ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on a series of representations of a monarch beholding the corpse of a deceased monarch. It takes as its point of departure Augustus’s visit to the tomb of Alexander in AD 30 just days after conquering his enemies Mark Anthony and Cleopatra, as well as reuniting once more the East and West Mediterranean under his role authority. The scene offers two complementary readings. Firstly, it was an act of homage to the great conqueror of Asia, who had been converted since his early death into a model for all his successors, and in particular for the Roman generals and emperors. On the other hand, it became a meditation on the fragility of power. A range of representations are examined over the course of this chapter including those of Sébastian Bourdon, Gustave Courtois, François Schommer along with other depictions of Augustus visiting the Macedonian’s tomb. However, Alexander also visited the tombs of Achilles and Ajax in Troy, and this was likewise recreated in Baroque and Neoclassical painting. In addition, within Renaissance culture the building and display of imperial mausoleums regained a renewed importance in terms of their having been inspired by the lost tomb of Alexander.
