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Death of Alexander the Great

The death of Alexander the Great occurred in Babylon in late spring 323 BC, when the 32-year-old Macedonian king succumbed to a sudden and severe illness after a bout of heavy drinking at a banquet.^[1] Contemporary Babylonian records, preserved in astronomical diaries, confirm his demise without attributing it to violence or intrigue, noting only the progression of his condition over approximately ten days.^[2] Primary symptoms reported in ancient Greek accounts include persistent high fever, intense abdominal and limb pain, progressive weakness leading to paralysis, and eventual loss of speech, culminating in death amid his generals' succession struggles.^[1] Scholarly analyses favor natural causes such as infectious diseases—including typhoid, malaria, or West Nile virus encephalitis—or acute pancreatitis triggered by chronic alcoholism and dietary excess, rather than poisoning, which lacks support in immediate records and appears in later propagandistic narratives.^[3]^[4]^[5] This unresolved medical mystery underscores the limits of ancient diagnostics while highlighting how Alexander's abrupt end fragmented his expansive empire into rival Hellenistic kingdoms.^[6]

Historical Context

Alexander's Final Campaigns and Prior Health Issues

Alexander's military campaigns, spanning from 334 BC with the invasion of Asia Minor to 323 BC, entailed relentless advances across diverse terrains, including the conquest of the Achaemenid Persian Empire and extensions into Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent up to the Hyphasis River in 326 BC. These expeditions involved over a decade of near-continuous combat, sieges, and forced marches totaling approximately 20,000 kilometers, subjecting him and his forces to extreme physical exertion, variable climates, and logistical hardships such as supply shortages during the Gedrosian Desert crossing in 325 BC.^[7] Throughout these operations, Alexander endured at least nine documented severe wounds, as recorded in ancient histories. Notable injuries included a head trauma at the Granicus River in 334 BC, where a Persian battle-axe cleaved his helmet and struck his skull, narrowly sparing his life due to the helmet's lining; a skull fracture in 329 BC at Cyropolis from a wooden club wielded by a defender, requiring months of treatment; a fractured fibula during the siege of Gaza in 332 BC; and a critical thoracic wound in the Mallian campaign of 326 BC, when an arrow penetrated his left chest, puncturing the lung and inducing a tension pneumothorax with hemopneumothorax, from which he recovered after surgical extraction of the arrowhead but at significant physical cost.^[7]^[8] Ancient sources such as Arrian and Plutarch emphasize Alexander's tenacity, noting he often led assaults personally and resumed command soon after injuries, as in the Mallian incident where he concealed his condition to maintain troop morale.^[8]^[9] Compounding the trauma from wounds, Alexander frequently engaged in heavy alcohol consumption, imbibing large volumes of undiluted wine at banquets, which occasionally led to pathological intoxication without evidence of full dependence.^[10]^[1] This practice, habitual among Macedonian elites and persisting despite injuries, imposed additional physiological stress, potentially straining hepatic function amid ongoing campaign rigors.^[10] Prior exposures during the Indian campaigns, including river crossings in malarial regions, also introduced recurrent fevers and infections affecting the army, though Alexander's personal resilience allowed continued operations until reaching Babylon in 323 BC.^[1]

Omens, Prophecies, and Superstitions

The Indian gymnosophist Calanus (also known as Kalanos), who had joined Alexander's entourage during the campaign in India around 326 BC, reportedly fell gravely ill during the march toward Susa in early 323 BC and elected self-immolation as a means of honorable exit, mounting a funeral pyre despite Alexander's attempts to dissuade him.^[11] In parting, Calanus declared to Alexander, "We shall soon meet in Babylon," words that his Greek companions later construed as a prophecy of the king's death there, which occurred approximately three months afterward on 11 June 323 BC.^[11] This anecdote, preserved in accounts by Plutarch and Arrian drawing from court historians like Ptolemy and Aristobulus, underscores the cross-cultural fascination with ascetic wisdom in Alexander's circle but represents a post-event interpretation rather than verifiable foresight, given Calanus's debilitated state and the routine invocation of such phrases in farewell rituals.^[12] Upon Alexander's arrival near Babylon in April 323 BC, Chaldean astrologers from the Esagila temple approached him with dire warnings against entering the city, interpreting celestial and sacrificial signs from the god Bel as foretelling calamity for any king who did so.^[13] Diodorus Siculus records that the Chaldeans urged an eastward approach aligned with the rising sun for auspiciousness, but Alexander, skeptical or defiant, instead commanded engineers to divert the Euphrates River's course to allow entry from the west, thereby nullifying the predicted peril in their view.^[14] Arrian similarly notes the astrologers' self-interested motives, as their refusal to perform sacrifices for Alexander stemmed from unfavorable omens they claimed would bring personal ruin, highlighting tensions between Babylonian priestly authority and the conqueror's ambitions.^[14] Additional portents reported in Greek historiographical traditions include unfavorable entrails from sacrifices overseen by the seer Aristander of Telmessus, Alexander's longtime diviner, and avian signs such as a flock of crows clashing in mid-air above the king during a ball game shortly before his final illness, with dislodged feathers drifting onto him as interpreted by courtiers.^[15] Plutarch details these as contributing to a pervasive sense of foreboding among the Macedonians, yet Alexander dismissed them, reportedly quipping to a soothsayer that he would not yield to superstitious fears.^[15] Such omens, embedded in eyewitness testimonies like those of Callisthenes's successors, reflect Hellenistic reliance on haruspicy and ornithomancy for legitimacy but more credibly indicate confirmation bias and anxiety amid Alexander's accumulating wounds, heavy drinking, and prior fevers, rather than causal premonitions of his end.^[16]

