The roots of heroism

A young, beardless face and a wreath of hair brushed back from the forehead and falling around the face like a lion’s mane. These two characteristics are typical of portraits of Alexander the Great. The lack of a beard emphasizes Alexander’s youthful strength and the successes that he celebrated while he was still young. The curly or wavy wreath of hair with its centre part, the so-called anastole, reflects lion-like dynamics and portrayals of the gods. As part of Collaborative Research Center (Sonderforschungsbereich – SFB) 948 “Heroes – Heroizations – Heroisms”, Freiburg researchers are looking into heroic figures across history, visual studies, literature and the social sciences from Ancient Greece onward