The helmet from "Gentlemen of Fortune" was dug up at Mosfilm. "Pink Panthers" of Alexander the Great Helmet of Alexander the Great origin story
Many secrets and legends are kept. One of these mysterious pages in history is the mystery of the grave and helmet of Alexander the Great. The helmet is used by the authors as an attractive element for the plots of works of various types of art. For example, it is this helmet that the "gentlemen of fortune" from the film of the same name by Alexander Sery are looking for. This movie "helmet" is kept in the exposition of the Mosfilm Museum and is made from an ordinary fire helmet of the past centuries.
Helmet of Alexander the Great: legends and myths
The name Alexander in Persian sounds like Iskander or Two-horned. And this is quite understandable. After all, according to legend, his head was to be crowned with a helmet, decorated according to the gods with horns of a ram, which is possibly associated with the ancient heraldic symbol of Macedonia - the image of a goat on the banner of the Macedonian kings.
According to legend, the golden helmet was given to Alexander the Great by the god of sunlight, the patron of the arts, Apollo. It was such a valuable treasure that the Macedonian coast was like the apple of its eye: I didn’t take it with me on military campaigns, and even more so I didn’t use it for its intended purpose - I left it at home. A strong guard remained near the vault. During the absence of Alexander in the country, the helmet served as a talisman for the state and its inhabitants. Shortly before his death, during the Indian campaign, the commander faced fierce resistance from the Indian nobles and their troops. He sent messengers to Macedonia to bring the helmet, in the hope of its miraculous power. However, the helmet could not even protect itself: on the way to the army, the ambassadors of Alexander the Great were robbed by robbers. It happened in an area called Pyatigorye, located on the Mineralnye Vody sloping plain in the northern part of the Caucasian Mineral Waters region.
The robbers were caught up and subjected to terrible torture. Even at the edge of life, they preferred to remain silent and did not give out where they hid the helmet. It is believed that he was hidden in one of the suitable crevices. The helmet was never found, and Alexander was forced to leave India. It is still unknown where the helmet of Alexander the Great is kept, and historians continue to look for it.
Mystery Alexandria Egyptian
In 2017, 2340 years have passed since the death of the famous commander of antiquity. But it is still unknown where he is buried. The main contender to be considered the resting place of the commander is Alexandria.
After his death, the body of 33-year-old Alexander the Great was embalmed by Egyptian priests, specially called for the ceremony, and left in the palace chambers for two years. Ptolemy, who inherited the throne, did not fulfill the will of Macedonian to bury him on the green land of the Siwa oasis in the Egyptian desert, because he was outside the borders of the state. And Alexander the Great for all fellow citizens personified a strong and powerful power. Ptolemy ordered to bury the warrior in the tomb in Alexandria, thereby making the city a place of pilgrimage for a huge number of people.
There is a version that initially the funeral procession was sent by Ptolemy to his possessions - to Memphis, but the priest of the temple opposed the burial of Alexander in Memphis, predicting misfortunes and bloody battles in case of disobedience. It was then that the path of the body of the great commander of antiquity continued to the land of Alexandria.
During the reign of the Roman emperor, the tomb was walled up. As a result, Alexandria ceased to be a "city of cities". The tomb was so well hidden that no one could find it. However, there is a version that it is located under the mosque of the prophet Daniel on Alexander the Great Street.
Funeral chariot in descriptions of the past
Alexander the Great was transported to Alexandria in a marble sarcophagus, on a chariot created by the great engineer Philip. According to Ptolemy, the mourning chariot, drawn forward by 64 mules, advanced along the roads that were immediately laid, because a whole "army" of builders walked in front of it. Behind the chariot moved the very army of the commander: foot soldiers, chariots, cavalry, even warriors on war elephants.
But Flavius Arrian claimed that 8 mules were harnessed to the chariot. And the chariot was made of gold, with gold rims and spokes. And the mules were adorned with golden crowns, bells and necklaces.
Sarcophagus: history and fiction
According to Ptolemy's descriptions, the sarcophagus was located under a canopy between the ivory columns that adorned the chariot. The canopy was made in the form of a starry sky and decorated with precious stones. On the cover of the sarcophagus, made of gold by Philip, they put the commander's weapons and a Trojan shield. According to the memoirs of Flavius Arrian, the canopy was removed from the inside with rubies, carbuncles, emeralds. Inside it hung four paintings depicting various military units of the Macedonian army on the march: chariots, cavalry and fleet. Beneath the canopy was a golden throne adorned with flowers that changed every day. And the sarcophagus, according to Arrian, was golden.
