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Secondary sourceArtifactc. 300 BC

Stag Hunt Mosaic

Gnosis · c. 300 BC

A pebble mosaic from a wealthy house in Pella, often interpreted as showing a young Alexander hunting with his companion Hephaestion.

Possibly the earliest surviving image of Alexander as a young man hunting with his companion Hephaestion in his home city of Pella.

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Detail of an ancient mosaic floor showing two nude male hunters with swords and a spear attacking a spotted stag and a dog. Greek inscription runs across the top, reading Gnosis made it. Mosaic tesserae in pinks, browns and tans.
Gnosis, Stag Hunt Mosaic, c. 300 BC. Archaeological Museum of Pella, Greece.

About this source

What it is

This is a signed pebble mosaic from a mansion in Pella, called the 'House of the Abduction of Helen,' made around 300 BC by an artist named Gnosis. It is now in the Archaeological Museum of Pella in Greece.

The mosaic shows two nude hunters attacking a stag with a dog nearby, bordered by floral and wave patterns.

Why it matters

Because of the date and the hairstyle of the figure on the right, many scholars think this may be a young Alexander the Great, with the figure on the left possibly his close companion Hephaestion. Pella was Alexander's birthplace, and the mosaic reflects the wealthy court culture he grew up in. Scholars also connect the hunting scene to Greek myth and to later ideas about Alexander's conquest of Persia.

Look closer

  • What details make scholars think one figure might be Alexander?
  • Why might a wealthy family want a hunting scene in their home?
  • What does this mosaic tell us about the skills and status of its maker, Gnosis?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Alexander the Great on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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