The Final Illness

Timeline of the Illness and Death

Alexander's final illness began in early June 323 BC, following a period of heavy drinking at a banquet hosted by his companion Medius of Larissa in Babylon. Upon retiring to his quarters in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II, he experienced acute abdominal pain and developed a fever while preparing to bathe.^[17] Over the initial days of the illness, Alexander remained bedridden but continued to conduct business, receiving visitors such as his generals and physicians, and even attempting to participate in sacrifices and libations despite worsening symptoms. By the fourth or fifth day, his condition had progressed to the point of immobility and loss of voice, preventing verbal communication.^[18] From approximately the sixth to the tenth day, Alexander was carried on a bier through the streets of Babylon or to the Euphrates riverbank to view his assembled troops, acknowledging their presence and loyalty through gestures and nods, as he could no longer speak or stand. The Macedonian soldiers filed past his litter in a final review, with Alexander reportedly lifting his hand in silent farewell.^[17] Alexander died between the evening of 10 June and the evening of 11 June 323 BC, after roughly ten days of acute illness, at the age of 32. This precise timing is corroborated by a contemporary Babylonian astronomical diary, which records the king's death on the 29th of Aiaru amid cloudy skies, independent of Greek historiographical accounts.^[2]^[19]

Symptoms and Medical Observations from Ancient Accounts

Ancient accounts of Alexander's final illness, primarily drawn from the Royal Ephemerides (as preserved in fragments by historians such as Plutarch and Arrian), describe an acute onset following heavy wine consumption at a banquet hosted by Medius of Larissa. Sharp pains in the upper abdomen, likened to a stabbing or twisting sensation near the liver, emerged shortly after drinking unmixed wine, with Arrian noting the pain intensified rapidly thereafter.^[17] High fever followed, characterized as remittent and escalating over days, accompanied by chills, sweats, and profound exhaustion; Plutarch reports the fever raged without abatement, rendering Alexander bedridden and progressively unresponsive. Neurological deterioration manifested as ascending paralysis, beginning in the lower extremities—feet and legs growing cold and immobile—before extending upward, with Quintus Curtius Rufus detailing a loss of motor function that left Alexander unable to move his limbs or raise his head. Dysphagia and dysarthria ensued, evolving into complete aphonia, where Alexander could neither swallow nor articulate words, though he remained lucid enough for brief gestures during farewells to his troops. Delirium appeared terminally, without recorded convulsions, rashes, or significant gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea. Diodorus Siculus emphasizes paroxysmal abdominal agony, aligning with the acute visceral pain in other sources, but discrepancies exist: Plutarch cites variants where fever onset was immediate versus delayed, and Arrian abbreviates pain details while stressing fever persistence. Post-mortem observations uniformly note the corpse exhibited no putrefaction for six days in Babylon's heat, appearing fresh and fragrant when viewed by generals, an anomaly attributed in antiquity to divine favor but empirically consistent across accounts despite potential embalming influences.^[20] These descriptions, filtered through later historians reliant on contemporary diaries, reveal core consistencies in febrile, paralytic progression absent typical infectious markers like eruptions.