A relief was carved on the longitudinal wall of the sarcophagus, telling about the victorious battle of Alexander the Great with the Persian army led by Darius III. The battle was so fierce that around the chariot of Darius piled up the bodies of the dead Greeks and Persians. The very height of this fight is carved on the sarcophagus with particular reliability in the transfer of the warriors' attire, in dynamics and expression.
A grave in the desert?
The annexation of Egypt by Alexander the Great to his empire took place without any problems, since his army was perceived as the liberator of the Egyptian people from the Persians. Eight years before his death, the commander traveled along the Nile, deep into the Egyptian desert, where he discovered the Siwa oasis. The three hundred-kilometer journey left the army without water, the army almost died. With difficulty, the travelers reached the green island of life, where the temple of the god Amun towered among the greenery. In the temple, the priests not only blessed Alexander the Great, but also called him the son of Amun. This inspired Alexander to new campaigns and accomplishments, as well as to the decision to be buried on the ground of this oasis near the temple.
In 1990, Greek scientists went to Siwa and discovered there an amazing underground burial complex, on the reliefs of which they saw the image of the personal symbol of Alexander the Great, and on the steles - inscriptions made on behalf of Ptolemy, or by himself, reporting on the burial of Alexander the Great in Siwa, according to testament. The temple and the tomb were surrounded by a wall. Images of lions were found here, which were commonly used in the funeral rites of Greece. And everything else had little in common with Egyptian culture and was more like Macedonian buildings and products.
The surviving ancient coins depict Alexander the Great with a headdress in the form of a lion's head and two ram's horns, which corresponds to the description of the legendary helmet. In the Hermitage, the helmet of Alexander the Great exists mainly in images on old coins.
Replica Legendary Helm
The history of the golden helmet of Alexander the Great excites the minds of people, awakens the imagination of artists. Modern jewelers created its exact copy. The image from his sarcophagus was taken as a basis. It was made within 5 months by three craftsmen from a multicomponent alloy, based on copper and zinc. Sheet thickness - 1.5 mm. All curls were knocked out with wooden hammers. This is very hard manual labor.
The full face of the helmet is made in the form of a lion's muzzle. The entire helmet is initially covered with a layer of silver and then gold. Only the nose remains silver, which is covered with a special varnish so that the silver does not wear off. The helmet of Alexander the Great is inlaid with stones (tiger's eye, sapphires or moissanites), rock crystal and ivory.
The helmet suggests a wear size of 58, but it is unknown if this size matches the exact size of Alexander the Great's head.
The helmet is quite durable. With continued wear, it will last for five years.
Quintus Curtius Rufus, Flavius Arrian and Plutarch, depicting the exploits of the famous Tsar Alexander the Great, are bashfully silent about his campaign in Samara. There really was nothing to be proud of - the great commander suffered heavy losses and almost suffered the most shameful defeat in his life due to the illiteracy of his subordinates ...
Pursuing on the heels of King Darius Achaemenides, who was running away from him after the defeat at Gaugamela, the great conqueror received information from scouts that the Persian with a small group of close associates had reached Sochi through Tehran and Yerevan, where he bought tickets for a second-class carriage for the Adler-Samara train. Having made a forced march to Antalya, the Macedonian king put a detachment of his elite bodyguards, getairs, on a plane to Kurumoch, which delivered them all to the Samara airport.
Despite the fact that Alexander and his entourage flew with a low-cost airline, they had enough treasury after a taxi flight only to Krasnaya Glinka. Here they landed and were immediately attacked by tribes of wild tourists, fighting off which, the detachment reached the Polyana shopping center. There, the local watchman, old Frunze, set his watchdogs on them, after a cruel and bloody battle with which the place was called Barboshina Polyana (or Frunze Glade).
Further, Alexander marched along Novo-Sadovaya Street, being subjected to constant fire from the inhabitants of cottages and elite housing, who fired from injuries, smoothbore and hunting crossbows, and when trying to catch up with them and take severe revenge on them, they hid on ATVs. And near the university, the Macedonians generally had to turn into the Country Park and hide behind the trees in order to avoid a battle with a large crowd of merry students who were celebrating the national holiday “Leaving the couple”.
In short, only Alexander himself and a few of his most persistent friends made it to the railway station. When police lieutenant Gordeev tried to ask them for documents “like people of a suspicious southern nationality,” they tied the overly vigilant law enforcement officer into a knot and broke through to the platform just in time for the arrival of the Adler-Samara train.
