ROYAL TREASURES

0. ROYAL TREASURES - Story Preface

1. LEARNING FROM ARISTOTLE

2. THE YOUNG ALEXANDER

3. ALEXANDER'S HOMETOWN

4. ASSASSINATION OF PHILIP II

5. DISCOVERY OF PHILIP'S TOMB

6. ROYAL TREASURES

7. ALEXANDER'S BEQUEST

8. ALEXANDER'S EARLY CONQUESTS

9. CHASING DARIUS III

10. GAUGAMELA AND THE END OF DARIUS

11. ELEPHANTS IN WAR

12. VICTORY IN INDIA

13. GOING HOME

14. ALEXANDER'S DEATH

15. ALEXANDER'S JOURNEY IN PICTURES

16. THE REST OF THE STORY

Among other treasures in the royal tomb near the ancient capital of Macedonia, archeologists found a small ivory portrait. Scholars believe it depicts Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great. With reconstructions, cutaways and pictures of the Vergina tombs and their contents, we can gain some understanding of what life was like during the time of Alexander the Great. For descriptive purposes only, we refer to the tomb believed by some (but not all) to be "Philip's tomb." Tomb under excavation.

Cutaway of Philip's tomb.

Interior door of tomb during excavation. Tombs of Macedonian royalty were richly decorated.

Facade of Philip's tomb during excavation with detail of the painted top (called a geison).

Excavated tomb, with the sky above, has a frieze across the top. Macedonians, like Philip, were great hunters. The painting across the top of the tomb depicts hunting scenes.

West side of tomb with sarcophagus.

Small sarcophagus with gold larnax inside.

The gold larnax containing textiles, gold, ashes and bones.

Cloth and gold inside the larnax. Reconstruction of wooden kline.

Left and right ends of kline in Bella Mound.

Sword hilt.

Large iron sword found in Philip's tomb.

Iron cuirass, where it was found and after it was cleaned.

Chryselephantine shield, before and after reconstruction.

Silver and bronze banquet vessels as rediscovered on the tomb's north wall.

Gorytos and greaves in situ. (A "gorytos" is a quiver-and-bow case. The scene on the case depicts the capture of a city. A greave is a piece of soldier's armor worn over the shin and calf between the knee and ankle.)

Even as he mourned his father's death, Alexander moved quickly to succeed him. History records that he was ruthless in those endeavors.

See Alignments to State and Common Core standards for this story online at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/AcademicAlignment/ROYAL-TREASURES-Alexander-the-Great See Learning Tasks for this story online at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/AcademicActivities/ROYAL-TREASURES-Alexander-the-Great

Media Stream

Vergina - Tomb Under Excavation Image online, courtesy the University of Texas at Austin website. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Vergina-Tomb-Under-Excavation

Philip's Tomb - Illustrated Detail Image online, courtesy the University of Texas at Austin website. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Philip-s-Tomb-Illustrated-Detail Philip II - Interior and Door of the Tomb Image online, courtesy the University of Texas at Austin website. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Philip-II-Interior-and-Door-of-the-Tomb

Philip II - Facade of the Tomb Image online, courtesy the University of Texas at Austin website. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Philip-II-Facade-of-the-Tomb

Philip II - Detail of the Painted Top of the Tomb Image online, courtesy the University of Texas at Austin website. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Philip-II-Detail-of-the-Painted-Top-of-the-Tomb

Philip II - Hunting Scenes Painted on the Top of the Tomb Image online, courtesy the University of Texas at Austin website. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Philip-II-Hunting-Scenes-Painted-on-the-Top-of-the-Tomb

Philip's Excavated Tomb Image online, courtesy Southwestern University website. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Philip-s-Excavated-Tomb

Philip of Macedon - Alleged Sarcophagus Image online, courtesy Wikimedia Commons. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Philip-of-Macedon-Alleged-Sarcophagus

Sarcophagus of Philip of Macedon Image online, courtesy Astaldo, via Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY 3.0. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Sarcophagus-of-Philip-of-Macedon- Sarcophagus - Bones Image online, courtesy the Archaeology & Arts blog site. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Sarcophagus-Bones

Sarcophagus - Cloth and Gold Image online, courtesy the Holy Cross Manuscripts, Inscriptions and Documents Club website. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Sarcophagus-Cloth-and-Gold

Philip II Tomb - Reconstruction of Wooden Kline Image online, courtesy ethesis.net a dutch-language website. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Philip-II-Tomb-Reconstruction-of-Wooden-Kline

Kline in Bella Mound - Left Side Image online, courtesy macedonian-heritage.gr website. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Kline-in-Bella-Mound-Left-Side

Kline in Bella Mound - Right Side Image online, courtesy Wikimedia Commons. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Kline-in-Bella-Mound-Right-Side Philip II - Sword Hilt Image online, courtesy the Macedonian Heritage website. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Philip-II-Sword-Hilt

Iron Sword - Found in Tomb of Philip II Image online, courtesy the Macedonian Heritage website. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Iron-Sword-Found-in-Tomb-of-Philip-II

Iron Cuirass - Found at Site of Tomb of Philip II Image online, courtesy Wikimedia Commons. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Iron-Cuirass-Found-at-Site-of-Tomb-of-Philip-II

Iron Cuirass - After It Was Cleaned Image online, courtesy the Macedonian Heritage website. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Iron-Cuirass-After-It-Was-Cleaned Banquet Vessels - Discovered at the Site of Philp II Tomb Image online, courtesy the siamidis.com website. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Banquet-Vessels-Discovered-at-the-Site-of-Philp-II-Tomb

Chryselephantine Shield - Before Reconstruction This image depicts how a ceremonial shield, made of gold and ivory, appeared when it was first discovered at the Tomb of Philip at Vergina.

Believed to be from the third quarter of the 4th Century, B.C., the shield was reassembled and is now maintained at the Archaeological Museum in Thessaloniki.

The shield is also known as a chryselephantine shield because of the gold (chrysos) and ivory (elephas) used to create it. Statues of Greek deities, from the same time period, are known as chryselephantine statues for the same reason.

Archaeologists believe, for example, that Pheidias’ statue of Athena Parthenos—which, in ancient times, was on display in the Parthenon at Athens—was a chryselephantine statue. That statue, now lost, was around 40 feet high. A model of it is maintained by the Royal Ontario Museum. Image online, University of Nebraska at Omaha. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Chryselephantine-Shield-Before-Reconstruction

Chryselephantine Shield - After Reconstruction Image online, courtesy the University of Nebraska at Omaha. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Chryselephantine-Shield-After-Reconstruction

Gorytos and Greaves - Quiver and Bow Case at Philip's Tomb Site Image online, courtesy the University of Texas at Austin website. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Gorytos-and-Greaves-Quiver-and-Bow-Case-at-Philip-s-Tomb-Site

The Life of Alexander the Great - Plutarch Image online, courtesy amazon.com website. View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/The-Life-of-Alexander-the-Great-Plutarch ROYAL TREASURES View this asset at: http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/ROYAL-TREASURES