Proposed Causes of Death

Infectious Disease Theories

Infectious disease theories posit that Alexander the Great's death on June 11, 323 BCE, resulted from a pathogen contracted in the marshy, mosquito-infested environment of Babylon, where waterborne and vector-borne illnesses were endemic.^[3] Ancient accounts describe a 10- to 12-day illness beginning with high fever, chills, abdominal pain, and progressive weakness leading to paralysis and respiratory failure, symptoms that align with several regional infections but require reconciliation with the reported lack of immediate bodily decomposition post-mortem.^[21] These explanations prioritize empirical symptom matching over speculative motives, drawing on modern pathology to interpret primary sources like Plutarch and Arrian.^[1] Typhoid fever, caused by Salmonella typhi and transmitted via contaminated water, has been proposed as the primary cause due to its prevalence in ancient Mesopotamia and compatibility with the initial remittent fever, severe headache, and gastrointestinal distress reported in Alexander's case.^[21] A 1998 analysis by University of Maryland researchers favored typhoid over malaria, citing the illness's time course—escalating fever without the cyclic patterns typical of Plasmodium infections—and the absence of splenomegaly noted in malarial cases.^[22] However, typhoid rarely produces the ascending paralysis described, where Alexander reportedly lost leg mobility before upper body function, prompting critiques that complications like encephalitis or myopathy are insufficiently evidenced in uncomplicated typhoid.00090-4/fulltext) Malaria, particularly Plasmodium falciparum, remains a contender given the Euphrates Delta's anopheline mosquito vectors active in early summer, but its paroxysmal fevers and hemolytic anemia diverge from the steady deterioration and minimal blood loss in accounts.^[21] West Nile virus (WNV) encephalitis, proposed in 1998 by epidemiologists John Marr and Charles Calisher, better accommodates the neurological progression, including flaccid paralysis and altered mental status following initial fever, as WNV can cause poliomyelitis-like syndrome via anterior horn cell damage.^[3] Exposure aligns with Babylon's ciconiid bird reservoirs and culicine mosquito vectors, potentially contracted during Alexander's outings or from infected avian die-offs noted locally.^[3] The theory explains the illness's biphasic course—flu-like onset yielding to encephalitis—and the delayed decomposition, as terminal hypothermia in neuroinvasive WNV reduces autolysis.^[23] Critics note WNV's historical presence in the region is inferential, relying on serological proxies rather than direct ancient evidence, though phylogenetic studies confirm ancient circulation in Eurasia.^[1] Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), an acute autoimmune polyneuropathy often triggered by antecedent infections like Campylobacter jejuni (which mimics typhoid symptoms), has been advanced in a 2018 study by Katherine Hall to account for the profound, ascending paralysis culminating in diaphragmatic failure without persistent high fever.^[24] This variant, acute motor axonal neuropathy, preserves consciousness while immobilizing the body, fitting reports of Alexander recognizing visitors yet unable to speak or move, and the body's pristine state for days due to absent pyrexia-induced putrefaction.^[5] GBS incidence correlates with gastrointestinal pathogens endemic to Babylonian water sources, providing a causal link to initial enteric symptoms; however, definitive diagnosis eludes ancient records lacking nerve conduction data, and the theory hinges on interpreting "speechless" states as dysarthria rather than coma.^[24] Empirical validation draws from modern GBS case series showing 20-30% respiratory involvement and recovery rates incompatible with Alexander's fatal outcome, possibly exacerbated by his prior wounds and alcohol use.^[5]

Toxicological and Poisoning Hypotheses

Ancient accounts of Alexander's death include suspicions of poisoning, primarily from later historians rather than contemporary sources. Justin, in his epitome of Pompeius Trogus (circa 2nd century AD), alleged that Antipater, the Macedonian regent, orchestrated the poisoning using a slow-acting toxin delivered by his son Cassander, with Aristotle implicated as an advisor sourcing the substance from a figure named Hagnothemis.^[25] Plutarch similarly referenced rumors of arsenic procured by Aristotle, though he noted these circulated post-mortem amid political rivalries following Alexander's death on June 11, 323 BC.^[1] These claims lack direct evidence from primary eyewitnesses like Callisthenes or Ptolemy, and Arrian's history, drawing on more reliable lost sources such as Aristobulus, omits poisoning entirely, suggesting propaganda by Antipater's successors to discredit rivals. Toxicological reviews of ancient poisons highlight mismatches with Alexander's reported acute symptoms—fever, abdominal pain, progressive paralysis, and death after 10-12 days—which contradict chronic toxins like arsenic (causing gradual debilitation) or convulsive agents like strychnine proposed in speculative theories.^[1] A 2014 peer-reviewed analysis in Clinical Toxicology evaluated botanical and chemical options available in antiquity, identifying alkaloids in Veratrum album (white hellebore), a plant known to Macedonians for medicinal use, as the closest match; ingestion via tainted wine at a banquet could induce nausea, vomiting, substernal pain, bradycardia, and ascending paralysis mirroring ancient descriptions from Plutarch and the Alexander Romance.^[26] The toxin's delayed onset (hours to days) and variability in dosage align with the timeline, potentially explaining why physicians like Philip of Acarnania failed to detect foul play despite close attendance.^[27] Critiques emphasize logistical implausibility: Alexander's heavy guard and public feasting made covert administration improbable without witnesses, and post-death rumors align more with Diadochi power struggles than verifiable conspiracy, as immediate autopsies or embalming yielded no toxin traces in preserved accounts. Scholarly consensus favors natural etiology over poisoning due to evidentiary voids and Occam's razor, wherein extraordinary claims of assassination demand proportional proof absent in Babylonian astronomical diaries or royal records confirming only illness.^[28] While Veratrum fits symptomatically better than alternatives, it presupposes intent without causal links to suspects, rendering the hypothesis speculative rather than demonstrable.^[26]

