What would it look like?

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system1988
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What would it look like?

Post by system1988 »

agesilaos wrote:I am not so sure, Alexander must have been removed from Alexandria in the Fourth Century AD were he re-deposited there is a good chance of an inscription.
As far as the funerary inscription of an Emperor is concerned, it would be extremely lucky for us to find, along with Alexander's remains, an inscription that would work as an identifier for the remains themselves. I personally am not optimistic at all that Alexander's remains were moved elsewhere (even though in Alexandria a belief among historians has been coming and going for years that below a city mosque Alexander's tomb is located). I believe that the remains were destroyed during the great christian raids. In my very humble opinion though, amidst all the turmoil, some idol worshipers or even non fanatic christians, would have thought that taking parts of the remains for themselves would be to their advantage. Alexander was a synomym of good fortune and so we must be very careful when excavating graves of common ancient Alexandria citizens as some of them might have been burried along with Alexander's ring for example or even along with a small part of his mummy.

In case the remains were in fact moved elsewhere, we can't help but make a lot of hypothesies as to what the inscription would read. Obviously it would not be something as simple as "Here lies Alexander the Macedon" but something along the lines of listing all his achievements and conquests. So let me make a forward time jump, not that far mind you: Here is the funerary inscriprion of the Byzantine Emperor Vasilios the Macedon, better known as "Vasilios, Slayer of Bulgarians" who reigned from 976 AD to 1025 AD. He managed to increase the borders of his empire like few before him and pulled it off through constant wars and diplomacy. What makes him widely known to the public is that after many years of war against Bulagry and the Tzar Samuel, he won a crushing victory against the Bulgarian armies and to make an example, he blinded 15000 prisoners, letting 1 in 100 with just one eye so he could lead the rest back to Bulgary. This move was extremely effective: Bulgary went silent for quite a while and the Tzar, once he beheld the sight of his diminished soldiers, died of a heart attack.

Vasilios was a soldier for his entire life and did not marry nor did he father any heirs. He died in 1025 and according to his wishes, he was burried in the subburb outside Constantinople named "Έβδομον" which means "The Seventh", in the church of St. John Theologos. The latin soldiers of the 4th Crusade had repurposed that church into a stable and had placed on the skeleton's mouth a reed flute so they had fun with it. Later the remnants were moved with all proper honors to Selyvria town and re-burried at the monastery of the Savior. The sarcofagus, which was huge, was either lost or destroyed (during WWI?) and the funerary inscription we only know from literary sources.

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στίχοι ἐπιτάφιοι εἰς τὸν τάφον κυροῦ Βασιλείου τοῦ Βουλγαροκτόνου καὶ βασιλέως.

ἄλλοι μὲν ἄλλῃ τῶν πάλαι βασιλέων
αὑτοῖς προαφώρισαν εἰς ταφὴν τόπους,
ἐγὼ δὲ Βασίλειος, πορφύρας γόνος,
ἵστημι τύμβον ἐν τόπῳ γῆς Ἑβδόμου
καὶ σαββατίζω τῶν ἀμετρήτων πόνων
οὓς ἐν μάχαις ἔστεργον, οὓς ἐκαρτέρουν·
οὐ γάρ τις εἶδεν ἠρεμοῦν ἐμὸν δόρυ,
ἀφ’ οὗ βασιλεὺς οὐρανῶν κέκληκέ με
αὐτοκράτορα γῆς, μέγαν βασιλέα·
ἀλλ’ ἀγρυπνῶν ἅπαντα τὸν ζωῆς χρόνον
Ῥώμης τὰ τέκνα τῆς Νέας ἐρυόμην
ὁτὲ στρατεύων ἀνδρικῶς πρὸς ἑσπέραν,
ὁτὲ πρὸς αὐτοὺς τοὺς ὅρους τοὺς τῆς ἕω,
ἱστῶν τρόπαια πανταχοῦ γῆς μυρία·
καὶ μαρτυροῦσι τοῦτο Πέρσαι καὶ Σκύθαι,
σὺν οἷς Ἀβασγός, Ἰσμαήλ, Ἄραψ, Ἴβηρ·
καὶ νῦν ὁρῶν, ἄνθρωπε, τόνδε τὸν τάφον
εὐχαῖς ἀμείβου τὰς ἐμὰς στρατηγίας.


TRANSLATION


Verses funereal on the tomb of lord (kyr) Basil the Bulgar-slayer and emperor (basileus).

Other kings of old, other
burial places for themselves ordained,
But I, Basil, born to the purple,
place my tomb on the site of Hebdomon
and I sabbatize from the endless toils
which I accepted in battles, and which I endured.
For nobody saw my spear at rest,
from when the King of Heavens called me
autokrator of the earth and senior emperor.
but remaining vigilant through the whole span of my life
guarding the children of New Rome
when I marched bravely to the West (Hesperia),
and as far as the very frontiers of the East (Eos),
settling countless trophies all over the earth.
The Persians and Scythians(Bulgars) bear witness to this,
and along with them the Abasgian, Ishmael, the Arab, the Iberian.
And now, man, looking upon this tomb
reward my campaigns with prayers.


i made this funerary incription reference because it is one of the few that are saved regarding Emperors. Of course there is a great difference between a pagan emperor and a Christian one. Or isn't there?
Πάντες άνθρωποι του ειδέναι ορέγονται φύσει
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