What was the indignation of the king when he learned that there was no Darius Achaemenid among the passengers - only Darik Akhmenidyan with his brothers, nephews and second cousins, who brought a fresh crop of apricots and dried apricots for sale in the Central Market. The dejected tsar, in order not to fall into the hands of colleagues tied with a knot, Lieutenant Gordeev, immediately, on the platform, exchanged his golden helmet for tickets for the Moscow-Andijan train and urgently departed in a southerly direction, without losing hope of intercepting Darius somewhere in the Middle Asia...
Getairs (other Greek ἑταῖροι - "friends") were part of the aristocratic environment of the Macedonian kings. They made up a council and retinue of rulers in peacetime and a squad in time of war. The preservation of this institution in Macedonia ensured the archaism of the socio-economic and political way of life. Most of the Macedonian hetairoi were aristocrats and large landowners, whom the king kept at his court in order to ensure loyalty on their part. At the beginning of the reign of Philip II (reigned 359-336 BC), his heteria consisted of 800 people. He increased the number of hetairoi to 3,500, taking into their ranks not only Macedonian aristocrats, but also noble foreigners who entered his service. From among the getairs, officers of the Macedonian army, military leaders and governors of the provinces were appointed.
In the army of Philip and Alexander (reigned 336 BC - June 10, 323 BC), the hetairoi constituted a privileged detachment of heavily armed cavalry. Departing for the East, Alexander left Antipater 1,500 hetairoi, and took the remaining 1,800 with him. His getairs were divided into 8 detachments (il) of 230 horsemen each. The first, "royal silt", or in Macedonian "agema", was a detachment of double the size, at the head of which the king himself fought. The names of several silts are known: Bottiei, Amphipolis, Antemusia, Apollonia. The names reflect the territorial principle of manning detachments.
Hetaira was commanded by Philot, the son of Parmenion, after his death, this post was taken by the closest friend of the king Hephaestion, later he was replaced by Perdikka. The selected royal agema was headed by Cleitus. During the Persian campaign of Alexander, his hetairos acted as a striking force against the Persian cavalry and against the infantry, attacking with spears at the ready and delivering a blow that decides the fate of the battle. In the armies of Alexander's successors, there were similar select detachments of the cavalry of the hetairoi, which included royal relatives, friends and associates.
In a new interactive special project, Warspot offers to get acquainted with the reconstruction of the appearance, weapons and equipment of the Macedonian hetaira of the era of Philip and Alexander.
The armament and parts of the equipment of the hetaira are marked with marker badges. To see the history and description of the element of interest, click on the corresponding marker.
Helmet
Xenophon, a recognized authority in military affairs of the 4th century BC, recommends the Boeotian helmet for arming horsemen, which, according to him, protects the head and does not interfere with vision. This description corresponds to a number of artistic images that can be associated with the era of Alexander the Great. In 1854, a similar helmet was found at the bottom of the Tigris - it may have been lost while crossing the river by the Macedonian warrior of Alexander himself or one of his closest successors.
Boeotian helmet found in the Tigris River and now in the Ashmolah Museum, Oxford
The Boeotian helmet has the widest distribution area: from Central Asia to the Middle East. It was worn by both ordinary warriors and rulers, whose images in such a helmet are often found on coins. The chronology of the use of the Boeotian helmet covers most of the Hellenistic era. In the later stages, in the II-I centuries BC, mixed models of helmets appear, in which, nevertheless, the main elements of the Boeotian prototype are clearly recognizable.
Macedonian warrior (Hephaestion?) wearing a Boeotian helmet. Sidon sarcophagus
The shape of the helmet resembles a Boeotian felt cap with wide brim. This is probably where its name comes from. In contrast to the similarly shaped pilos, the Boeotian helmet has a larger brim and a steep angle of their fold. At the front of the helmet, it is about 130 degrees and forms a wide visor that gives the helmet wearer's face good protection from blows from above. On the sides and back, this angle of inclination is slightly less. A characteristic recognizable feature of the helmet is the lateral concave folds, designed, among other things, to give the fields the necessary rigidity. There were no traces of fastening of the lining to the base of the helmet - perhaps it was glued from the inside. Initially, the Boeotian helmet was worn without cheek pads. Later, when mixed forms of helmets appeared, two pairs of holes were made above the side fields to attach the hinges on which the cheek pads were hung.
