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But the most significant aspect of this little ivory head was when it was made, it was placed in this tomb. That means that it was made before Philip died and before Alexander became king. In other words archeologists realized for the first time, that Alexander's image had been designed for him before he fought a single battle against the Persians. Between them, Philip and Alexander had already come up with a winning image, an image to take on the world. But how exactly would Alexander exploit the power of this image, and portray himself as a leader strong enough to unite an empire?
The answer to that was found buried under tons of lava at the foot of a volcano, the volcano that buried the Roman town of Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius. The Romans loved Greek art and in one of the villas in Pompeii was a mosaic, the copy of an original Macedonian painting from Alexander's time. It's now in the archeological museum of Naples. The mosaic depicts a famous battle in which Alexander finally defeated the Persian armies.
This is Alexander charging full tilt into the thick of the battle. His eyes are fixed on his mortal enemy, the Persian king. Alexander is shown in the heat of action leading his troops, spear in hand. He wears no helmet, his hair flying back, a fearless hero leading from the front. And the impact of this image is even greater when you look across to the other side of the mosaic.
Look at the face of the great Persian king. It's a study of panic and fear, he can't get away quick enough. And so the whole of this political poster offers us a clear choice. Do you go for the brave heart or the coward, the hero or the villain? It's a collision of values in which Alexander is predestined for victory. Alexander had discovered he could use his portrait to persuade his new subjects that he was invincible. It was an image to inspire admiration and respect. Here was a man who could unite the empire and was worthy of replacing the king of Persia.
lava: (n.) Molten rock that reaches the earth's surface through a volcano or fissure. 火山岩
mosaic: (n.) A picture or decorative design made by setting small colored pieces, as of stone or tile, into a surface. 马赛克
Naples: (n.) A city of south-central Italy on the Bay of Naples, an arm of the Tyrrhenian Sea. 那不勒斯(意大利中南部)
predestine: (v.) To foreordain or elect by divine will or decree. 命中注定
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