Alexander the Great and the Mystery of the Elephant Medallions (review)

Frank Holt has enriched readers of ancient history with his learned studies of the immediate and long-term impact of Alexander's conquest of Bactria (today Afghanistan) and the adjacent regions. In this book he sets himself to solve what he describes as a mystery surrounding a group of silver coins or medallions associated with Alexander's campaign. These intriguing objects include several large medallions (decadrachms) depicting on the obverse a cavalryman attacking men on elephant-back, and on the reverse a man in military gear grasping a thunderbolt in his hand with the goddess of victory, Nike, holding a wreath above his head. Other, smaller medallions (tetradrachms) depict an elephant on the obverse, with or without a rider, and an Indian bowman on the reverse, in a chariot or on foot. Using the structure of a mystery novel and a highly engaging style, Holt traces the history of these objects and of their interpretations, saving his solution to the end.

The mystery is twofold. There is the mystery, or more accurately, the problem of how to interpret Alexander's personality and actions; Holt places himself somewhere between Alexander's admirers and his vilifiers. The other mystery involves the medallions, especially the larger ones, and concerns the identity of the warriors, the meaning of the scenes, whether these were coins or commemorative medallions, and especially, by whom, why, when, and where they were issued. Heretofore the dominant view has been that these objects depict Alexander and the Indian king Porus, whom the Macedonian defeated in a battle on the Hydaspes River in 326. Holt marshals arguments to support this identification and for regarding Alexander as their source, greatly improving our understanding of the issues.

In so doing, he displays excellent scholarship and vast erudition, while telling fascinating stories about treasures, robbers, murderers, and even coin collectors. He also reports on numerous false leads, some in the form of highly fanciful or misleading interpretations of the medallions. One may wonder about the usefulness of disinterring these scholarly skeletons; however, Holt attacks them forcefully and successfully.

In the end, Holt identifies these silver pieces as a group of commemorative medallions which Alexander gave his army shortly after the battle with Porus. The big medallion celebrated his victory and attributed it to his divine status and ability to control nature. In the best section of the book, Holt links Zeus's thunderbolt in Alexander's hand to the thunderstorm and pouring rain that helped Alexander to surprise Porus. Other scholars have seen in the medallions advertisements of Alexander's might or warnings to his subjects against rebellion. Holt deciphers them as morale-boosters intended to reassure an army growing reluctant that their victorious general had divine powers.

This is largely persuasive, but Holt's analysis leaves room for some questions. It would have been helpful to produce historical parallels in support of the claim that the letters X and AB on the medallions stand for their artists. And do we know of comparable commemorative issues that targeted such a limited and specific audience? Since more than 10,000 of Alexander's veterans returned to Greece, it is somewhat puzzling that no elephant medallion has been found west of Babylon. Holt also interprets some of the elephants on the smaller medallions as in retreat, and the chariots as stuck in the mud, which is clearly in the eyes of the beholder. By all reliable accounts, Alexander never charged Porus or his elephant. Are we sure that all the soldiers took the scene of his attacking Porus symbolically or without a grudge?

These quibbles should not deter numismatists, readers interested in Alexander and his scholarship, or even those merely looking for a good read from this highly recommended...