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The story illustrates the mistake made by the family of Darius, the defeated Persian Emperor, in identifying Alexander after the Battle of Issus.
Alexander and his friend Hephaestion visited Darius's tent; the mother of Darius, misled by Hephaestion's splendour and bearing, offered him the obeisance due to the victorious monarch; Alexander forgave her.
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From The National Gallery Podcast: Episode Twenty One, July 2008
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The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN