There was a Press Release entitled The Tomb of Alexander the Great & the Graves

Andrew Chugg’s new book on “The Pharos Lighthouse in Alexandria: Second Sun & Seventh Wonder of Antiquity” has now been published and is available to order from the publisher Routledge’s website or elsewhere including Amazon. The top-quality hardback is printed to a high standard on premium paper stock for durability in libraries. However, the book can also be read more cheaply by buying the eBook on Amazon or still more cheaply by hiring the eBook for a six month period via the publisher’s website. See: https://www.routledge.com/The-Pharos-Lighthouse-In-Alexandria-Second-Sun-and-Seventh-Wonder-of-Antiquity/Chugg/p/book/9781032569369  

Andrew Chugg has authored two of the chapters in this volume.

Chaper 9 - Ancient and Modern Receptions of Eunuchs with a Focus on Alexander’s Bagoas

A discussion of the roles and importance of eunuchs employed by monarchs since the dawn of history with a special focus on Bagoas, the Royal Eunuch of the Persian king Darius III and his adoption into the administration of Alexander the Great. Bagoas is revealed as a prototype for the royal eunuchs of later Greek and Roman monarchs. His importance to Alexander's administration is shown through his influence in the Persianisation of the regime as well as in his role as one of Alexander's lovers. Possible references to the continuation of his career under Seleucus and Antiochus are explored for the first time.

Chapter 27 - Graeco-Roman Worship of the Beloved: The Ancient and Modern Cults of Antinous

This chapter reveals the exact manner of the drowning of Antinous in the Nile opposite Hermopolis in late October of AD130. It traces the subsequent foundation of both the cult and the city of Antinous by Hadrian and describes the bitter clash between the new religion and the early Christian church. New strands of evidence are explored in the hunt for the tomb of Antinous and his influence on the modern world is evaluated. Finally, the rebirth of the cult of Antinous and its recent promulgation by means of the internet are described.

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The ancient monument known as the Kasta Mound lying just outside the ancient Macedonian city of Amphipolis has been subject to continual excavation since the 1960s, but in August of 2014, the site came to extraordinary prominence when its archaeologists announced the discovery of chambers beneath the mound, which have become known as the Amphipolis Tomb. This monument is of interest to the study of ancient history, because it is the largest and most magnificently decorated tomb ever discovered in Greece and because it appears to date to the immediate aftermath of the reign of Alexander the Great. However, a particular focus of interest is the question of the identity of the person for whom this complex was constructed, because it must have been an individual of exceptional importance. Yet the solution that has been proposed by the archaeologists is quite at odds with our understanding of the history of events after Alexander’s death as portrayed by the written sources and all other evidence to date.

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This article reviews the new evidence of the fit between the Star-Shield Block in Venice and the Nectanebo II sarcophagus in the British Museum. In a firmly evidence-based approach as required by this scientific discipline, it shows that the concordance between these two artifacts is too precise to be accounted for by chance at any significant probability. The inevitable conclusion is that the Nectanebo II sarcophagus was used by Ptolemy for Alexander’s entombment and that the star-Shield Block is part of an outer casing added by one of the early Ptolemies. Therefore, the chance that the skeleton from a perished mummy now housed within the high altar of the Basilica di San Marco in Venice is that of Alexander the Great is high and verification through an independent scientific investigation is overdue.

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There was a Press Release entitled The Tomb of Alexander the Great & the Graves of the Last Pharaohs concerning the implications of the newly discovered fit between the Nectanebo II sarcophagus and the Star-Shield Block (right) in early March 2020, which led to a story entitled “Has the Location of Alexander the Great’s Tomb Finally Been Identified?” on the popular Ancient Origins website here:

On 11th February 2020 following email discussions with Andrew Chugg, the Egyptian Department of the British Museum (Dr Elisabeth R. O’Connell, Duty Curator) agreed to change the wording under “Curator’s Comments” on the Museum’s website page for the Nectanebo II sarcophagus (image on the right from 1888) from “This object was incorrectly believed to be associated with Alexander the Great when it entered the collection in 1803.” to “This object was believed to be associated with Alexander the Great when it entered the collection in 1803.” This highly significant change is scheduled to be implemented at the end of March 2020 and has the effect that after 200 years of sceptical curatorship the British Museum no longer dismisses the association between the sarcophagus and Alexander’s tomb. The British Museum website page is currently at this address: https://research.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=111535&partId=1

The so-called Porus medallions of Alexander the Great – crucial historical numismatic objects or clever counterfeits? By Michael E. Habicht, Andrew M. Chugg, Elena Varotto, Francesco M. Galassi published in JNAA Vol 29, January 2020.

