The Mysterious Disappearance of Alexander the Great’s Tomb

For centuries, the story of how and where Alexander the Great's remains were entombed has been a fascinating and somewhat enigmatic tale that intertwines with the rise of Christianity and the political and religious changes that took place in the ancient world. This article delves into the historical context, explorations, and theories surrounding the disappearance of Alexander the Great’s tomb.

The Final Resting Place of Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great, one of the most legendary conquerors of the ancient world, died in Babylon in 323 BCE. Initially, it was intended that his body would be buried in Macedonia. However, during his funeral cortege, his body and sarcophagus were hijacked by one of his longstanding generals, Ptolemy, who ruled from 367 to 282 BCE. Ptolemy took Alexander's body to Egypt and entombed it in the unused sarcophagus and funerary temple of the Pharaoh Nectanebo II at Sakkara in Memphis. Nectanebo II ruled from 360 to 343 BCE and fled to Ethiopia when Egypt was conquered by the Persians. His temple and sarcophagus were unused until Ptolemy appropriated it for Alexander.

The Ptolemaic Dynasty and the Mausoleum of Alexander

Ptolemy's actions marked the beginning of the Ptolemaic Dynasty in Egypt. When his son and successor, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, moved the capital of Egypt to Alexandria, he also relocated Alexander's mummified remains and the sarcophagus of Nectanebo II to Alexandria. Ptolemy II then constructed a grand mausoleum called the "Soma" to house Alexander's remains. Excavations in Alexandria over the years have yielded little evidence of the exact location of the Soma, but based on ancient testimonies, historians believe it was located at the central crossroads of the city. The Soma, along with other pagan temples, was later destroyed by rioting Christian mobs during the reign of the Roman Emperor Theodosius (AD 379–395).

The Christianization Era and the Disappearance of the Tomb

With the rise of Christianity and its growing influence, the worship of pagan deities, including Alexander the Great, was increasingly seen as heretical. The last recorded reference to Alexander's mummified body was made in AD 390 by Libanius, a Greek pagan teacher and writer, who pleaded with Emperor Theodosius to halt the destruction of pagan temples. Interestingly, around the same time, St. Jerome made a reference to a tomb of St. Mark in Alexandria, marking the earliest written record of a tomb for the saint.

The Rediscovery and Transfer of St. Mark’s Remains

St. Mark the Evangelist, the first Bishop of Alexandria, was martyred in AD 68. According to the Acts of St. Mark, his body was cremated by local non-Christians after he was killed. Thus, the absence of any recorded tomb for St. Mark, especially when considering the nature of his death, was peculiar. However, during the period of Christian ascendancy, the entombed body of Alexander the Great posed an embarrassment to the Egyptian authorities. At this time, a miraculous discovery of St. Mark's tomb emerged, seemingly in the same spot where Alexander's body had allegedly disappeared the year before. This discovery of St. Mark's remains in 828 by two Venetian merchants added another layer of complexity to the narrative.

The Final Resting Place in St. Mark's Basilica, Venice

Significantly, the remains of St. Mark, including his mummified body, were taken to Venice by the Venetian merchants, and St. Mark's Basilica was built to house these remains. In 1811, the remains were moved to their current location under the high altar. A 1572 map of medieval Alexandria indicates that a small church was built at the site of the former Soma of Alexander the Great, now known as the place where St. Mark's body was discovered and taken to Venice.

Theories and Speculations

The re-labeling of the mummified body of Alexander as being that of St. Mark, a year after the body of Alexander had seemingly disappeared from the historical record, suggests deliberate actions by the authorities of the time. This was likely an attempt to resolve the embarrassing issue presented by the continued veneration of Alexander the Great. Over 400 years later, in 828 CE, the body of Alexander was sold to Venetian merchants, who took it back to Venice, where it remains enshrined under the high altar of St. Mark's Basilica.

This fascinating tale highlights the complex interplay between history, religion, and politics, particularly in the context of the early Christian era and the struggles of pagan and Christian identities. The enshrinement of these remains in Venice continues to draw visitors and scholars from around the world, offering a unique window into the historical and religious conflicts of the past.