Kassander's tomb?

The Lion of Amphipolis
photo: Kkonstan

Late last night, my friend Robert phoned me from Toronto to tell me about the discovery of the undisturbed  entrance to the enormous tomb at Amphipolis that archaeologists have been excavating for a few years and the tomb's association with the large sculpture of a lion found some distance away that is believed to have been erected at the top of the mound. The lion had been cast in a river when Amphipolis had been attacked by the Romans. Our interest in this discovery was to do with the lead seals of Alexander the Great. (we both own an example), which depict a walking lion and the name of Alexander.

Typical of the media, the reports quote expert's opinions without giving much in the way of their reasons for these opinions.

It is denied, of course, that the tomb contains the body of Alexander the Great because he was buried first at Memphis, but his body was later moved to Alexandria. However, I think it most likely that the tomb was built for Alexander. Such a monument would have taken a very long time to build and would have been started long before Alexander's death.

There is also speculation that the tomb was built for Admiral Laomedon of Mytilene, but an iconographic detail of the tomb eliminates that possibility as it was certainly built for a king. This significance of this detail might be known by the excavators, because of its mention in some of the news reports, but nothing has been said about its significance. It is also quite possible that this iconographic detail has not been understood at all.

The crucial detail is the thirteen steps that were discovered some time ago. Robert Graves, in The Greek Myths, (Introduction)says:

"Thirteen, the number of the sun’s death-month, has never lost its evil reputation among the superstitious. The days of the week lay under the charge of Titans: the genii of sun, moon, and the five hitherto discovered planets, who were responsible for them to the goddess as Creatrix. This system had probably been evolved in matriarchal Sumeria.

"Thus the sun passed through thirteen monthly stages, beginning at the winter solstice when the days lengthen again after their long autumnal decline. The extra day of the sidereal year, gained from the solar year by the earth’s revolution around the sun’s orbit, was intercalated between the thirteenth and the first month, and became the most important day of the 365, the occasion on which the tribal Nymph chose the sacred king, usually the winner of a race, a wrestling match, or an archery contest. But this primitive calendar underwent modifications: in some regions the extra day seems to have been intercalated, not at the winter solstice, but at some other New Year—at the Candlemas cross-quarter day, when the first signs of spring are apparent; or at the spring equinox, when the sun is regarded as coming to maturity; or at midsummer; or at the rising of the Dog Star, when the Nile floods; or at the autumnal equinox, when the first rains fall."

Graves has quite a lot to say about the thirteenth month in his work, including that the Greeks symbolized it with the myrtle. The number thirteen underwent considerable syncretization and was first thought to be unlucky because Judas was the thirteenth person to be seated at the Last Supper. However, Judas' role in the death of the "King of the Jews" and his thirteenth position was mythologically necessary. Much later still, thirteen steps were constructed to gallows.

Another theory for the occupant of the tomb was Alexander's wife Roxana. This came about because no penis was found for the lion of Amphipolis, but this was refuted by Michaelis Lefantzis on Argyraspid's blog, Megas Alexandros. Argyraspid replies: "I hope it was not built for Cassander though ;-)".

While I do not think that it was built for Kassander, I think it very likely that he had ordered that he should be buried in the unoccupied tomb. Kassander had made great use of lion iconography in his bronze coinage and the iconography of that coinage would have been aimed only at a Macedonian audience. I think it possible that the lion breaking the spear-head in his jaws on the coins where Kassander styles himself as "King"could refer to the dynastic change. Having murdered Alexander's son, it seems unlikely that Kassander would have wanted Alexander IV to be buried there. Who buried Alexander IV is open to speculation, but the task should have been the responsibility of Alexander's half-brother Philip III as Kassander was not the king at that time. Philip was little more than a figurehead and it is said that he suffered from learning disabilities. Furthermore, if you are looking for a ruthless and scheming  player in this scene, then Kassander is your man. It is said that Kassander went to Babylon to poison Alexander the Great.

I find it interesting, too, that "21st century experts believe that Alexander's tomb disappearance is related to the rise of Christianity in the pagan Roman Empire including Alexandria, Egypt. The theory suggests that Alexander's body was unintentionally stolen from Alexandria by a pair of Venetian merchants, taken to Venice, mistakenly renamed and venerated as St. Mark the Evangelist in Basilica di San Marco (Venice, Italy)." (Wikipedia entry for Alexander's tomb). The origin of the lion motif for both St. Mark and the city of Venice has been attributed to Revelations, but perhaps there is cause to doubt that attribution.

Hopefully, in a few weeks, the mystery might be solved!