This dramatic new third edition unveils fresh evidence revealing a hitherto unnoticed connection between a Macedonian funerary sculpture found in the foundations of the Basilica di San Marco in Venice and the sarcophagus of an Egyptian Pharaoh shipped to London from Alexandria in 1801. The previous editions of this book traced the trails of these relics to show that both might have come from Alexander’s tomb in Alexandria. In this extended account, it is demonstrated that the sculptural relief was perfectly fitted to the sarcophagus, a fact hitherto obscured by ancient damage to the relief and more modern trimming of the sarcophagus at the hands of the British Museum. The author writes: “When I embarked upon the deck of this Odyssey, it seemed to me that shipwreck was my eventual destiny, but now beyond the raging, roiling sea, I have glimpsed the shore of verdant Valinor unveiled before me. Though I may yet come to grief upon some reef, washed by waves of disbelief, I voyage on to vindication, my vessel’s ordained destination. With greatness grazing on the verge of rediscovery, we may surely see the resolution of this mystery. So let my sail now be unfurled to catch the wind and win the world Alexander’s long-lost legacy, the parted parts of his shattered tomb and battered body.” Available late January 2020 through Amazon and other online bookshops.

Andrew Chugg visited Venice for a couple of days (2^nd-3^rd August) to pursue his research on alexander’s tomb. He visited the Star-Shield block in the cloister of St Apollonia, the Church’s sculptural museum just across the canal behind San Marco in the photo. The measurements made have led to a new verification of the St Mark connection.

Andrew Chugg was filmed in Cambridge UK and in Alexandria in Egypt during March 2019 for a forthcoming TV documentary concerning some of the monuments of ancient Alexandria. The photo shows Andrew during filming at the excavated ancient Roman Theatre in central Alexandria on 28^th March. It can be seen that the ancient street level was about 10m below the modern city. It is hoped to post more news on this production in the coming months.

Andrew Chugg has finalised his paper on “Disease and the Death of Alexander the Great”, which will be published in the Proceedings of the Disease and the Ancient World Symposium hosted by Oxford University in September 2017. The conclusion is that Alexander was very probably killed by a species of mosquito called Anopheles Stephensi, which still kills tens of thousands of people each year nowadays. The paper will appear in 2019.

Andrew Chugg gave a paper on the topic of Disease and the Death of Alexander the Great at the Disease and the Ancient World Symposium on Saturday 23^rd September at Green Templeton College in the University of Oxford. For a pdf of Andrew’s presentation please click here. The paper explains that the disease statistics from the British Army in Mesopotamia in 1916-18 are a good proxy for the experience of Alexander’s army and the king himself.

Andrew Chugg is interviewed by Patrick Garvey on the subject of the tomb of Alexander the Great in a new podcast for 2017 which is available via this webpage:https://soundcloud.com/ancient-heroes/alexander-the-greats-tomb or via iTunes at this link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-achilles-gene/id1135292842?mt=2

Andrew Chugg is one of several experts interviewed by Patrick Garvey for a set of three podcasts on Alexander the Great. The first episode deals with Alexander’s rivalry with Achilles, his mythical ancestor. The second considers Alexander’s visit to the oracle of Ammon at Siwa and its role in Alexander’s divinisation. The third podcast tackles the topic of Alexander’s relationship with his deputy, Hephaistion. All three episodes are available via this webpage as Alexander the Great, Parts I to III:

The archaeological team has proposed that the Amphipolis Tomb was built to commemorate Hephaistion, the deputy and close personal friend of Alexander the Great, because they noticed rough inscriptions on two blocks that were found in the nearby river a hundred years ago, but which originally came from the wall of the tomb. They have interpreted these graffiti-inscriptions as reading ΠΑΡΕΛΑΒΟΝ ΗΦΑΙΣΤΙΩΝ ΑΝΤ, which could mean that the blocks were received (from the quarry?) for Hephaistion by Antigonus or Antipater. But Andrew Chugg has shown that the fact that the leading pi is missing off both blocks means that they were subsequently shortened in length to fit in the wall of the Amphipolis Tomb. This means that they were not quarried and dressed for the Amphipolis Tomb, but for a previous building project, which was abandoned before its construction. Therefore the Amphipolis Tomb is not Hephaistion’s monument, but the tomb of somebody hugely important and close to the Macedonian Royal Family, who would have inherited ownership of the blocks. This person must have died a few years after the death of Alexander, when the Hephaistion project would have been abandoned. For more details of this revelation, read Andrew Chugg’s latest article at this link: Proof that the Amphipolis Tomb was not built for Hephaistion? See also the news article spurred by this evidence on the Discovery News website here: http://news.discovery.com/history/inscription-spurs-debate-over-mysterious-greek-tomb-160302.htm

The archaeological team has proposed a rather exotic reconstruction of a badly damaged frieze found in the chamber of the Persephone mosaic high on its party wall with the burial chamber (1^st image). They have suggested that the figures either side of a garlanded (sacrificial) bull might be centaurs. But in examining the original photos (2^nd image) Andrew Chugg sees no sign of the hindquarters of these “centaurs” and disputes the interpretation of the supposed crescent-shaped gold ornaments hanging in front of their forequarters. Instead Andrew proposes a man and a woman in dancing poses to the left and right of the bull (3^rd image) respectively. The woman (4^th image) is dancing away from us and wearing a long dress with a peplos and a diagonal band across her back. The man (5^th image) is dancing towards us and may also be wearing a diagonal strap and a sword (to perform the sacrifice?) There is also a tall tripod brazier and a Nike blowing a bugle on a ship’s prow. All these features and especially the Nike and the crimson belts worn by the human figures recall the Mysteries of Samothrace at which Alexander’s father, Philip II, met his mother, Olympias.

The archaeological team responsible for the recent excavation campaigns at the Amphipolis Tomb gave a lecture on 30th September 2015 in which they presented evidence which they argued indicates that the monument was built on the orders of Alexander the Great to commemorate his Deputy and close personal friend Hephaistion Amyntoros. Surprisingly, this evidence was unrelated to their excavations, but based on graffiti on marble blocks robbed from the tomb in antiquity and found a century ago re-used in an ancient dam five miles south of the tomb. Hundreds of blocks were long ago found with hundreds of ancient graffiti, virtually all of which appeared to date to centuries after the blocks had been robbed. However, the archaelogists are seeking to argue that a particular pair of graffiti with strange monograms (see picture) containing some of the letters of Hephaistion’s name existed before the blocks were robbed from the tomb. Meanwhile, nearly a year after the bones of a woman of 60+ years of age that were discovered in the tomb were sent for isotopic analysis, an inscrutable silence is being maintained regarding the results. For more details of the thickening plot, read Andrew Chugg’s latest article at this link: Did the Amphipolis Tomb Commemorate Hephaistion?

Andrew Chugg’s epic reconstruction of the History Concerning Alexander the Great by Cleitarchus of Alexandria is now published in its first edition. This highly influential account of the career of Alexander the Great was penned by Cleitarchus half a century after Alexander’s death. Most of the surviving ancient texts on Alexander were based upon this work, but every copy of the original was destroyed in antiquity. Now the entire book has been revived in an exciting reconstruction based upon an in-depth analysis of the surviving ancient works that it inspired. Here you will find Alexander revealed in a startling new light as a very human and believable individual, who drives and is then driven by a momentous cascade of events. Here you can rediscover the oldest and also the most authentic literary portrait of the king spanning all thirteen years of his astounding reign.

