The head posture of Alexander the Great

Bibliographic Data

ID19339849
AuthorsBente Kiilerich (0009-0001-8817-3998, University of Bergen, corresponding author)
Year1970
Volume29
Pages1-23
Publication date1970-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueActa ad archaeologiam et artium historiam pertinentia (BOOK_SERIES)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0065-0900 • E-ISSN: 2611-3686
PublisherUniversity of Oslo Library (PUBLISHER • NO)
DOI10.5617/acta.6074
OpenAlexW2801494702
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited12

Some portraits show Alexander the Great with his neck twisted and head titled, mostly to the left, occasionally to the right. Similarly, Plutarch and later sources describe Alexander as having a titled or twisted neck. This head posture has been subject to discussion by archaeologists as well as physicians. While most archaeologists believe the posture to be a question of iconography, many physicians have put it down to a physical defect. In fact, in very recent medical publications, Alexander is still presented as suffering from torticollis, twisted neck, a diagnosis launched in the mid-nineteenth century. This study concludes that a potential physical defect is unlikely to have been depicted in the official portraits of Alexander

Art history · Head (geology) · Head and neck · Iconography · Library science · Portrait · Subject (documents) · Geology · History · History of Medicine Studies · Medical and Biological Sciences · Medicine · Medicine and Dermatology Studies History · Surgery

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