Unanswered questions about the Alexander mosaic

The Alexander mosaic is one of the most commonly used illustrations for Alexander the Great in articles, magazines, or books. 

Standing in front of this large work of art in Naples, Italy, made me realize that only a few pictures do the mosaic credit. Besides, it is pretty remarkable that Alexander has been almost isolated from the rest of the scene. In fact, Darius occupies the central position with his chariot and horses. With the crowd of Persian soldiers, it would have been more logical to call it the Darius mosaic. 

Anyway, much is happening in this battle scene, and attention is given to a significant number of details. I remember spending more than half an hour in front of this masterpiece, pacing back and forth, stepping back for a wider view, and zooming back into the minute details of the tiny tesserae. Their orientation and flow influence the perception of the figures to the point that I can almost “feel” the texture of the horse’s robe. 

I already described the impact the mosaic had on me in my earlier blog, The Alexander mosaic. Nevertheless, there are far more details than I could highlight in one go. I found a recent article by Nicola Murredu analyzing the scene from a different angle. 

The first detail I hadn’t noticed is that of the Persian soldier on the far right who is not carrying a spear like all his comrades but a standard. The picture in the standard is too damaged to be deciphered. However, I never saw standards in the Persian army’s outfit on the battlefield, although they must have existed. 

Halfway between this standard-bearer and Darius, one of the horses has not yet turned around with Darius’ chariot but continues riding to the left. I remember how I was puzzled by the cross attached to the horse’s harness. It reminded me of the Christian rosary, but the cross doesn’t fit time-wise. Murredu presents an explanation that ties the cross to the god Marduk, the ancient Mesopotamian creator of life and generator of life. Marduk was no longer part of the Persian religion now devoted to Ahura Mazda. However, this image could indicate that some soldiers still adhered to the Babylonian cult as it existed before Cyrus the Great. 

The last detail that raised questions in my mind is about the Greek meander motif that borders Darius’ cloak. Why is a Greek motive appearing on a Persian garment (left of the wheel)? Murredu mentions the Greek swastika motive (another way to describe the design) on a Persian bridle. He rightfully ties the swastika to India, where it originated. Persia might have taken over the swastika from them. However, the Greeks already used it frequently during the Early Archaic period. The swastika may have entered Persia from India or from Greece – who knows? 

Nicola Murredu is tackling other issues like, for instance, the Gorgon on Alexander’s outfit. It may be too far sought, but those who would be interested could read the article for themselves on The Gorgon and the Cross: Rereading the Alexander Mosaic and the House of the Faun at Pompeii.