At the time of writing there is no definitive presentation of results by the Amphipolis archaeological team, but there are exciting indications that the dating evidence is stacking up at the early end of the range. Andrew Chugg has shown that previous work on the marble blocks from the peribolos wall indicates a late 4^th century BC date and that a small-scale copy of the Amphipolis tomb (photo) dates to the middle of the 3^rd century BC. Meanwhile, the Chief Archaeologist, Katerina Peristeri, has announced that the sealing took place before the Romans took over Macedon in 168BC. Her team had suggested a sealing in the 3^rd century AD last November, so their revised conclusion is probably informed by their receipt of radiocarbon dates from the labs. If so, the date range is in the earliest bracket running from the mid-4^th century BC to just after 200BC. Links to Andrew’s two latest articles on the Amphipolis tomb dealing with the dating issues are given below:

Fresh Insights into the Mystery of the Amphipolis Tomb

In January the Greek Ministry of Culture announced that parts of the skeletons of five individuals had been identified among the remains found in the cist tomb grave cut, but the most complete skeleton and the bones that predominantly occupied the grave cut itself (rather than the overlying layers of backfill) was assigned to a woman of at least sixty years of age (see photos). That result is highly consistent with Andrew Chugg's hypothesis that this is the tomb of Alexander's mother, Olympias. Strontium isotope ratio tests on the remains have been commissioned and may show the regions in which the deceased spent their lives. Olympias lived for a long time in Epirus across the mountains from Macedon. Radiocarbon testing of the bones should pin down their date to within a century or so. Andrew is also currently looking at other approaches to dating the tomb. Links to Andrew's latest three articles on the Amphipolis tomb are given below:

Is the Mother of Alexander the Great in the Tomb at Amphipolis? - Part 7

Lingering Mysteries of the Amphipolis Tomb

October 2014 - Tomb of Olympias found at Amphipolis?

Excitement surrounding the excavation of a tomb a stade (160m) in diameter near ancient Amphipolis in Macedonia in Greece is reaching a fever pitch. In August two monumental sphinxes were revealed above the entrance to its underground chambers. In September a pair of caryatids representing priestesses of Dionysus were discovered either side of the passageway leading to its interior. In October a spectacular mosaic depicting the Abduction of Persephone has been uncovered on the floor of the chamber beyond the caryatids. Since early September Andrew Chugg has been producing articles in the form of bulletins to explain these discoveries and particularly to address the question of the identity of the occupant of this enormous tomb in collaboration with the Greek Reporter online newspaper and the Mediterraneo Antiguo website. Evidence has accumulated to suggest that this may be the tomb of Olympias, the mother of Alexander the Great, although this still cannot be confirmed at the time of writing. It may be significant that the closest parallel to the newly discovered sphinxes is another pair of sphinxes found by Auguste Mariette at the Serapeum at Saqqara in Egypt. This is the site that Andrew Chugg has put forward as the likely first tomb of Alexander, prior to his body being relocated to Alexandria in the 3rd century BC. It also appears that the figure of Hermes on the left of the mosaic may double as a portrait of Alexander aged twenty. More thrilling discoveries are expected imminently.
 

Is the Mother of Alexander the Great in the Tomb at Amphipolis? - Part 1

Is the Mother of Alexander the Great in the Tomb at Amphipolis? - Part 2

Is the Mother of Alexander the Great in the Tomb at Amphipolis? - Part 3

Is the Mother of Alexander the Great in the Tomb at Amphipolis? - Part 4

Is the Mother of Alexander the Great in the Tomb at Amphipolis? - Part 5

Is the Mother of Alexander the Great in the Tomb at Amphipolis? - Part 6

Napoleon�s invasion of Egypt in 1798 eventually developed into a military disaster with the destruction of the French fleet by Nelson whilst it lay at anchor in Aboukir Bay and the later surrender of the entire French Army of the Orient following the Battle of Alexandria in 1801. However the lasting legacy of the expedition has not proved to be military exploits and adventurism but rather scholarly inquiries and investigations, including the discovery of important artefacts such as the Rosetta Stone and a sarcophagus said to have been used for the tomb of Alexander the Great. The research performed by the expedition�s scholars culminated in the publication of the magnificent multi-volume Description de l�Egypte under Napoleon�s patronage in 1809. This talk presents the astonishing story of Napoleon�s fifty intrepid �Savants� and what they saw, heard and deduced during the Napoleonic occupation of Egypt. But it also relates the yet more curious story of another two centuries of further investigation, obfuscation and doubt, which has only recently begun to veer towards vindication. Only in the new millennium has it finally come to seem probable on the evidence that the magnificent ancient sarcophagus now housed in the Egyptian hall of the British Museum provides a unique physical connection between Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte.