A warrior in a Boeotian helmet, over which he wears a wreath of golden leaves. A fragment of a mosaic depicting the Battle of Issus
They made a helmet from a bronze sheet about 1.5 mm thick, beating it into a stone mold. The weight of the helmet was approximately 1 kg. The Boeotian helmet from the Tigris of a simple and laconic form is devoid of decorations, although such helmets could be covered with tin or silver or painted with bright colors. Judging by the pictorial monuments, wreaths made of leaves or thin metal foil were worn on some helmets - perhaps as a badge of distinction.
shell
On the mosaic depicting the Battle of Issus, on the Sidon sarcophagus, tomb steles and other monuments of the second half of the 4th century BC. Macedonian horsemen usually wear armor. Among them, traditional linen armor, reinforced with bronze scales and metal plates, is most often represented. According to archaeological finds, all-metal bronze, less often iron armor of Alexander's warriors is also known.
Alexander in linen armor. Mosaic depicting the Battle of Issus
Such armor is a double-leaf shell, consisting of chest and dorsal parts. They were fastened to each other on the sides and shoulders with the help of hinges and belt ties. Most shells are shortened, protecting the wearer's body only to the waist. Several shells from southern Italy, dating from the second half of the 4th century BC, are full length, covering the lower abdomen and upper thighs. Their belonging to riders is evidenced by the very wide lower part of the shell, which allows the owner to sit on a horse without much difficulty.
Bivalve shell of the 4th century BC South Italian origin from the collection of A. Guttman
The shape of the shell corresponds to the anatomy of the human body, accurately reproducing the relief of the pectoral and abdominal muscles. Xenophon advised riders to adjust their armor to fit their size:
“The shell must be made to your own measurements, because a well-lying shell is held by the whole body, a weak one is only on the shoulders, and too narrow is more like a bond than an armament.”
To protect the metal surface from corrosion, it was covered with a thin layer of tin. The mirror shine of the metal created the illusion of silver. However, armor is known from the descriptions, which were covered with silver and even gold.
Sarissa
The main weapon of the Macedonian cavalry of Alexander the Great was the sarissa - a spear from 4.5 to 6 m long. The shaft of the sarissa was cut from dense and viscous dogwood wood. A tip was fastened at one end, and a bronze or iron inflow was attached to the other, which allowed the sarissa to be stuck into the ground at a halt. According to calculations, the weight of the sarissa was 6.5 kg.
A Macedonian horseman, armed with a sarissa, attacks a Persian infantryman. Fresco from Kinch's tomb (late 4th - early 3rd century BC)
On the mosaic depicting the battle of Issus, Alexander holds the sarissa with one hand in the middle of the shaft. There were only two ways of gripping: with a hand raised up bent at the elbow (in this case, the blow was delivered from top to bottom) and with a hand lowered parallel to the thigh (the blow was delivered in a straight line or from bottom to top). To change the position of the weapon, it was necessary to take it in both hands, so any manipulation with it during the battle was extremely difficult.
The Macedonian cavalry, armed with sarissas, could act effectively against both heavily armed cavalry and against infantry. Due to the severity of the shaft, neither the shield nor the armor could resist the blow of the sarissa. As experiments show, the horseman practically could not extract the sarissa from the body of the killed enemy while galloping. Therefore, the Macedonian cavalry had to break their weapons after the first blow and then take up the sword.
Kopis
Kopis is a single-edged sword with a blade length of 80-90 cm. The crosshair has a common end with a back, with its other end asymmetrically hanging over the blade. The hilt, usually shaped like a bird's head, forms a semicircle to protect the hand. In the most luxurious specimens, bone onlays and gold appliqués were used in the manufacture of the handle. The massive thickness of the butt - up to 8 mm - ensured the high strength of the blade upon impact.
A 4th-century BC copy found on the peninsula of Halkidiki in Greece
The forward-curved shape of the blade, widening in the last third, is perfectly suited for slashing. It is no coincidence that Xenophon, in his essay on cavalry, recommends arming horsemen with a curved kopis, with which you can cut the enemy from above with a backhand, and not with a straight sword, which was usually stabbed. According to the Greek historian Diodorus, "there is no shield, helmet or bone that can withstand the blow of such a sword".
Kopis in sheath, relief of the second half of the 3rd century BC. Archaeological Museum, Istanbul
Kopis was worn on the left side in a wooden sheath covered with leather, suspended from a shoulder harness.
Chiton
The Macedonians wore a tunic of Greek cut. It was a wide shirt that reached to the knees with short or long sleeves, and they wore it, belted low with a wide lap. The chiton was dyed in various colors and could be decorated with embroidery.
