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<p>[QUOTE="Owle, post: 2035708, member: 22004"]It is to be expected that coins would show idealized images and imagery. The best likeness of Alexander appears to be this:</p><p><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/AlexandreLouvre.jpg/170px-AlexandreLouvre.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p>Greek biographer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plutarch" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plutarch" rel="nofollow">Plutarch</a> (c. 45–120 AD) describes Alexander's appearance as:</p><p><br /></p><p>¹ The outward appearance of Alexander is best represented by the statues of him which Lysippus made, and it was by this artist alone that Alexander himself thought it fit that he should be modelled. ² For those peculiarities which many of his successors and friends afterwards tried to imitate, namely, the poise of the neck, which was bent slightly to the left, and the melting glance of his eyes, this artist has accurately observed. ³ Apelles, however, in painting him as wielder of the thunder-bolt, did not reproduce his complexion, but made it too dark and swarthy. Whereas he was of a fair colour, as they say, and his fairness passed into ruddiness on his breast particularly, and in his face. 4Moreover, that a very pleasant odour exhaled from his skin and that there was a fragrance about his mouth and all his flesh, so that his garments were filled with it, this we have read in the <i>Memoirs of Aristoxenus</i>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPlutarch1919.5Bhttp:.2F.2Fwww.perseus.tufts.edu.2Fhopper.2Ftext.3Fdoc.3DPerseus:text:1999.01.0243:chapter.3D4.26highlight.3Dlysippus_IV.2C_1.5D-171" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPlutarch1919.5Bhttp:.2F.2Fwww.perseus.tufts.edu.2Fhopper.2Ftext.3Fdoc.3DPerseus:text:1999.01.0243:chapter.3D4.26highlight.3Dlysippus_IV.2C_1.5D-171" rel="nofollow">[171]</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Greek historian <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrian" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrian" rel="nofollow">Arrian</a> (Lucius Flavius Arrianus 'Xenophon' c. 86–160) described Alexander as:</p><p><br /></p><p>[T]he strong, handsome commander with one eye dark as the night and one blue as the sky.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#cite_note-172" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#cite_note-172" rel="nofollow">[172]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#cite_note-173" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#cite_note-173" rel="nofollow">[173]</a></p><p><br /></p><p>The semi-legendary <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Romance" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Romance" rel="nofollow">Alexander Romance</a></i> also suggests that Alexander suffered from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterochromia_iridum" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterochromia_iridum" rel="nofollow">heterochromia iridum</a>: that one eye was dark and the other light.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#cite_note-FOOTNOTEGrafton201027-174" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#cite_note-FOOTNOTEGrafton201027-174" rel="nofollow">[174]</a></p><p><br /></p><p>British historian <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Green_(historian)" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Green_(historian)" rel="nofollow">Peter Green</a> provided a description of Alexander's appearance, based on his review of statues and some ancient documents:</p><p><br /></p><p>Physically, Alexander was not prepossessing. Even by Macedonian standards he was very short, though stocky and tough. His beard was scanty, and he stood out against his hirsute Macedonian barons by going clean-shaven. His neck was in some way twisted, so that he appeared to be gazing upward at an angle. His eyes (one blue, one brown) revealed a dewy, feminine quality. He had a high complexion and a harsh voice.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#cite_note-g15-175" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#cite_note-g15-175" rel="nofollow">[175]</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Ancient authors recorded that Alexander was so pleased with portraits of himself created by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysippos" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysippos" rel="nofollow">Lysippos</a> that he forbade other sculptors from crafting his image.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#cite_note-176" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#cite_note-176" rel="nofollow">[176]</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysippos" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysippos" rel="nofollow">Lysippos</a> had often used the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrapposto" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrapposto" rel="nofollow">Contrapposto</a> sculptural scheme to portray Alexander and other characters such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apoxyomenos" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apoxyomenos" rel="nofollow">Apoxyomenos</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermes" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermes" rel="nofollow">Hermes</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eros" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eros" rel="nofollow">Eros</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#cite_note-177" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#cite_note-177" rel="nofollow">[177]</a> Lysippos' sculpture, famous for its naturalism, as opposed to a stiffer, more static pose, is thought to be the most faithful depiction.