The penultimate part of Andrew Chugg�s reconstruction of the lost History Concerning Alexander the Great by Cleitarchus of Alexandria is due to be published in February 2014 in a print first edition. This will comprise the fourth, fifth and sixth books of Cleitarchus� work covering events from the Battle of Issus to the death of Darius. Although some parts of the new book have been published before in an electronic edition (Amazon Kindle), this will be the first publication of the entire volume. It will also incorporate extensive analyses of some of the key events that occurred within this crucial period of Alexander�s career, such as a re-evaluation of the probable site of the Battle of Gaugamela.

Sales of Andrew Chugg�s books on Alexander�s tomb exceeded 1000 copies years ago, but in August 2013 sales of another of his books, Alexander�s Lovers, also reached this landmark level. Furthermore, Alexander�s Lover�s has done so exclusively via online outlets with minimal publicity. The thumbnail shows the cover of the second edition of Alexander�s Lovers, which was published in 2012.

The four completed volumes of Andrew Chugg�s reconstruction of the History Concerning Alexander by Cleitarchus of Alexandria have now been made available through Amazon�s Kindle. These volumes are: Alexander the Great and the Defeat and Death of Darius (books 5& 6); Alexander the Great in Afghanistan (books 7 to 9); Alexander the Great in India (books 10 to 12); The Death of Alexander the Great (book 13).  Cleitarchus wrote his influential account of Alexander�s reign in the 3^rd century BC, but it has been lost since antiquity. The reconstruction is based on ancient texts that were themselves based upon Cleitarchus. See http://www.amazon.com/Andrew-Chugg/e/B0034Q9K3A/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Excavations of a large artificial mound at Amphipolis in Macedonia have been underway for some time. A circular peribolos (enclosure wall) of 500m circumference has been uncovered and it is anticipated that the core of the mound conceals the tomb of a significant individual from the last quarter of the 4^th century BC. However, press speculation this Summer (e.g. The Mail on 23^rd August here) that the individual might be Alexander the Great is unwarranted. All the ancient evidence suggests that Alexander was entombed in Egypt at that time. A better guess for the Amphipolitan tomb would be Alexander�s Bodyguard, Aristonous, who was lord of Amphipolis and who led the armies of Alexander�s mother, Olympias, in her unsuccessful war against Cassander in 316BC.

A decade ago Andrew Chugg acquired an antique bronze statuette of Alexander riding a horse (Bucephalus?), but the horse was unfortunately missing. This year Andrew acquired a damaged pair of spelter statuettes of Alexander and the Amazon Queen, Thalestris, which had evidently been cast from bronze originals. The Alexander had been cast from the same bronze as Andrew already owned. He was missing his right arm, but still had his steed. Andrew has now therefore been able to mount his bronze Alexander back on the spelter copy of his original horse (see accompanying photo and more photos in the Alexander2 image gallery on this site). This statuette is based on the representations of Alexander produced by Charles le Brun, court painter to the Sun King (Louis XIV), in the 1670�s. It may therefore date back to the early 18^th century. Jacques-Louis David�s equestrian portrait of Napoleon is very similar and may have been inspired by this Alexander.