Fresco from the painting of the facade of the Macedonian tomb in Agios Athanasios
Having seized the wealth of Persia, Alexander distributed to his close associates precious fabrics and clothes dyed with purple and saffron. Perhaps clothes of a certain color corresponded to a higher or lower rank of its owner, as was the practice at the Achaemenid court. The remnants of the pigment found on the figures of the Macedonian warriors of the Sidon sarcophagus make it possible to restore the violet-purple color of their chitons and the purple color of their cloaks with a white or yellow border. On the frescoes, the purple chitons of the royal entourage are often found in combination with yellow cloaks and with a purple border. There are also other color combinations.
Boots
The rider is shod in high leather boots with lacing, known from numerous images. As a rule, Greek artists depicted such boots as an attribute of travelers, hunters and warriors.
Statue of Hephaestion, the commander of the cavalry of the hetairoi Alexander, dressed in a tunic and cavalry boots. The statue, dating from the 1st century BC, was intended for his memorial in Alexandria. National Museum of Archeology, Athens
For riders, wearing them had an additional meaning, since it served as a means of protecting the legs from both the thorny bush that abounds in Greece, and from the weapons of the enemy. In addition, high leather tops were supposed to protect the skin from caustic horse sweat.
Horse
The Macedonian cavalry had an excellent military reputation long before the era of Philip and Alexander. The horses ridden by the hetairoi averaged 1.34 m at the withers, had a wide chest, chiseled necks, small heads and slender legs. Their breed was significantly improved by the introduction after 339 BC. Scythian blood: Philip II, having defeated the Scythians, captured 20,000 thoroughbred mares as a trophy. After the Persian campaigns of Alexander, the Macedonians took possession of many thoroughbred horses from the stables of the Great King.
Bronze statue of a horse and a boy rider, 3rd-2nd century BC National Museum of Archeology, Athens
Like the Greeks, the Macedonians preferred to ride unbaited stallions. There is convincing evidence of this in the examples of fine art that have survived to this day. To control hot, restive animals, a bridle with a snaffle and spurs were used, which were tied to boots or just to the leg. The horses were not shod.
On mosaics and frescoes, horses have a gray, red-bay and black color. The famous Bucephalus of Alexander the Great was a black suit with a white star on his forehead.
Xenophon mentions that he sold his warhorse for 1,250 drachmas. On average, in Athens in the 4th century BC. the price of a war horse fluctuated between 700 and 1,000 drachmas. The daily wage of a worker at that time was one drachma.
Cheprak
Macedonian horsemen did not use saddles. As a rule, a saddlecloth was placed on the back of the horse, which was held in place with a wide girth.
A horse with a panther skin draped over its back, acting as a saddle for the rider. Stele III-II centuries BC National Museum of Archeology, Athens
Cheprak was a simple rectangle made of felt or quilted fabric. In some cases, this role was played by a thrown skin, as can be seen in the sculptures and mosaics of the Hellenic era. The main task of the saddlecloth was to protect the skin on the rider's thighs from caustic horse sweat. Xenophon advises horsemen to use a thick quilted saddle, "which provides the rider with a stable seat and does not rub the horse's back". At the same time, he reproaches the Persians for covering the horses with a lot of blankets, like a bed, because of which the Persian horsemen sit softly, but unsteadily.
Having barely come to power, the Macedonian king Philip II (Alexander's father) reorganized the Macedonian army, so that after his death the great conqueror received at his disposal a magnificent military machine, which he continued to improve. From the tribal militia, Philip, with the help of hired foreign commanders, created a disciplined army, the main part of which, as in all Greek states, was heavily armed infantry built in close formation - the phalanx.
Philip also formed a powerful heavily armed cavalry, which became the striking force of the army. At first it was about 600 hetairoi (hetairos), literally - "comrades." Natives of noble Macedonian families, and then from all over the Greek land, received territories taken from the enemies of the king, and replenished the ranks of the hetairoi, whose number increased during the reign of Alexander (at the beginning of the campaign in Persia - about 1800 people). Philip, on the other hand, gave the hetairos heavy armor - shells and helmets. There were also shields of the hoplite type, but they were used only if the getairs fought on foot, which was not uncommon.
Getairs were trained to maneuver on the battlefield, were able to rebuild and change the direction of attack (which was unusual for that time), this made it possible to deliver quick strikes to the flank and rear of the enemy battle formation. Such rearrangements required tight control of the horse, so strict bits were used, and spurs were also occasionally used. Usually they sat on a horse only for combat, marches were made on foot for better saving of hooves.
An important place in the army of Alexander occupied Thessalian cavalry. Thessaly is one of the regions of Greece, connected with Macedonia by allied relations, the Thessalians have been famous since ancient times as the most skilled riders in the Greek world. In terms of numbers, the Thessalian cavalry was approximately equal to the cavalry of the Hetairoi.
