Alexander’s battle outfit

Except for the famous mosaic from the House of the Faun in Pompeii, now on display at the Archaeological Museum of Naples (see: The Alexander mosaic), we have no picture of Alexander’s outfit. Although this mosaic gives only a partial view and is made two centuries after his death, it is the closest we can get to visualizing the details.

True, there are a few equestrian bronzes of Alexander that were copied from one and the same original that once stood in the sanctuary of Dion. The Alexander figure belonged to a group of at least 25 Companion cavalry who died during the Battle of the Granicus in 334 BC. This memorial in honor of the dead was erected upon the king’s instruction and occupied a place of honor for some four hundred years. In 148 BC, when Macedonia was reduced to become a mere Roman province, Consul Quintus Caecilius Metellus moved the group to Rome. It has been argued that the monument was part of Alexander’s propaganda campaign and was recognized as such by the Romans.

Plutarch is the only author from antiquity to give us a detailed description of Alexander’s outfit. He speaks of the king wearing a coat of Sicilian make. Over that coat, he wore a tight girth and a corselet of thickly quilted linen. In the mosaic, Alexander seems to wear a long-sleeved garment underneath his breastplate but the image is too garbled to make it out. David Karunanithy (see: The Macedonian War Machine) states that the tunic, which now appears as faded purple-grey, was once deep purple. This is very credible since the king reportedly wore purple for everyday use. By extension, a purple tunic does not look out of place.

The mosaic also shows Alexander wearing a cloak that is held in place by a round gold fibula. This cloak has been recognized as a long antique epiporpoma.  It was made by a certain Helicon and given to him by the citizens of Rhodes as a mark of their respect. The belt Alexander wore in all engagements was from the same origin. It showed much richer craftsmanship than the rest of his outfit and was probably adorned with precious stones.

[Picture from the movie Alexander by Oliver Stone]

The linen corselet apparently was taken as war booty after the Battle of Issus, but Plutarch does not tell us who the original owner was. This linothorax carries strong Greek features meaning that it may have belonged to someone fighting with the Allied Greek army or it may have been taken from one of the Greek mercenaries in Persian service. The face of the Gorgon as depicted on Alexander’s corselet on the mosaic is rather cute and animated. He seems to take part in the attack with his eyes turned towards the action.

Alexander’s helmet, which is totally absent from the mosaic, was another eye-catcher. His entire army as well as his enemies knew exactly where he was because of his ostentatious headgear. It is very probable that the king had more than one conspicuous helmet, but in all cases, Alexander had to be seen from afar. At least one of his helmets was created by Theophilus, clearly an expert maker otherwise unknown. It was made of iron so thoroughly polished that it looked like silver. It was fitted to a gorget made of the same material, set with precious stones.

On the battlefield, Alexander was recognizable by this characteristic helmet that had large plumes of white feathers attached to either side of the crest. We’ll remember how during the Battle of the Granicus, Spithridates hit the king’s helmet with his battle-axe, cutting off the crest and one of the plumes. The blow barely missed his scalp. It is obvious that under these circumstances, Alexander needed another helmet. It had to be consistent with the image he had projected so far. The two distinctive white plumes that set him apart from other commanders and generals in the field were a must.

In the mosaic, Alexander is handling a spear, and his sword is still sheathed. Plutarch described the sword as exceptionally light and well-tempered. It was a masterpiece given to him by the King of Citium on the island of Cyprus. By the 4^th century BC, Cyprus had a long-established history of talented armorers.

The Macedonians basically used two forms of swords. The straight sword with a double-edged blade was the most popular. On average it was about 60-70 cm long and had a cruciform hilt, usually made of bone or wood. Some fine specimens had ivory handles enhanced with gold or silver decorations. The blade was exceptionally efficient because of the swelling toward the sword’s tip. It added weight and momentum to each blow. It was particularly indicated to hit the enemy with downward strokes, causing more severe injuries. Another advantage of the straight sword was that it could be used by cavalry and infantry alike as it functioned as well for hacking and stabbing.

The kopis or saber-shaped sword with the crooked hilt was less common. The blade was 40-60 cm long and only the curved inside had a cutting edge. Xenophon tells us that the kopis were more effective for fights on horseback since the rider could deliver a heavy blow from above.

During his lifetime, Alexander added several foreign or Asian features to his outfit and battledresses as he moved further east.

Over the centuries, artists and movie-makers have fitted Alexander according to their inspiration influenced by the fashion of their own time. Modern archaeology, especially from grave finds, has revealed many pictures of Macedonian soldiers and commanders. Nowadays it is easier to recreate a more faithful image of Alexander’s outfit, although the entire picture will always elude us.