ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we address how Alexander’s deeds provided inspiration for the creation of emblems for Renaissance monarchs. It focuses on a selection of emblems invented for five sixteenth-century princes that were inspired by the exemplar of Alexander: Ferdinand II of Aragon, of the House of Trastámara; the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, Maximilian I and Charles V, along with Philip II of Spain, all three of whom belonged to the House of Habsburg; and finally the latter’s son, Prince Don Carlos. Reference will also be made to the Trastámara monarch Alfonso V of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, as well as the Habsburg Emperor Frederick III, as they all had a keen interest in emblems and their emblematic legacy is of special interest. Attention is also devoted to Philip IV of Spain for his use of an Alexandrian emblem well into the seventeenth century. Finally, we will briefly address the emblems of Henry II and Francis II of France, which offer a Valois counterpoint and open up a valuable perspective on the supra-dynastic extension of the imitatio Alexandri.
