Naturalizing political hierarchy : Visual Representation in Aristotelian Mimesis and the Alexander Mosaic

This study examines how Aristotle’s theory of mimesis naturalizes political hierarchy through visual representation, focusing on the Alexander Mosaic as a key case study. While previous scholarship on Aristotle’s Poetics has primarily focused on dramatic composition and theatrical principles, this study offers a fresh perspective by analyzing how visual art embodies and legitimizes power relations. Through a close reading of the Alexander Mosaic, this study reveals the sophisticated visual grammar that depicts political relationships between Greeks and Persians. This analysis demonstrates how Aristotelian mimesis operates beyond mere artistic representation and functions as a systematic framework that transforms sensory experience into rational order. Particular attention is paid to how the mosaic’s compositional elements—spatial organization, figure placement, and gestural dynamics—serve to naturalize hierarchical relationships. This study contributes to our understanding of the relationship between representation and power in classical aesthetics. By examining how visual elements are structured to render power relations as part of a universal order, this study illuminates the political dimensions inherent in Aristotle’s theory of mimesis. This analysis provides key insights into how aesthetic theory validates specific modes of seeing and representing power relationships.