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WHERE THESE OBJECTS WERE FOUND
31 Coin with head of Alexander
See all 100 British Museum objects
32 Pillar of Ashoka
33 Rosetta Stone
34 Chinese Han lacquer cup
35 Head of Augustus -
Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great’s conquest of the Persian Empire in 334 BC ushered in an age of megalomaniac rulers and great empires. Although there had been individual empires before, this was the first time superpowers spanned the globe. Alexander became a model for other rulers to emulate or reject. Augustus, the first Roman emperor, imitated Alexander by using his own image to represent imperial power to his subjects. In contrast, the Emperor Ashoka rejected authoritarian rule, promoting his peaceful philosophy through inscriptions on pillars across the Indian subcontinent. While Ashoka’s ideals did not last long beyond his lifetime, the Roman Empire continued for the next 400 years. It was only rivalled in size and population by the Han dynasty in China.
Shakespeare's Restless World
Neil MacGregor uncovers Shakespeare's world through twenty objects.
