Chaeronea, 2 August 338 BC: A Day that Changed the World

Step back into time with the Museum of Cycladic Art's latest exhibition, Chaeronea, 2 August, 338 BC: A Day that Changed the World. Explore the pivotal Battle of Chaeronea, a defining moment that marked the transition from the Classical to the Hellenistic era, shaped the course of Greek civilisation for centuries and laid the foundations for the Western world. On display are 240 antiquities and historical documents, many of which are exhibited for the very first time including loans from 27 museums and institutions across Greece, as well as from four private collections.

Take a look at the Lego-recreated clash between the mighty Macedonian army led by Philip II (father of Alexander the Great), and the allied Greek forces which included the renowned Sacred Band of Thebes and the army of Athens. This conflict brought young Alexander, only eighteen years old at the time, to the forefront of history, foreshadowing his future achievements that would echo through the ages.

The exhibition also reveals the burial practices of both armies: the Polyandrion (mass grave) of the 254 Theban members of the Sacred Band with their guardian monument of the Lion of Chaeronea, and the Tumulus of the Macedonians.

Chaeronea, 2nd of August 338 B.C. marks the beginning of a new series of exhibitions by the Museum of Cycladic Art titled Human Stories.