Another important part of the Macedonian cavalry were prodromes (prodromoi) or scouts - riders of the Thracian light cavalry. The functions of the prodromes, as their name shows, were to reconnoiter the path in front of the army. If necessary, they were combined with light infantry or heavy cavalry units. In addition to the xiston (chopping sword; another name is mahaira), they were also armed with darts (light spears that could not only stab, but also throw them). As a rule, they did not have shells and shields. It is assumed that the color of the prodromes unit was pink, used for the tunic and the main field of the cloak.
Speaking of the Macedonian phalanx, it should be recognized that the art of its use in the army of Alexander was brought to perfection, which was not achieved either before or after, which largely determined his victory.
Phalanx warriors - phalangites- subdivided into pedzetaires and hypaspists
Since now, with a powerful cavalry, the Macedonian infantry did not need high mobility, it became possible to strengthen its weapons. That's why pedzetaira(foot hetairoi) had armor and bronze shields, long forgotten in the rest of Greece, which gave them an advantage in battle. However, not all phalangites were armed in the same way. The warriors of the first rows could wear bronze shells and greaves, and more massive shields, the warriors who occupied places closer to the middle of the formation - linen shells, lighter shields of a smaller size and did not have greaves, and those who stood in the last rows could not have shells at all and even replace a helmet hat. But the length of the heavy spear - the sarissa - increased accordingly in each subsequent rank (there were 16 in total) and in the 5th - 6th ranks it could reach 4-5 meters and possibly more, so that there were spearheads in front of the shield of the warrior of the first rank 4-5 of his comrades standing in a row behind him in the back of the head. Such long spears, of course, had to be held with both hands, so the shield was hung on a belt over the shoulder. Each warrior was also armed with a straight sword-xiphos for close combat.
It should be borne in mind that the superiority of the Macedonian phalanx on the battlefield was not due only to some advantages in weapons and equipment. The main advantage was the discipline and good training of the phalangites,
hypaspists (hypaspiste- in Greek means "shield-bearer"). It is believed that this unit was originally formed from the personal squires of the getairs, who naturally followed their masters everywhere on the battlefield. Then this kind of infantry was intended to fill the gap in the battle formation, when the hetairoi, during the next swift attack, pulled ahead. In this case, the hypaspists followed the hetairoi at a run, covering their rear and developing the success of the breakthrough. Naturally, their equipment was lighter compared to the rest of the phalanx warriors, being armed with shorter spears, the same swords, helmets and shields, they did not have shells, but they were the only ones from all the infantry who wore shoes. Sometimes, for speed of movement, hypaspists were put on horses behind the horsemen.
A significant part of the infantry was made up of contingents of allied Greek states. After the victory over the Persians, many of these soldiers continued to serve Alexander no longer as allies, but as mercenaries. Greek mercenary infantry was equipped according to the traditional Spartan pattern: a bronze hoplite shield and helmet, but the armor and leggings were missing. The warriors were armed with a spear and a xiphos sword, common for infantry, and wore a red exomide. (exotnis) - chiton with lowered right sleeve.
Light infantry soldiers in the Macedonian army were called psilami (psiloi). These included toxotes (toxotoi), i.e. archers, and acontists (akontistai), i.e. javelin throwers. It is assumed that both wore a small bronze shield - pelta (pelte), which did not hamper movements when using throwing weapons and at the same time allowed, if necessary, to engage in close combat.
Somatophylaki- "guardians of the body" - a unit that guarded the royal tent. It was formed from the most devoted to the king noble people. In addition to performing their direct duties, many of them were appointed to command parts of the army or the rulers of the occupied regions (satraps).
It is interesting that Alexander introduced mandatory shaving in his army, officially - in order to deprive the enemy of the opportunity to grab a warrior by the beard in hand-to-hand combat, and unofficially, many believed that this was due to the absence of a beard from himself - after all, the future great ruler became king at only 20 years old with little!
Reconstruction of the appearance of the soldiers of the Macedonian army.
A1. Alexander in the clothes of a senior officer of the guetairos
The image is borrowed from the "mosaic of Alexander" in Pompeii (see below). The mosaic depicts the tunic and cloak as purplish-gray, but the basis was a painting several centuries old, and the paint on it has faded. The cloak on the mosaic is damaged, but when compared with the figures on the Sarcophagus of Alexander, its edge is reconstructed as yellow-gold. The green field on the armor and the green edging of the skin covering on the horse seem to indicate an ilu (a cavalry unit of 200 horsemen). Usually the king fought in a Boeotian helmet (like that of the neighboring figure), but he was preferred to be depicted on the mosaic without a headdress, undoubtedly for artistic purposes.
