In 332 BC, as the legend goes...Alexander descended down hundreds of feet into the depths, encased within a clear glass barrel, or bell, offshore whilst besieging the city of Tyre. It's a tale that is almost believable...ancient man could and would dive into the deep, looking for pearls and shells at the more challenging depths, where a breath of air gave you only so many minutes to get what you could and race to the surface. It becomes completely un-believable when Alexander the Great descends into the ocean, over a long period of days in a barrel with just enough oxygen for a few hours, carrying livestock, pets and God knows what else...
It's all fantasy...created by Medieval writers and artists (sometimes they were one in the same) developing a mythos around Alexander, similar to what was done with Cleopatra or Arthur, King of the Britons. The legend of this diving bell went far and wide, gaining more traction as the centuries progressed. From England, to France, to Palestine, up and into Russia, all the way into India and beyond, Alexander's legendary descent tantalized the medieval mind and created a superhero of the Ancient World, sort of, being able to breathe in the deep, and fly...yes, the myth gave Alexander a flying machine as well. There are many diving bell depictions from the much larger story, popularly known as the Romance of Alexander. Some versions have the diving bell story, some don't. Early versions of the Romance, predating the 14th-century do not include it, but once added much attention was paid to what must have been seen as a great adventure into the unknown. Here are the many medieval (and some Renaissance) depictions dedicated to Alexander the Great's voyage to the bottom of the sea...
