Alexander, having conquered the world grew weary and wanted to see what was above the sky. He tethered two eagles to a basket and, enticing them upwards with roasted meat held on a spear, got them to take him above the clouds. When he realised that nothing much happened there he lowered the meat and they came down to earth safely.
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Jans Jansen Enikel: Weltchronik
Heidelberg UB Cod. Pal. germ. 336, fol. 155r
about 1420
Alexander rex exploring the sky
Plate with depiction of Alexander the Great's heavenly flight.
Byzantium, end. 12th-beg. 13th c.
State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
depts.washington.edu/silkroad/museums/sh
Relief of ascension of Alexander the great
Museum of Mystras near Sparta, Greece
Byzantine relief of Peribleptos church, 2nd half of 14th century
Alexander the Great in a chariot drawn by griffins
London, Victoria & Albert Museum, ca. 1160, enamel, 10.2 cm square
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