The hunting area with the presence of Persian soldiers
The painting depicts a large hunting ground, surrounded by mountains and forests
with many animals. There is a tall pillar with three small statuettes at its
top. There is also a tree decorated with a sign and some uniform pieces of leather,
probably from the hide of sacrificed animals. There are three young huntsmen
who are different from the rest. The interpretation of their presence would
be difficult if Herodotus and Arrian had not written some important information
as to their identification and nationality.
When Alexander reached Sousa he decided to employ 30000 young Persians in his service. They were named 'epigoni'. He appointed educators to teach the 'epigoni' the Greek language and literature, as well as how to use Macedonian weapons. Alexander believed that they would replace all injured, ill and crippled Macedonian soldiers, so as to replenish his army and continue with his campaign.
This caused serious dissension among his veteran Macedonian soldiers who opposed their leader's decision. Alexander, however, responded to their disagreements with understanding and they were then satisfied. Despite the reactions of his soldiers, Alexander proceeded to reorganize his army incorporating the newly recruited Persians. He even assigned them to protect certain garrisons. According to Diodoros Sikeliotis, one thousand were appointed as adjutant in his court and they were as trusted by him as the Macedonians were.
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| Photo 7- A Persian conscripted in army. Some of them were part of the royal army under Alexander's commands. They are wearing woolen caps identical to those worn by the Kalas race in Afganistan. |
Other Persians were appointed in cavalry regiments, whereas those who were handsome and well-built were appointed to the common cavalry. They were selected horsemen and guards who were part of the royal army under his command. They were offered red uniforms and their horses were equipped with Persian riding gear. He also appointed soldiers of Asiatic origin as police in his court, and the most noble of them, such as the brother of Darius Oksarhis, were appointed as his guardians (Photo 7).
Young men of noble Persian families also took part in the royal army, such as Kofin the son of Artavazos, Ydarnis and Artivolis the sons of Mazeus, Istanis his wife's brother and many others. Istaspis from Vaktriani was appointed commander of the royal legion.
As for the head coverings, according to Herodotus, the Persians wore woolen caps (tiara) on their heads from childhood. These were considered to be the national head covering of Persians. In his description of Xerxis' campaign against Greece in 480 b.C. he writes: The Persian soldiers wore soft hats and the soldiers from Vaktriani, a similar hat. This type of head covering is completely different from that of the Macedonian kafsia as seen clearly on a mosaic in the Pella Museum.
With regards to the wreath of green leaves worn by the central rider, Herodotus in his description of Persia, states the following: 'the one who decided to offer sacrifice to a God, moved the animal in a clean place and he wore a myrtle wreath around his tiara'. This was also customary in Greece that those that were about to sacrifice wore a wreath. According to the same historian, the presence of a magician was also necessary during a sacrifice in Persia. According to Arrian, 'Alexander wore a wreath whenever he wished to offer a sacrifice, as ordained by the law...'. According to both Arrian and Plutarch, Alexander offered sacrifices to the Gods of Olympus almost every day.
There was a time when Alexander was extremely devout, during which time the members of his royal court frequently made sacrifices to the Gods and requested an oracle. I believe that in the case of the painting, the wreath that he is wearing and also the net that another unarmed huntsman is carrying show the intention of sacrifice. Moreover, the surrounding area was clean and sacred as shown by the symbols on the tree and the marble pillar, thus suitable for a sacrifice.
Alexander, however, is not wearing a tiara under his wreath; perhaps this is
because he was a foreigner. Although some historians claim that he used to wear
a tiara, Plutarch mentions that "Alexander never wore the tiara".
Furthermore, the wreath of the central rider is a myrtle one as proven by--
the enlargements we made.
Diodoros Sikeliotis also acknowledges that Alexander wore a "white, short sleeveless tunic and Persian belt". This description corresponds to the clothing of the central rider and, combined with all other evidence, we come to the conclusion that the main rider is Alexander himself. If King Philip were to have taken part in this hunting expedition, he should be the one to wear the wreath.
The dying beast on the ground near Alexander is the one that tried to attack him and was killed by Ermolaos. It is the very incident that instigated the conspiracy against the king.
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| Photo 8- A "miloforos" Persian, probably a magician. In Persia there was a tradition among hunters of scarifying some animals at the presence of the magician. There is a relevant reference by Herodotus and Strabo. |
The huntsman is probably the 'royal youth' Ermolaos. The other rider on the right-hand side of the painting, the 'mature rider' according to Andronikos, is Ptolemy of Lagos. The handsome nudes are undoubtedly the 'royal youths' who, according to Arrian, were assigned to accompany the King on hunting expeditions.
The remaining two huntsmen with the peculiar hat and the red chlamys are undoubtedly Persians who, as mentioned earlier, were members of the royal guard. They either carried sticks (ravduhi) or wore the fleece (milofori) and always accompanied him wherever he went. The huntsman with the woolen tunic is another Persian soldier in his service. The milofori soldiers were the chosen guards of the Persian kings and all wore this tunic made of fleece (Photo 8).
According to Lexicography, in antiquity the word 'miloti' means sheep's skin or the raw fleece of a sheep. The word 'milo' means sheep. There is another meaning according to which the milofori soldiers were Persian soldiers who had two gold plated apples at the end of their spear. The dominant interpretation also from 'Deipnosofistae' of Athineos, is that the Persian milofori wore red tunics and one made of fleece. According to Arrian, Alexander intermingled Persian ravduhi and milofori (those carrying a stick and those that wore the tunic made of fleece) in the Macedonian army.
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| Photo 9- Persian hunter with a spear wearing a peculiar Persian hat. |
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| Photo 10- Alexander the Great at the battle of Issos accompanied by the "mantis" and foreteller Aristandros who is wearing a helmet with a painted golden wreath. |
Professor Andronikos in his endeavor to interpret the hat worn by the young hunter with the spear (Photo 9) writes that "he reminds me of the warrior at the side of Alexander in the famous mosaic of Pompei" (Photo 10). The warrior to which Professor Andronikos refers is, in fact, not wearing a hat, but a helmet with a visor and stable cheek coverings (paragnathides), embellished with a golden wreath and without the neck covering (epafhenio). According to Plutarch and Arrian, this warrior is 'the mantis and foreteller (ionoskopos), Aristandros, who always accompanied Alexander. This man always wore a golden wreath on his helmet'.
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