Lifestyle and Physiological Explanations

Alexander's documented lifestyle of excessive alcohol consumption, particularly unmixed wine in large quantities during symposia and post-battle celebrations, likely contributed to his physiological decline. Ancient historians such as Plutarch and Arrian record frequent heavy drinking bouts, including one following his near-fatal wounding in the Mallian campaign of 325 BC, where he consumed vast amounts upon recovery, and a final excessive session on June 7, 323 BC, immediately preceding his illness.^[29]^[30] Medical analyses propose that such chronic binge drinking could have induced alcoholic liver disease, characterized by progressive hepatic necrosis leading to abdominal pain, fever, and ascites, aligning with symptoms reported in his final days.^[1] Alternatively, acute pancreatitis from alcohol toxicity has been suggested, as rapid onset of severe epigastric pain radiating to the back, nausea, and escalating fever match accounts of his deterioration, potentially triggered by a final bout overwhelming a compromised pancreas.^[21] The cumulative trauma from at least eight major battle wounds over a decade of campaigning further strained his physiology, independent of acute infection. Key injuries included a deep sword cut to the head at the Granicus River in 334 BC, causing temporary unconsciousness; an arrow to the upper thigh at Issus in 333 BC; a fracturing blow to the leg at Gaza in 332 BC; and a penetrating arrow to the chest during the Mallian campaign in 325 BC, which punctured the lung and possibly damaged adjacent liver tissue, requiring surgical extraction and leading to prolonged suppuration.^[8]^[30] These repeated traumas, compounded by a rich diet of meats, fish, and sweets in his later years, may have fostered chronic conditions such as peritonitis from unresolved abdominal inflammation or hepatic insufficiency, exacerbating alcohol's effects on organ function.^[1] Repeated head and neck injuries, including a stone projectile to the cranium at Cyropolis in 329 BC causing transient blindness and neural disruption, support theories of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain condition from concussive forces leading to cognitive impairment, behavioral changes, and neurological weakness misinterpreted in ancient accounts as paralysis.^[31]^[7] Empirical review of biographical evidence rejects sensational claims of premature burial, as progressive immobility described by contemporaries reflects likely ascending weakness from neuropathy or toxemia rather than reversible catalepsy, with no archaeological or textual support for consciousness during embalming initiation days after clinical death on June 11, 323 BC.^[29]^[1]

Embalming and Body Preservation

Initial Preservation Efforts in Babylon

Following Alexander's death on June 10, 323 BC, in the Babylonian palace of Nebuchadnezzar II, Perdiccas, the acting regent and chiliarch, assumed control of the body amid emerging succession disputes among the Macedonian generals.^[32] The corpse was immediately placed under guard in a golden coffin to prevent access and potential desecration, reflecting the political tensions as factions vied for legitimacy through association with the king's remains.^[32] Ancient accounts report that the body exhibited no signs of putrefaction for approximately six days despite the intense Babylonian summer heat, an observation attributed to eyewitnesses including Aristobulus of Cassandreia, who accompanied Alexander on his campaigns.^[33] This unexpected preservation prompted the summoning of both Chaldean (local Babylonian) and Egyptian embalmers, who were tasked with preparing the corpse but disagreed on its state: the Chaldeans argued it indicated a coma rather than death, while the Egyptians confirmed mortality and advocated for immediate embalming.^[33] To address the delay in decomposition and mitigate risks from the humid climate, a dual approach was adopted, combining Chaldean and Egyptian preservation practices to ensure long-term integrity without awaiting further divine or medical clarification.^[33] The preserved body remained in Babylon under Perdiccas's guard for roughly two years, during which the Wars of the Diadochi intensified, delaying formal funeral rites and transport; this period allowed empirical verification of the initial non-decomposition, as the corpse reportedly showed no further deterioration when later examined by Egyptian specialists.^[32]^[34] Such handling underscored the logistical challenges of preserving a high-profile remains in a contested imperial center, prioritizing political security over swift burial.^[32]

