Discover why Alexander was so great

A NEW exhibition in Sydney details the ancient military leader's conquests, loves and adventures and looks at the legacy he left the modern world.

alexander great dec 1 escape

ALEXANDER'S life story is the stuff of legends, full of gods and heroes, love and war, murder and betrayal, adventure and conquest.

The Great man's exploits are revealed at a new exhibition in Sydney.

Battle commander at 16 and king at 20, Alexander began his conquests aged 23 and carved out an empire stretching from Greece to India.

When he died in 323BC at just 32, he was already a legend: physically beautiful, highly intelligent, a military genius and perhaps a megalomaniac.

Alexander the Great's cultural legacy remains across Greece, the Middle East and Asia, his tactics are still taught in military academies, and Hollywood moviemakers keep his legend alive.

Google has recorded 432 million searches for Alexander the Great, an ancient who continues to intrigue the modern world.

There are many reasons, then, to see Alexander the Great: 2000 Years of Treasures at the Australian Museum.

It showcases 400 works of art spanning more than two millennia, on loan from the State Hermitage in St Petersburg.

The first thing you see  -  a series of 17th-century French engravings depicting Alexander's life  - sets the bar for the high quality of every item.

A section devoted to Alexander's times is truly jaw-dropping. It features helmets, marble statues, arrow cases etched in gold and delicate jewellery  - all a miracle to have survived nearly 2500 years.

Then an outline of Alexander's campaigns follows. The remarkable journey of 45,000km across inhospitable landscapes is well explained in videos and on touch screens.

Byzantine, Persian and Islamic treasures from conquered lands show how prosperity spread, and Eastern and Western cultures blended, during this period.

The second half of the exhibition charts Alexander the Great's rise as one of the most painted, sculpted, written-about and admired figures in history.

Displays range from Roman times to the 19th century, from enormous tapestries and paintings to tiny cameos and Persian miniatures.

A glorious bronze mantel clock topped by a figure of Alexander in a helmet is among the highlights.

Really, the only dissatisfying part of the exhibition is the final room, which takes a perfunctory look at modern depictions of Alexander in movies, books and video games.

It seems unnecessary and, after the superlative quality of what came before, finishes on a tawdry note.

Never mind. It's rare to have the chance to see such fabulous objects, and nobody will leave disappointed.

Indeed, you'll probably be inspired and, if so, there's no reason your Alexander experience has to finish at the museum.

Walk across Hyde Park to the well-regarded Greek restaurant Xanthi and you can enjoy a special Tastes of Alexander meal.

Owner David Tsirekas has researched ingredients and flavours available in Alexander's day to bring his era alive.

It's a meat-heavy meal for summer but a fascinating culinary journey into history among Byzantine-inspired surrounds of glass lamps, billowing gold curtains and kilims.

The five-course meals starts with a delicious entree of walnuts, dates and Greek cheeses, wrapped in a cloth package as if you're about to head off on campaign.

It's accompanied by warm flatbread and olives and, in a nice touch, a map of Alexander's journeys.

This is simple food of the early Macedonians, but the meal becomes richer as Alexander's army encounters the spices and complexities of Persian fare.

Novelties introduced to Greece at the time included peppercorns, rice and sweet Asian apples from which modern apples descend.

The second course is a Persian stew of spicy lamb, lentils and pomegranate, accompanied by mead recreated from ancient recipes.

Chicken stuffed with quail, apples and pistachios follows, then braised beef stuffed with prunes, accompanied by a citrus pilaf. Each is matched with Greek wines.

The final course celebrates the death of Alexander and might just about finish you off, too -  in a good way.The orange syrup cake is decorated with pistachios coated in gold dust, while a preserved orange segment symbolises Alexander's shield.

You could say it's a meal fit for a king -  or a conqueror. 

-- The writer was a guest of Destination NSW.

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- SYDNEY

-- Doing there

Australian Museum, 6 College St. See australianmuseum.net.au, ph 9320 6000. Alexander the Great: 2000 Years of Treasures runs until April. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster. See ticketmaster.com.au, ph 136 100.

-- Eating there

Xanthi Restaurant is at Level 6, Westfield Sydney, cnr Pitt and Market streets. The Alexander menu costs $85, including matching drinks. Bookings are required. See xanthi.com.au, ph 9232 8535.

-- Staying there

The Hotel Pullman Sydney Hyde Park is almost adjacent to the Australian Museum and offers spacious, stylish rooms in the heart of the city.

See pullmanhotels.com, ph 1300 656 565.

-- More: alexandersydney.com.au