The fifth and sixth books of Andrew Chugg�s Reconstruction of Cleitarchus were published on Amazon Kindle in February 2013. They cover the period from the siege of Gaza to the death of Darius, including Alexander�s visit to the Oracle of Ammon at the Siwa oasis, his triumphant victory at Gaugamela and the razing of the palace at Persepolis. The Amazon Kindle page is located here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BGVJCCY
 
The download price is a minimal $3 and a preview is available from the Amazon page (click on "Look Inside"). Please note that you do not need a Kindle viewer, since Amazon provides a FREE software reader for your PC that can be downloaded from here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_bc_nav?ie=UTF8&nodeId=200488000
 
See also our Cleitarchus Reconstruction page for information on the other published parts of this project: http://www.alexanderstomb.com/main/cleitarchus/index.html 

The famous articles on Alexander�s tomb by Mahmoud Bey, Neroutsos Bey and Count Alexandre-Max de Zogheb have now been posted (in their original French in the Book Scans section of the Image Library of www.alexanderstomb.com) together with an English translation of a less well known Italian article from 1930 by Evaristo Breccia, a former Director of the Graeco-Roman Museum in Alexandria. Several antique engravings are also newly posted in the Alexander2 section of the Image Library, including a version of the gorgeous drawing of Alexander�s wedding to Roxane by Raphael.

The second edition of Alexander�s Lovers by Andrew Chugg is now available for download to Amazon�s Kindle devices at this page:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007OXZU60

A new edition of Alexander�s Lovers by Andrew Chugg is scheduled for publication in March 2012. This Second Edition is completely revised and updated and has been enhanced by the incorporation of a detailed discussion of Alexander�s deification and an in depth description and analysis of the funeral of Hephaistion. The length has increased from 220 to 260 pages with the addition of extra information on Hephaistion, Bagoas, Roxane, Stateira� see also www.alexanderslovers.com 

The Mystery Files episode on Alexander the Great and the fate of his body featuring Andrew Chugg was premiered on schedule on the National Geographic channel in the UK on 7th June 2011 and has since been aired numerous times on this and other National Geographic channels around the world (e.g. Canada). The producers have set up a website at this link with biographies of the experts appearing in the program including Andrew Chugg: http://www.mysteryfiles.com/episodes/season-2/episode-17/alexander-the-great/

Andrew Chugg is expected to appear in the forthcoming Alexander episode of the new series of the Mystery Files, which will premiere on the National Geographic channel in the UK at 19:30 on 7th June 2011. Andrew also appears briefly at 1 minute and 49 seconds into the trailer for the new series, which has been posted by its producers, Parthenon Entertainment, on Youtube at this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqGhP7GKNTg&feature=youtu.be

The next volume of Andrew Chugg�s reconstruction of The History Concerning Alexander by Cleitarchus of Alexandria will be published in May 2011 under the title: Alexander the Great in Afghanistan. The new book covers the period between the death of Darius and Alexander�s invasion of India. Details can be found on the Alexanderstomb Cleitarchus Reconstruction page at http://www.alexanderstomb.com/main/cleitarchus/index.html

A new video on Alexander the Great in Afghanistan is now posted on this site in preparation for the publication of the third part of Andrew Chugg�s reconstruction of the History Concerning Alexander by Cleitarchus of Alexandria. This part deals with events in the seventh, eighth and ninth years of Alexander�s reign, when the king was roving through the vast expanses of ancient Parthia, Aria, Arachosia, Bactria and Sogdiana. The cover of the new book may also now be revealed. It is based on an engraving from a series entitled the Principal Deeds of Alexander by the Italian Renaissance artist Antonio Tempesta published in 1608 and now in the author�s collection.

The third part of Andrew Chugg�s reconstruction of the History Concerning Alexander by Cleitarchus of Alexandria is now scheduled for publication in mid-2011. This deals with events in the seventh, eighth and ninth years of Alexander�s reign and immediately precedes the events described in Alexander the Great in India (Books 10 to 12 of Cleitarchus). Alexander is roving through the vast expanses of ancient Parthia, Aria, Arachosia, Bactria and Sogdiana suffering many of the most testing trials of his career, including successive assassination attempts and multiple insurrections of the indigenous peoples.

Although there is still no significant progress on investigation of the remains in Venice, fascination with the history of Alexander in life and death continues to show a remarkable rejuvenation. Hits on this website have just reached 3 million and sales of its sponsored books on Alexander exceeded a thousand copies in March 2010. Meanwhile we continue to strengthen the resources disseminated by our site with the addition of many new items to the Image Library, including a fascinating set of plans of Thebes, Halicarnassus and Tyre drawn in 1802 in the AtG Related gallery, and a new video on the Death of Hephaistion.