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)

Thursday, September 29, 2022

More mysteries surround the Riace bronzes

The Riace bronzes have kept scientists and archaeologists busy ever since the statues were fished from the sea at the southern tip of Italy in 1972. 

Of course, they have been cleaned and studied from every possible angle to find a prominent place in the National Museum of Reggio Calabria (see: More about Magna Graecia: a testimony from Calabria and More antiquities in blasting color). 

One would assume that all the questions about these magnificent statues have been answered, but there still is a long way to go. 

For instance, we don’t know whether we have a pair of bronzes, and, if so, who are they? Based on their appearance, scholars are pretty sure they were created in Attica or in Argolis. However, as they are both nudes, they could represent heroes or gods. Studies have, so far, pointed towards Agamemnon and Ajax, Tydeus and Amphiaraus, or Achilles and Patroclus. 

Dating these masterpieces is another challenge, although it is generally accepted that they belong to the fifth century BC.

[Picture from Bensozia]

4 comments:

  1. Probably raided by the Romans in II century BC and exposed in Rome for centuries.Then sent to Constantinople around V century AD and sunk with their ship. Is said that the fishermen around that zone say that the devil tear their nets. Maybe are the statues carried by that ship and again on the bottom of the sea.

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    1. The Bronzes went down on their way from Rome to Constantinople? With other such statues?

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  2. From Rome to Costantinople. Around V century many masterpieces were brought to Costantinople (for exemple the famous San Marco's horses,stolen by Romand from some Hellenistic monument and brought to Rome,and after some centuries under Italia sun carried to Costantinople for the hippodrome). The last survivors masterpieces of painting were shipped too. And over there? The famous art critic Federico Zeri wondered: "when died the last greek masterpiece of painting? Was in Rome in some decaying and abandoned palace? Or was in Costantinople in the great fire of Nika riots? Maybe the crusaders that plundered Costantinople could see in the Imperial palace some very faded and ruined from bad restorations paint of Zeusi or Apelles or Aetion or Parrasius? who knows?

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  3. Yes, right the Fall of Rome in 476 AD, how could I forget? The Eastern Roman Empire could do with some more stolen artifacts to parade their wealth beside the famous horses (which, I thought were made especially for the hippodrome of Constantinople?)
    Rome looted the treasures from Macedonia and Asia Minor, and the surviving choice pieces were in turn taken to Constantinople. Not much survived the madness of the Crusaders. It is indeed a tantalizing idea to imagine the last faded paintings and half-broken statues created by the great Greek masters falling into their dirty hands!
    Has the world ever learned?

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