er depicts him in a fashion that ordains his divinity and power. It shows Alexander in profile wearing the curled rams horns of Amun/Zeus. Amun is the equivalent of Zeus in Egyptian mythology. During the conquering of Egypt, Alexander visited the Oracle of Amun. The chief priest of Amun welcomed him, calling him the Son of God. This event established his divinity and gave him rights to wear the horns of his ‘father’. However, his portrayal with the horns of Amun is not the only feature establishing his power.The image of Alexander perceived from his portrayal on the tetradrachm coin is of a determined, successful, compassionate ruler. His heavy features give him a sense of strength. He has a high-bridged protruding nose, thick short neck, large full lips, large deep set eyes looking slightly upward, small forehead, pronounced Adam’s apple, and small chin. The diadem he wears also serves to establish his power and leadership, having gained world domination.The portrait of Alexander was done in carved relief on silver, with alternating high and low relief serving to give the image more realism. The horns of Amun that Alexander wears are in the highest relief, giving the most important feature the highest visibility. The lower relief of the eye serves to give him an arched brow and deep-set eyes-a look of determination. His rather large, full lips are done in slightly higher relief than the rest of his mouth, almost looking as if they are pursed in a frown. While the in lowest relief are the small beads framing the coin. The result is a realistic portrayal of a ruler. The depiction of Alexander on the coin is a reliable and identifiable portrait; unlike most ancient Greek sculptures and portraits of rulers and men which are idealized to show man as youthful, athletic, heavily muscled, and naked. This coin was issued some thirty years after Alexander’s death, and after the establishment of the Hellenis...
