Alexander Sarcophagus
The Alexander Sarcophagus is a late 4th century BC Hellenistic stone sarcophagus from the necropolis near Sidon, Lebanon. It is adorned with bas-relief carvings of Alexander the Great and scrolling historical and mythological narratives. The work is considered to be remarkably well preserved, and has been used as an exemplar for its retention of polychromy. It is currently in the holdings of the Istanbul Archaeology Museum. According to many scholars, both the provenance and date of the Alexander Sarcophagus remain uncontested, landing it firmly in the city of Sidon and having been most likely commissioned after 332 BC. The pertinent and continuous depiction of Abdalonymus, the King of Sidon, helps narrow down the time period in which this sarcophagus was most likely created. We know that Abdalonymus was appointed to this position by Alexander the Great in 333 to 332 BC, and is said to have died in roughly 311 BC (although the exact date is unknown). It was demonstrated by archaeologist and scholar Karl Schefold to have been made before Abdalonymus's death, due to its still-classical manner being purportedly uninfluenced by the style of Lysippos. Schefold argues that the sarcophagus retains a more conservative approach to its composition and iconography, contrasting against the stylistic progression marked by the work of Lysippos. He also asserts that his tomb would have been prepared before his death, although the vague timeline of Abdalonymus's life leaves this open-ended. The Alexander Sarcophagus was found in a subterranean necropolis that was divided into two hypogea, an underground temple or tomb that consists of a series of rooms. It likely functioned as a royal necropolis, which also assists in supporting the scholarly debate regarding the possible patron of this sarcophagus. This sarcophagus in particular is one of four massive carved sarcophagi that formed two pairs. These pairs were discovered during the 1887 excavations conducted by Osman Hamdi Bey and Yervant Voskan at the necropolis near Sidon, Lebanon.