Alexander the Great as Hercules Silver Pendant in a Meander Frame - Ancient Greek Coin-King of Macedonia - Amphipolis Mint-Hellenistic Period The Hellenistic period spans the nearly three hundred years between the death of Alexander the Great of Macedonia (323 BCE) and that of Cleopatra VII of Egypt (30 BCE), a descendant of one of Alexander’s generals. The term Hellenistic is derived from Hellas, an ancient Greek word for Greece. It is used to describe both chronologically and culturally the era following Alexander’s conquest of Egypt and Asia, which resulted in the spread of Greek culture across a vast area. The melding of local and Greek artistic styles with the luxurious materials captured in the conquered lands resulted in magnificent artwork, including elegant coinage.

Following Alexander’s death, his empire was divided among his generals, who established independent kingdoms in Egypt; Persia; the eastern coast of the Aegean Sea, including Syria and Palestine; Greece and Macedonia; and Thrace. Almost immediately the generals began to covet each other’s land and power.

Alexander the Great (reigned 336–323 BCE) had an extraordinary impact on much of the world during his relatively short life. By the time he died at the age of 33, he had carefully crafted a reputation that made him seem larger than life, even heroic. In part he accomplished this by claiming that he was a descendant of the great Greek hero Herakles. Here he wears the skin of the Nemean lion, which Herakles killed during the first of his fabled Twelve Labors. Yet the face is Alexander’s, with its distinctively upswept hair and upwardly gazing eyes. Following Alexander’s death, his generals adopted his pose and style on their coinage, and this practice continued for the next two hundred years.

The reverse with Zeus, king of the Gods. The deity is shown seated on a throne, holding an eagle in his outstretched right hand and resting on a tall sceptre with his left. The legend reading: ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ "Of Alexander" A meander or meandros (Greek: Μαίανδρος) is a decorative border constructed from a continuous line, shaped into a repeated motif.It symbolizes infinity and unity. This pendant is handcrafted with extra care in 925 Sterling Silver.It is made in Greece, its diameter size is 26mm and weighs approximately 8 g. This pendant is without the chain(1224)