The Flying Shields at Tyre
A popular story says that during Alexander the Great's siege of Tyre, five flying shields appeared and blasted the city walls with beams of light.
What was reported
Books about ancient UFOs often tell how, while Alexander the Great was besieging the island city of Tyre in 332 BC, five shining shields flew in formation over his camp, and one of them fired a beam of light that broke down the city's walls, letting his army in.
The siege itself is real and well recorded: Alexander built a causeway out to the island and took the city after seven months.
Explanations offered
No ancient account of the siege mentions flying shields. The story first appears in UFO books of the 20th century, apparently made up or badly garbled, and was then repeated so often that it began to be quoted as history. It's a good example of how a modern tale gets an ancient pedigree.
- When
- Said to be 332 BC
- Where
- Tyre, Lebanon
- Witnesses
- None in ancient sources
- Status
- Modern invention
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.