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XI. Face to Face with Alexander
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the water frozen in the water-clock
unmoving now that time has stopped
they brought him to the tomb of alexander
lord of empire to view the former lord
the incense and the shrouded catafalque
the endless susurration of the sistra
echoing down the marble aisles
like whispers of the restless dead
time is here the round and silver shield
the warrior began to wield
about his head before the hand was laid
on him which turned him to a marble shape
yet that hand could not make him yield
which froze him here. his heart is steeled
to eternity and his mouth agape.
so sleeps the dusty mummy in its tomb
alex blackened by egyptian sun.
the emperor leans to get a better view,
antinous beside him hand in hand,
thinking only of the warrior's nose
which grave augustus, sweeping aside the cloth,
inadvertently detached from the shrunken corpse.
(or was it, hadrian ponders, much more malice
from one world-conqueror to a former?)
no, the nose is there, or someone's nose.
antinous and hadrian nod together
trying not to laugh. row upon row
the solemn priests look on contemplating
the size of the imperial donation
hoping for new sandals and a change of clothes
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Note: Cassius Dio of Bithynia (c.150-c235) states in his 'History of Rome' that when Octavian (as he then was) inspected Alexander's mummy in 30 BC he had accidentally broken off part of its nose.
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