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBosworth198819.E2.80.9320-178" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBosworth198819.E2.80.9320-178" rel="nofollow">[178]</a></p><p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great</a>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Owle, post: 2035708, member: 22004"]It is to be expected that coins would show idealized images and imagery. The best likeness of Alexander appears to be this: [IMG]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/AlexandreLouvre.jpg/170px-AlexandreLouvre.jpg[/IMG] Greek biographer [URL='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plutarch']Plutarch[/URL] (c. 45–120 AD) describes Alexander's appearance as: ¹ The outward appearance of Alexander is best represented by the statues of him which Lysippus made, and it was by this artist alone that Alexander himself thought it fit that he should be modelled. ² For those peculiarities which many of his successors and friends afterwards tried to imitate, namely, the poise of the neck, which was bent slightly to the left, and the melting glance of his eyes, this artist has accurately observed. ³ Apelles, however, in painting him as wielder of the thunder-bolt, did not reproduce his complexion, but made it too dark and swarthy. Whereas he was of a fair colour, as they say, and his fairness passed into ruddiness on his breast particularly, and in his face. 4Moreover, that a very pleasant odour exhaled from his skin and that there was a fragrance about his mouth and all his flesh, so that his garments were filled with it, this we have read in the [I]Memoirs of Aristoxenus[/I].[URL='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPlutarch1919.5Bhttp:.2F.2Fwww.perseus.tufts.edu.2Fhopper.2Ftext.3Fdoc.3DPerseus:text:1999.01.0243:chapter.3D4.26highlight.3Dlysippus_IV.2C_1.5D-171'][171][/URL] Greek historian [URL='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrian']Arrian[/URL] (Lucius Flavius Arrianus 'Xenophon' c. 86–160) described Alexander as: [T]he strong, handsome commander with one eye dark as the night and one blue as the sky.[URL='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#cite_note-172'][172][/URL][URL='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#cite_note-173'][173][/URL] The semi-legendary [I][URL='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Romance']Alexander Romance[/URL][/I] also suggests that Alexander suffered from [URL='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterochromia_iridum']heterochromia iridum[/URL]: that one eye was dark and the other light.[URL='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#cite_note-FOOTNOTEGrafton201027-174'][174][/URL] British historian [URL='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Green_(historian)']Peter Green[/URL] provided a description of Alexander's appearance, based on his review of statues and some ancient documents: Physically, Alexander was not prepossessing. Even by Macedonian standards he was very short, though stocky and tough. His beard was scanty, and he stood out against his hirsute Macedonian barons by going clean-shaven. His neck was in some way twisted, so that he appeared to be gazing upward at an angle. His eyes (one blue, one brown) revealed a dewy, feminine quality. He had a high complexion and a harsh voice.[URL='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#cite_note-g15-175'][175][/URL] Ancient authors recorded that Alexander was so pleased with portraits of himself created by [URL='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysippos']Lysippos[/URL] that he forbade other sculptors from crafting his image.[URL='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#cite_note-176'][176][/URL] [URL='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysippos']Lysippos[/URL] had often used the [URL='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrapposto']Contrapposto[/URL] sculptural scheme to portray Alexander and other characters such as [URL='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apoxyomenos']Apoxyomenos[/URL], [URL='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermes']Hermes[/URL] and [URL='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eros']Eros[/URL].[URL='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#cite_note-177'][177][/URL] Lysippos' sculpture, famous for its naturalism, as opposed to a stiffer, more static pose, is thought to be the most faithful depiction.[URL='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBosworth198819.E2.80.9320-178'][178][/URL] [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great[/url][/QUOTE]
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