A2. Hetairo cavalry rider
The image is borrowed from the Sarcophagus of Alexander. Usually the hetairoi wore white armor, as in fig. A1, but perhaps they were not so richly decorated. Instead of the Greek seating pad for the horse (see Fig. C1 below), a Persian one was used. The color of the border of the bedspread and the belt should, apparently, indicate silt.
B1. Getair in hunting clothes
The image is borrowed from the hunting scene from the Sarcophagus of Alexander. This hetayr took off his shell and replaced the xiston (cavalry spear) with a shorter hunting spear. The border of the skin covering the horse in this case is red - perhaps in accordance with the color of the ila (rider units). It is possible that the leopard-skin veil was the privilege of the officers.
B2. One of the "royal children" (?) in hunting clothes
The image is borrowed from a mosaic from Pella depicting two young men hunting. On other mosaics with hunting scenes, one can find similar cloaks, but completely white, and the hunters are armed with kopis (short chopping swords; another name is xyphos) and axes. On the head of a man is not a traditional Macedonian causia (kavsia), but a white hat from the sun.
B3. "Personal guetayr" in clothes for hunting
The colors of the clothes of this figure are reconstructed from the image on the “Alexander Sarcophagus”. It is known that the Hellenistic kings favored their courtiers and "friends" with cloaks as a sign of special disposition. Apparently, this hunter is Alexander's "personal hetayr".
C1. Thessalian horseman in hunting clothes
The image is borrowed from the hunting scene from the Sarcophagus of Alexander. The man wears only a short-sleeved lower tunic, and no upper tunic. The characteristic Thessalian cloak is dark purple with a white border. The woolen covering on the horse is dyed purple and yellow: purple (of the same dark shade as the cloak) seems to have been the color of the Thessalian cavalry, and yellow the color of silt. The harness is brown, not the dark red of the hetairoi.
C2. Thessalian cavalry officer
A painted, but rather made of silver, laurel wreath on a helmet of the Boeotian type, apparently, was a sign of rank: bracelets also indicate this. The edge of the cloak on the sarcophagus is missing and reconstructed according to the C1 model. The coloring of the shell and its details has been reconstructed by comparing the most authoritative sources, however, its accuracy cannot be fully guaranteed due to lack of information.
D1. Prodrom Cavalry Rider
The image is borrowed from the steppe painting of the “Tomb of Kinkh” near Naoussa. The figure depicts a light cavalry rider in the clothes characteristic of the end of the reign of King Philip. Alexander, in all likelihood, replaced the Phrygian helmet shown here with the Boeotian one among the cavalrymen, and instead of the xiston (light cavalry spear) depicted here, he introduced the sarissa (heavier and longer infantry spear). Since the hem of the tunic in the original image was damaged, it had to be reconstructed from the available data. Parts of the helmet are also poorly preserved, but it can be assumed that the ribbon hanging from under the helmet belongs to the balaclava.
D2. Infantryman in camp clothes
The image is borrowed from the hunting scene from the Sarcophagus of Alexander. In the original image, the man is shown wearing a single cloak wrapped around his arm. Efaptida is a military cloak that was used in heavy infantry. A rectangular piece of cloth was put on the left shoulder and wrapped around the arm. Tunic and causia reconstructed according to available data; the white color of the causia is a guess. The blue color of the ribbon supporting the sword in the scabbard was probably the color of the infantry. The ax was reconstructed after a hunting scene from a mosaic from Pella.
D3. Pedzetayr (foot getair - a soldier of a select infantry unit) in hunting clothes
The image is reconstructed on the basis of a half-naked figure from the scene of the battle from the Sarcophagus of Alexander. The tunic of the pedzetaira was supposedly purple; the color of the efaptida is taken directly from the sarcophagus. This is an officer or a senior soldier; the feathers on his helmet have been reconstructed based on additional information available.
E1. Hypaspist
The image is borrowed from the Sarcophagus of Alexander. The upper part of the helmet was destroyed in the original and is here reconstructed on the basis of the available data. A dark purple medallion is located in the center of the bronze shield on the sarcophagus, but the emblem was impossible to read. The shoes are like those worn by horsemen,
E2, EZ. Undefined unit (allied cavalry?)
