The head posture of Alexander the Great

Abstract

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.

Keywords

• archaeology
• art history
• sculpture
• portrait heads
• Alexander the Great