The Alexander Sarcophagus is a 4th century BC stone sarcophagus adorned with bas-relief carvings of Alexander the Great. Discovered in the necropolis near Sidon, Lebanon in 1887, the piece is on display at the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul. Originally thought to have been the sarcophagus of Abdalonymus, the king of Sidon appointed by Alexander, some scholars now believe the sarcophagus was that of Mazaeus, a Persian noble and governor of Babylon. (5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - other centuries) (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium AD) // Events Invasion of the Celts into Ireland Battle of the Allia and subsequent Gaulish sack of Rome 383 BCE Second Buddhist Councel at Vesali. ... Stone sarcophagus of Pharaoh Merenptah A sarcophagus is a stone container for a coffin or body. ... Bas relief is a method of sculpting which entails carving or etching away the surface of a flat piece of stone or metal. ... Alexander the Great fighting Persian king Darius III (not in frame) Alexander Mosaic from Pompeii, from a 3rd century BC original Greek painting, now lost). ... A necropolis (plural: necropolises or necropoleis) is a cemetery or burying-place, literally a city of the dead. Apart from the occasional application of the word to modern cemeteries outside large towns, the term is chiefly used of burial grounds near the sites of the centers of ancient civilizations. ... Sidon, Zidon or Saida, (Arabic صيدا Ṣaydā is the third-largest city in Lebanon. ... Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, and arguably the most important. ... For other uses of this term see: Persia (disambiguation) The Persian Empire is the name used to refer to a number of historic dynasties that have ruled the country of Persia (Iran). ... For other uses, see Babylon (disambiguation). ...

The sarcophagus is constructed of polychromatic Pentelic marble in the form of a Greek temple. The carvings on one long side of the piece depict Alexander fighting the Persians at the Battle of Issus. Alexander is shown mounted, wearing a lionskin on his head, and preparing to throw a spear at the Persian cavalry. Some scholars believe that a second mounted Macedonian figure near the center represents Hephaestion, Alexander's close friend and possible lover. A third mounted Macedonian figure is often identified as Perdiccas. The opposite long side shows Alexander and the Macedonians hunting lions together with Abdalonymus and the Persians. One short end portrays a scene in which Abdalonymus is hunting a panther. The pediment on the lid above shows Abdalonymus in battle. The other short end depicts the Battle of Gazze and the pediment above that end shows the murder of Perdiccas. Polychrome is one of the terms used to describe the use of multiple colors in one entity. ... Pentéli or Pendeli, (Greek: Πεντέλη, ancient forms: Pentele or Pentelicus, Mendeli in medieval times) is a tall mountain and mountain range situated northeast of Athens and southwest of Marathon. ... Marble For the glass spheres, see marbles. ... The Greeks began to build monumental temples in the first half of the eighth century BC. The temples of Hera at Samos and of Poseidon at Isthmia were among the first erected. ... In the Battle of Issus in 333 BC Alexander the Great of Macedonia defeated Darius III of Persia. ... Hephaestion (born ca. ... Perdiccas (d. ... Binomial name Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758) The Lion (Panthera leo) is a mammal of the family Felidae. ... A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of a triangular section or gable found above the horizontal superstructure (entablature) which lies immediately upon the columns. ...