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# There is a theory that the body of Alexander the Great lies in Venice, passing as the relics of Saint Mark
- URL: https://theparnassian.com/en/sushchestvuet-versiia-o-tom-chto-telo-aleksandra-makedonskogo-nakhoditsia-v-venetsii-pod-vidom-moshchei-sviatogo-marka/
- Published: 2026-01-14T06:33:19.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-01T05:27:21.000Z
- Author: Alexandr Radayev
- Tags: Archaeology, Faith, Science, People

There is a theory that the body of Alexander the Great lies in Venice, passing as the relics of Saint Mark. The legend arises from the fact that in the 9th century the Venetians removed the relics of the Evangelist Mark from Alexandria and placed them in St Mark's Basilica, but since the tomb of Alexander the Great was also in Alexandria, rumour joined the two facts together.

Science rejects the theory that Alexander the Great was buried under the guise of Saint Mark: after all, the man in question was interred as a Christian saint, not according to the Hellenistic-Egyptian tradition, and besides, the remains belonged to an elderly person, not a 32-year-old man.

Be that as it may, no reliable reports of the tomb of Alexander the Great have survived since the 4th century, and it vanished from view. This does not mean that it was moved; it was simply neglected as the cult of Alexander declined. The city was repeatedly ravaged by earthquakes and floods, and the burial place itself was opened to remove its valuables at least twice: by Octavian Augustus and by Caracalla. Old districts were rebuilt, the geography of the city changed, and the written tradition was broken. Considering that the pagan king ceased to be venerated in the Christian era, it is no wonder that the monument was first abandoned, then forgotten and lost.

Naturally, the theory of the relics of Saint Mark cannot be tested by any means whatever without the permission of the Vatican.