The Alexander Sarcophagus is notable for its depiction of which historical figure?

The Alexander Sarcophagus is notable for its depiction of Alexander the Great.

This late-fourth-century-BC stone sarcophagus is decorated with high-relief scenes of battles and hunts. Alexander appears as a mounted Macedonian warrior, including in a dramatic scene commonly identified with the Battle of Issus, where he attacks Persian forces. His presence gives the monument its modern name, although it was not Alexander’s own coffin.

The sarcophagus was discovered in 1887 at the royal necropolis of Ayaa near Sidon, in present-day Lebanon. It is now held by the Istanbul Archaeology Museums. Scholars generally connect it with Sidonian royalty, especially Abdalonymus, a king appointed by Alexander, but the identity of the original patron remains debated.

The wrong options are associated with the same historical world but are not the figure for whom the sarcophagus is famous. Darius appears among Alexander’s Persian opponents, while Hephaestion may be represented as a companion in one scene. Philip II was Alexander’s father, not the principal figure depicted.