity, still history is being revealed here. I hope it does not turn into a nationalistic battle of nations claiming the heritage of that time, this is simply all gone and we can only look, observe and admire the left overs. Go on a time travel journey with every piece revealed!

    Congratulations to all involved, it has taken decades to reach this point since the first excavation on the site!

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  2. Well, it seems that archaeologists may have a different opinion about Amphipolis being a place where Alexander could have been buried, although it is unlikely he was burried in Macedonia.

    `` What I can tell you 100% for sure is that Alexander the Great was not buried in the Lion Tomb at Amphipolis as every single ancient source says that Ptolemy hijacked the body on it's way back to Macedonia and that Alexander lay well into the Byzantine period in Alexandria.

    But - and I must stress that this is very much my personal opinion and should not be taken as the opinion of the archaeologists working hard on the site - if Alexander was on his way to being buried in Macedonia when Ptolemy pinched his body ... to me that suggests that there was a tomb that had been or was being prepared for him in Macedonia. It need not have been at Vergina, and for a number of reasons would more likely to have been at a 'new' city.''

    by Dorothy King.
    http://phdiva.blogspot.gr/2014/08/lets-talk-about-amphipolis.html

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    Replies
    1. The entire commotion about Ampholis is gone down as 'much ado about nothing'.
      It is and remains a beautiful tomb but many others in the area have been excavated or are still to be excavated. Adding the name of Alexander the Great to this place has fuelled the minds and attracted the media – nothing more and nothing less.
      Thank you for your statement!

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