The image of Alexander of Macedon during the Battle of Issos
The tomb of Alexander the Great was already a cult object and a destination for expeditions in antiquity. To this day, it is not entirely clear where he was. Supposedly, in 48 BCE Julius Caesar visited the tomb in which the body of the great Macedonian leader was buried. Following in his footsteps, following the death of Cleopatra, his adopted son, Gaius Octavian followed. The chroniclers mention that he placed a bouquet of flowers on the conqueror’s grave and ordered a golden tiara to be placed over his head.
There were also Romans who envied Alexander of Macedon his fame and achievements. Roman Emperor Caligula envied Alexander so much that he even wanted to rob the corpse. Legend has it that the mad emperor’s spies ransacked the tomb, removing gold and jewels (the coffin of the pure metal itself weighed 30 tons), and Caligula himself brutally tore the priceless breastplate from the dead commander’s chest.
Years later, another ruler of Rome – the noble Emperor Septimius Sever donated money to repair the tomb. However, in 218 CE his son – Caracalla, motivated by curiosity, ordered that Alexander’s tunic, belt, ring and other small items be removed from the tomb. After examining them carefully, he left the coffin outside.
- Chrabota Bogusław, Grób syna Zeusa, "Rzeczpospolita"
