The Mysterious Journey of Alexander the Great’s Tomb: A Tale of Relics and Religions

Throughout history, the search for notable historical figures' tombs has been an intriguing journey of archaeology, mystery, and religious transformation. The story of Alexander the Great's tomb is one such tale, intertwined with the rise and fall of empires and the transition from paganism to Christianity. This article delves into the various stages of Alexander's tomb's journey, from its original burial to its eventual rebranding as a religious relic in Venice.

Death and Initial Burial

King Alexander the Great passed away in 323 BC in Babylon. His original intention was to be buried in Macedon. However, his funeral procession was interrupted by one of his generals, Ptolemy, who took Alexander's body to Egypt. Ptolemy, who later became the first ruler of the Ptolemaic Dynasty, chose to entomb Alexander in the unused sarcophagus of Pharaoh Nectanebo II at Sakkara, near Memphis in Egypt.

Nectanebo II had fled to Ethiopia when Egypt was conquered by the Persians, leaving his funerary temple and sarcophagus largely unused. Ptolemy then re-used this unused sarcophagus to contain Alexander's remains, effectively linking the tomb to the pharaoh's legacy.

From Egypt to Alexandria

When Ptolemy's son Ptolemy II moved the capital of Egypt to Alexandria, he had Alexander's mummified body and the Nectanebo II sarcophagus moved to the new capital. Ptolemy II built a grand mausoleum called the "Soma" to house Alexander's remains. This mausoleum stood at the central crossroads of the city, where it later met a destructive fate during the Christian riots under Roman Emperor Theodosius in AD 379.

The Soma's Demise and the Rise of Christianity

With the rise of Christianity as the state religion under Theodosius, the Christian mobs in Alexandria targeted the Soma. The Soma, along with other pagan temples, including the Serapeum, were destroyed. This historical event marked the end of the Soma's reign as a landmark for both Alexander's tomb and the continued veneration of the king.

A Gap in the Historical Record and St. Mark's Arrival

From AD 390, there is a significant gap in historical records regarding Alexander's tomb. The last known reference to Alexander's body is from Libanius, a Greek pagan teacher and writer, in 390 AD. Soon after, in 391, the Roman Emperor Theodosius issued an edict against pagan worship, coinciding with the reference to a tomb of St. Mark in Alexandria by St. Jerome in 392 AD.

The Burning of St. Mark’s Body and the Emergence of a New Relic

St. Mark the Evangelist, the first Bishop of Alexandria, was martyred in AD 68. His body was cremated by local non-Christians, and for over 300 years, there was no record of a St. Mark's tomb. Around the same time that Alexander's tomb disappeared from the historical record, a new one appeared - a mummified body of St. Mark, discovered in Alexandria and smuggled to Venice in 828 AD.

A Venetian merchant's deal with local priests led to the discovery and removal of St. Mark's remains from a church near the eastern gate of Alexandria. These remains were moved to Venice and enshrined in St. Mark's Basilica, where they remain to this day. The map of medieval Alexandria, published in 1572, shows a small church at the site of the Soma, with a caption suggesting that the tomb's discovery was related to St. Mark.

It is clear that the transition from paganism to Christianity necessitated the rebranding of Alexandria's historical sites. The body of Alexander, originally a symbol of ancient glory, was re-labeled as St. Mark's tomb to fit the new religious narrative. This strategic rebranding addressed the embarrassment posed by the continuing veneration of Alexander and aligned with the growing influence of Christianity in the region.

Conclusion

The journey of Alexander the Great’s tomb from its initial burial in Memphis to its eventual rebranding as St. Mark’s tomb in Venice is a testament to the power of religious transformation and strategic rebranding. The disappearance of the tomb from historical records and its re-emergence as a religious relic in a new setting highlights the complex interplay between historical memory, religious narratives, and political ambitions. The tale of Alexander’s tomb is not just a story of a forgotten relic but a broader narrative of how religious identities and symbols have evolved over time.