Ancient Life: Into the Deep

It’s not as far-fetched as you might think: Alexander the Great exploring the sea floor in a diving bell.

True, after Alexander’s death in 323 B.C. all sorts of legends arose, detailing the exploits of this mysterious, powerful, almost superhuman figure. These legends were collected in an early Greek text called the Romance of Alexander the Great, which traveled across Europe and Asia, becoming embellished with more and more “facts” about Alexander’s life. By medieval times, Alexander was purported to have seen the wonders at the bottom of the ocean, flown in a cage to the heavens and visited men without heads, among other fantastic adventures.

The reasons for his underwater journeys vary. Sometimes he seeks to add the great pelagic depths to his empire. At other times, he is proving his faith in God, acting as an early naturalist, searching for giant crabs with pearls in their bellies or simply visiting the denizens of the ocean. In the late 16th-century A.D. Indian miniature show above, the great conqueror seems to represent the human spirit in its tireless pursuit of the unknown. (Note the depiction of Portuguese traders at the upper left.)