Details

LOT 0006

Roman White Gemstone with Alexander the Great and Philosopher Diogenes of Sinope

2ND-3RD CENTURY A.D.

5/8 in. (1.24 grams, 16.27 mm).

Frieze depicting a seated Alexander the Great holding a ring or collar towards a philosopher emerging from a cauldron; supplied with a museum-quality impression. [No Reserve]

Provenance

From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.

Footnotes

Diogenes of Sinope (c. 412-323 BCE) was an ancient Greek philosopher and one of the founders of Cynicism. He became famous for rejecting wealth, comfort, and social rules, choosing instead to live with very few possessions. He is often said to have lived in a large ceramic jar in Athens, sometimes described as a barrel or tub. Known for his sharp wit and simple way of life, he is also remembered for telling Alexander the Great to step out of his sunlight.