Uncovers a connection between a Macedonian funerary sculpture found in the foundations of the Basilica di San Marco in Venice and the sarcophagus of an Egyptian Pharaoh shipped to London from Alexandria in 1801. Traces their trails to show that both seem to come from Alexander's tomb in Alexandria. Now it is revealed that the sculptural relief was fitted to the sarcophagus, confirming the theory. The author writes: "When I embarked upon the deck of this Odyssey, it seemed to me that shipwreck was my eventual destiny, but now beyond the raging, roiling sea, I have glimpsed the shore of verdant Valinor unveiled before me. Though I may yet come to grief upon some reef, washed by waves of disbelief, I voyage on to vindication, my vessel's ordained destination. With greatness grazing on the verge of rediscovery, we may surely see the resolution of this mystery. So let my sail now be unfurled to catch the wind and win the world Alexander's long-lost legacy, the parted parts of his shattered tomb and battered body."

In 2004 the author's first book "The Lost Tomb of Alexander the Great" was published to the accompaniment of international media attention, since it reported the first credible suggestion as to the current whereabouts of the long-vanished corpse of the illustrious conqueror. In the intervening years, progress by testing the candidate remains has been thwarted by the Church authorities, yet much new information has emerged, casting the enigma in an ever more probing light. In this extensively updated and extended account, the meanderings of the evidence have been tracked with scrupulous care and the tangled threads of erstwhile hidden history have been teased apart. Thus the forgotten secrets of one of the greatest mysteries bequeathed to us by the ancient world are laid bare, culminating in the novel suggestion that the body stolen from Alexandria in AD828 and now in Venice may have acquired a false identity at the time that paganism was outlawed by the Emperor of Rome in the 4th century AD.

Alexander's Lovers reveals the personality of Alexander the Great through the mirror of the lives of those with whom he pursued romantic relationships, including his friend Hephaistion, his queen Roxane, his mistress Barsine & Bagoas the Eunuch. Did you know that Alexander got the idea of adopting Persian dress from a book he read in his youth? Had you realised that Alexander's pursuit of divine honours was part of his emulation of Achilles, that Bagoas undertook a diplomatic mission or that Hephaistion's diplomacy kept Athens from joining a Spartan rebellion? Are you aware that Aetion's painting of Alexander's marriage depicted Hephaistion & Bagoas as well as Roxane and really depicted the King's passions? Which girl was betrothed to Alexander's son? Would it surprise you that Alexander's mourning for Hephaistion was conducted according to models from Homer and Euripides? If you would like to get to know Alexander on a more personal level, then you need to read this book. Second edition, revised & updated.

New research reveals hitherto unrecognised evidence and provides a fresh insight into the disappearance of The Tomb of Alexander the Great. The disappearance and fate of the tomb of Alexander the Great in Alexandria is among the most momentous and tantalising of all the mysteries we have inherited from the ancient world. Generations of archaeologists and historians have sucumbed to the allure of the quest; yet have failed to find convincing answers. Now with the dawning of the 21st century new research is revealing hitherto unrecognised evidence and providing fresh insights, creating a frisson of renewed excitement in academic circles. This new title combines a detailed chronological account of the history of the tomb with the first publication of new discoveries. Finally, an intriguing new possibility is explored regarding the whereabouts of Alexander's mummified remains.

This comprehensive and insightful book brings scientific rigor to the problems of reconstructing the Pharos Lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and understanding how it functioned as the archetypal lighthouse in antiquity, when it was described as a “second Sun”. Conceived by Alexander the Great and designed by Sostratus, the Pharos lighthouse stood as an iconic landmark of Alexandria for sixteen centuries until felled by a calamitous earthquake in the fourteenth century. The study of this great lighthouse has been neglected relative to other ancient Wonders such as the Great Pyramid of Giza. This book reconstructs the tower, its lustrous light, stunning statues and astounding story in diligent detail through archaeological evidence and surviving antique texts and images, providing a fresh evaluation of the Pharos, its history, and its legacy. The Roman writer Achilles Tatius termed the Pharos a “second Sun”; this expression is explained and explored here for the first time, and has dramatic implications for the nature of the Pharos’ light. The volume also explores how the creation of the Pharos was a key stimulus for Alexandrian science and astronomy in antiquity. The Pharos Lighthouse in Alexandria provides a fascinating new study of this monument of interest to students and scholars of Hellenistic art, architecture, and science, and readers seeking to learn more about one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Alexander the Great is a towering figure in world history, but despite our long-held fascination with him, his burial site is unknown. Alexander's Tomb is the epic tale of the ongoing quest to unlock one of the world's great mysteries.

In 323 B.C.E, having conquered Persia, Alexander the Great set his sights on Arabia, then suddenly succumbed to a strange fever. Locating his final resting place-unknown to this day-remains a tantalizing goal for both archaeologists and treasure hunters. Now the quest for this coveted prize is about to heat up. And Cotton Malone-former U.S. Justice Department agent turned rare-book dealer-will be drawn into an intense geopolitical chess game. After narrowly escaping incineration in a devastating fire that consumes a Danish museum, Cotton learns from his friend, the beguiling adventurer Cassiopeia Vitt, that the blaze was neither an accident nor an isolated incident. As part of campaign of arson intended to mask a far more diabolical design, buildings across Europe are being devoured by infernos of unnatural strength. And from the ashes of the U.S.S.R., a new nation has arisen: Former Soviet republics have consolidated into the Central Asian Federation. At its helm is Supreme Minister Irina Zovastina, a cunning despot with a talent for politics, a taste for blood sport, and the single-minded desire to surpass Alexander the Great as history's ultimate conqueror. Backed by a secret cabal of powerbrokers, the Federation has amassed a harrowing arsenal of biological weapons. Equipped with the hellish power to decimate other nations at will, only one thing keeps Zovastina from setting in motion her death march of domination: a miraculous healing serum, kept secret by an ancient puzzle and buried with the mummified remains of Alexander the Great-in a tomb lost to the ages for more than 1,500 years. Together, Cotton and Cassiopeia must outrun and outthink the forces alliedagainst them. Their perilous quest will take them to the shores of Denmark, deep into the venerated monuments of Venice, and finally high inside the desolate Pamir mountains of Central Asia to unravel a riddle whose solution could destroy or save millions of people-depending on who finds the lost tomb first. From the Hardcover edition.