File:Greek - Alexander the Great - Walters 541075.jpg

English: Said to be from Alexandria, the city in Egypt founded by Alexander in 331 BCE, this small bronze statuette depicts the youthful Alexander with long, full hair. His hair, with the characteristic "anastole," and the shape of his face have led scholars to posit that this portrait derives from a Lysippan original, created during Alexander's lifetime. Alexander stands in "contrapposto" with the weight on his right leg. His right arm is raised, and he probably held a spear or lance in this hand. This statuette is of particular interest for the garment worn by Alexander. He wears an aegis shaped as a loosely draped "chlamys," a type of cloak often worn by Macedonian soldiers. The aegis is embellished with incised scales and a Gorgoneion at Alexander's left breast, which is typical for this statue type. Alongside the edge of the aegis are a number of holes, where small snakes might have been attached. This statue type has been linked with the Alexander "Aigiochos" ("Alexander wearing the aegis") mentioned in literary sources (see Steward 1993, 243-52; Parlasca 2004; Reinsberg 2005, 226-29). Parallels indicate that Alexander might have held the Palladion, an archaistic statue type of Athena seized by Diomedes and Odysseus from Troy in his outstretched right hand. The aegis links Alexander to Zeus and Athena, but also to the city of Alexandria, which ancient authors said was laid out in the shape of a chlamys. Like Athena for Athens, he is represented as patron and founder of Alexandria and the aegis associates him with divine power.