Both images are borrowed from the Sarcophagus of Alexander. The helmet of figure E3 is similar to the one lying near the figure on the sarcophagus; the one that lies next to the figure E2 is also taken from the sarcophagus. The shoes on the feet of the warriors suggest that both of them are horsemen, probably from the allied cavalry, but they can also be attributed to the somatophylacs (the personal guard of the king).
F1. Pedzetyre
The image is borrowed from the Sarcophagus of Alexander. The color of the shoulder pads and pterygiums cannot be determined from the original. On the basis of the available additional information, the crest of the helmet was also reconstructed. The head of Silenus (?) from the chest of a warrior could also be repeated on the purple reverse side of the shield as the identification emblem of a taxis (infantry unit). The armor is not typical, however, the red tunic does not allow us to assume that the warrior belongs to an elite unit.
F2. Greek mercenary in Persian service
The image is borrowed from the Sarcophagus of Alexander. The figure is dressed in a red exomide with an open right shoulder, which was at that time the usual clothing of a Greek mercenary. The warrior lost his bronze helmet and hoplon shield. The mercenaries did not wear shells.
F3. Pedzetyre officer
The image is borrowed from the Sarcophagus of Alexander, on which he supposedly depicts an officer. The bronze greaves are silver plated and lined with red material; the garters are also red. The helmet is distinguished by a gilded band on the crest, the feathers are reconstructed. The color of the shoulder pads in the original is not clear. The shield leaning against the wall bears the unit's emblem, the head of an unidentified goddess.
G1. Senior Pedzetaire Soldier
The image is borrowed from the Sarcophagus of Alexander. Perhaps depicts one of the officers or senior soldiers of the phalanx. This is indicated, in particular, by the bronze leggings worn by the commander of a row or semi-row. The feathered helmet (reconstructed) does not have a gilded band on the crest. The white spiral decorating the helmet may indicate the rank of hyperet (unit foreman); the exact outlines of this symbol are unknown.
G2. Pedzetyre
The purple tunic (according to the figure on the Sarcophagus of Alexander) may indicate belonging to an elite unit.
G3. Servant
The image is borrowed from the Sarcophagus of Alexander. In the original, the coloring of this figure's clothing is severely damaged. The dark purple stripe on the tunic is distinguishable, but the overall color of the garment is not clear. It appears to have been light purple or red. The status of this servant could not be established, but he may well be a young Macedonian.
Almost every warrior on the campaign was accompanied by a servant, if the warrior was rich and noble - several servants, and if he was a cavalryman - also a groom, who usually also had a horse.
H1. Akontist
Not a single good image of a light infantryman of Alexander's army has survived. Nevertheless, one figure from the "Sarcophagus of Alexander" with a significant degree of probability can be read as an image of a representative of the acontists and, thus, used as the basis for reconstructing the appearance of light infantrymen. The figure from the sarcophagus may well depict a dismounted rider, however, if it is still the image of an infantryman, then we have a representative of the light infantry, since he is not wearing an efaptida (a long military cloak in which one could wrap oneself entirely), characteristic of heavy soldiers infantry, and a Macedonian cloak thrown over the left shoulder to free both hands. The figure is depicted naked; it is quite possible that the light infantry went into battle only in cloaks, but, on the other hand, the transfer of nudity could only be an aesthetic device, so we also added a tunic to our image. The feet of a light infantryman could well have been put on shoes.
H2. Unknown subdivision (somatophylac?)
The image is borrowed from the Sarcophagus of Alexander. In the original, the figure is naked (but equipped with a shield and helmet). The gold edging of the helmet crest and feathers (reconstructed) indicate an officer or senior soldier, although the greaves and armor are missing. The tunic may have long sleeves or be an exomide, and its color may be either purple or red. The medallion on the shield depicts Alexander in the clothes of the Persian king.
NZ. Auxiliary Greek Hoplite
The image is borrowed from the Sarcophagus of Alexander. The hoplite has a bronze shield in his hands, on which the emblem of the city that sent this unit can be depicted. Only a bandage is depicted on the warrior's head, but his helmet lies at his feet.
Alexander's army warrior costume, Hellenic, Macedonian or Thracian, was primarily a short-sleeved shirt - chiton. A long-sleeve (according to the northern fashion) upper tunic was worn over it (its floors were tucked under the belt). The Macedonians wore mantle Macedonian type: a cloak in the form of a semicircle thrown over the left shoulder and fastened on the right shoulder; such a cloak has only two corners, hanging down in front and behind, respectively. The edge of the cloak hung down at the level of the knees in a straight line between these two corners. According to Alexander, his father (King Philip) “dressed you [Macedonians] in cloaks ( mantles) instead of goatskins.”
