Archaeologists opened a window into the lives and appearances of the pages who attended the prestigious royal school of ancient Macedonia duringmen arrive at the party. They are attired in the distinctive dress of Macedonian soldiers—a cap called a , a short cloak known as a chlamys, and tough leather boots called . Scholars have identified the young men as either royal pages or new recruits to the army. Flanking the tomb’s door are two more young Macedonians, who stand guard over the dead. Each holds a , the distinctive type of long spear wielded by the Macedonian infantry, and visibly mourn the deceased. These are images of members of the generation that expanded Macedonian control across the known world under the leadership of Alexander the Great (reigned 336–323 B.C.).
