Egypt & Near East
Solar Barque of Ra
Solar Barque of Ra
Crossing the sky by day and the underworld by night, it makes the sun rise again.
MountFirst recorded c. 2400 BCE
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Photograph: A silver tetradrachm of Alexander the Great from the Seleucid dynasty, about 325–319 BCE, bearing a profile wearing a lion skin in the guise of Heracles.
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3,000 × 2,492 PX3000×2492
ArchiveEgypt & Near East · Mount
Bucephalus
Bucephalus (Βουκεφάλας)
A wild horse no one could tame, afraid of its own shadow.
- Owner
- Alexander the Great
- Maker
- Unknown
- First record
- Plutarch, Life of Alexander100
- Gallery
- Egypt & Near East
Notes on the photograph 3
Story
According to Plutarch, a huge black horse brought for sale before Philip of Macedon would let no one ride it. Alexander, about twelve years old, noticed that it was startled by its own shadow, turned its head toward the sun, mounted and tamed it.
Philip is said to have told his son, "Macedon is too small for you; seek a kingdom that fits you." The name Bucephalus means "ox head."
Bucephalus carried Alexander through Persia as far as India. When the horse died of age by the river Hydaspes in 326 BCE, Alexander founded a city there and named it Bucephala.
The object in the photo
The photograph shows Tetradrachm of Alexander the Great(Seleucid, ca. 325–319 BCE), a real museum object that evokes the legendary artifact.
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