Alexander Mosaic

[Siblesz]

Posting this here so that I can access it in school easier (gotta present it) and so that you can have a good read of the Alexander Mosaic found in the ruins of Pompeii. I wrote it in half an hour... if there are any mistakes, pin point them.

Alexander the Great Mosaic

Few depictions of famous battles in the ancient World have ever been found, and most of these are in bad condition and falling apart. Yet in the ruins of Pompeii, a copy of a famous mosaic that depicts such a battle scene was found this past century, almost untouched by time, in a lavishly appointed Roman house in Pompeii. The mosaic, made by Philoxenos of Eretria, depicts the ancient battle of Issus were Alexander the Great’s army won against the forces of King Darius of Persia.* The relatively intact preservation of the mosaic was achieved due to the fact that the explosion of Mount Vesuvius covered the city of Pompeii with a protective shield of ash that preserved these works of art and the whole city of Pompeii for over fifteen centuries, only to be re-discovered by archeologists in the year 1748.

This artwork was made by a technique called tessarae, in which stones or pieces of glass are cut to their desired size and shape in order to form a mosaic. This Roman technique of constructing a mosaic differed from the former Greek one of using pebbles to form ones. The construction of a mosaic took months and was extremely hard to accomplish. This, of course, was only a copy of an earlier Greek one made by* Philoxenos of Eretria, but experts believe that the original mosaic was not very far off from the copied version. The Romans were expert artisans and could copy artworks and techniques of other cultures with relative ease. The expert blending of the colors of the tesserae and the careful control of the overall composition creates a scene which comes to life with all the horror and confusion of the battle.

The artistic importance of this work of art comes at the subtle and unique artistic style that the artist employed in the making of the mosaic. The first major attribute of this great piece of artwork is the use of motion and intensity in the battle and the use of drama unfolding before the viewer’s eyes to further the effect of glory in the mosaic. In the mosaic painting, you see as Alexander the Great charges against the Persian army of King Darius. With his trusted horse Bucephalus, and his fellow companions riding beside him, Alexander charges against the Persian army of King Darius, as Darius, terrified at the site of Alexander’s cavalry charge, orders the retreat of his men. One also notices how Darius reaches out his hand to Alexander in utter disbelief at the fact that his once grand army was crushed by a young adult of only twenty three years of age.

Another unique aspect of the mosaic painting is the way in which Philoxenos portrayed the intensity of the battle. This detailed painting makes the viewer become involved within the battle and become part of the intense drama that unfolds. There are many details which emphasizes the terror and confusion of the battle. For example, the horse of the Persian defender of Darius collapses beneath him while he cries with agony on Alexander's spear. Below Darius in his chariot, a Persian soldier, staring in horror at this scene, attempts to hold his horse. To the right, a soldier is being crushed under the wheels of Darius' chariot. His face is reflected in the shield which he holds. Further to the right of the mosaic appear the terrified horses of the chariot, trampling upon another unfortunate Persian. Other details like the fact that Alexander is not wearing any armor and that he is completely disregarding his safety make Alexander have an almost God-like aura intertwined between his human persona and himself. This mosaic is the first work of art in which a battle is glorified in this manner. Philoxenos did a great job in employing character to the mosaic and in paying attention to small details to further the effect of the artwork.

The Alexander mosaic is a truly great piece of art, unmatched in the history of Rome or Greece. It has furthered humanity’s understandings on Roman artwork, Macedonian warfare, and the masterful use of intensity and emotion in Hellenistic-styled mosaics.


the mosaic


Alexander the Great charging against Darius' army


Darius running away.

[Zuwxiv]

I've seen that before, online and in books. It is pretty colorful... I guess that is just because it has been perserved so well. Some amazing mosiacs have been discovered, there was one in Turkey that was 90 percent intact and covered a large house's entire floor, almost... It was huge. Amazing detail, as well... I always thought having a modern Roman house would be awesome.