Methods and Techniques Employed

The initial embalming of Alexander the Great's body in Babylon employed a hybrid approach by Chaldean and Egyptian specialists, who were summoned to preserve the corpse amid political uncertainties. Quintus Curtius Rufus records that these experts first eviscerated the body, removing the internal organs to halt internal putrefaction, a step aligned with Egyptian practices aimed at desiccation and odor control.^[33] This visceral extraction, typically followed in full Egyptian mummification by natron salting for 40 days to dehydrate tissues, was likely abbreviated here due to the need for rapid stabilization rather than long-term entombment.^[35] Chaldean techniques contributed aromatic spices and resins, such as myrrh and cedar oil, applied to the cavities and exterior to mask decomposition and inhibit bacterial growth through volatile compounds. Later accounts, including those drawing on Persian traditions, describe immersion in honey—a method with empirical antibacterial efficacy from its low pH, osmotic dehydration, and hydrogen peroxide production—which sealed the body in a golden sarcophagus for temporary preservation.^[36] While no contemporary records confirm honey's use specifically for Alexander, its application in analogous Near Eastern embalming, as noted by Herodotus for Assyrians, supports plausibility, though some scholars view it as embellished in Roman-era sources like Pausanias.^[37] These methods prioritized portability over the exhaustive Egyptian process of resin packing and linen wrapping, achieving short-term inhibition of autolysis and microbial proliferation sufficient to withstand Babylon's humid climate. Archaeological parallels from Persian royal tombs reveal similar spice-laden interments, validating the causal role of such antimicrobials in delaying rigor and bloating. The technique's success is evidenced by reports of the body's intact state upon later transfer, underscoring honey and spices' preservative utility despite debates over their primacy versus resins.^[35]

Funeral Arrangements and Tomb

Transport of the Body

Following the embalming in Babylon, Alexander's body was loaded onto a grand funeral carriage designed by Arrhidaeus and set out westward toward Macedonia under arrangements by the regent Perdiccas, who viewed possession of the remains as key to consolidating imperial authority. The procession, slowed by its opulent construction—including gilded elements, draperies, and bearers—progressed through Syria by late 321 BC.^[38] In Syria, Ptolemy I Soter, satrap of Egypt, orchestrated the interception of the cortege, diverting it southward to Memphis rather than allowing it to reach Macedonia, an action driven by the symbolic power of the body to legitimize his rule in Egypt amid the fragmenting empire.^[39]^[40] This "hijacking" defied Perdiccas' orders, prompting the regent to invade Egypt in 321 BC to reclaim the corpse, but Perdiccas' failed crossing of the Nile and subsequent assassination by his own troops enabled Ptolemy to secure the remains.^[38]^[41] The journey faced further delays from the Wars of the Successors, with skirmishes and logistical challenges impeding progress, leading to the body's arrival in Memphis circa 321–319 BC.^[42] En route, the corpse rested in a golden sarcophagus, underscoring the reverence accorded to it despite the political maneuvering. Ancient historian Pausanias notes that Ptolemy refused demands from Macedonian envoys to relinquish the body, affirming his control over this prized relic.^[42]

Historical Accounts of the Tomb's Location

Following Alexander's death in Babylon in 323 BC, Ptolemy I Soter, who controlled Egypt, intercepted the funeral cortege en route from Syria and diverted the embalmed body to Memphis for burial, establishing it as a temporary royal necropolis site.^[43] Between approximately 298 and 283 BC, Ptolemy II Philadelphus transferred the remains to Alexandria, his father's newly founded capital, where he enshrined them in a grand mausoleum known as the Sēma (or Soma), located in the royal palace district.^[43] ^[44] The Sēma became a focal point for veneration in antiquity, drawing elite visitors who sought inspiration from the conqueror. Roman general Julius Caesar inspected the tomb during his Alexandrian campaign in 48 BC, lingering in contemplation amid political turmoil.^[45] His adopted heir, Emperor Augustus, visited in 30 BC following the defeat of Mark Antony and Cleopatra; ancient biographer Suetonius recounts Augustus adorning the body with a golden diadem and flowers before inadvertently damaging the nose of the corpse during handling.^[46] Subsequent emperors followed suit: Caligula reportedly pilfered Alexander's embroidered breastplate in the 1st century AD, while Caracalla paid tribute in 215 AD, sacrificing to the remains and modeling his military aspirations on the Macedonian king.^[47] References to the tomb persist through the Roman era into early Byzantine times, with geographer Strabo in the 1st century BC and traveler Pausanias in the 2nd century AD confirming its prominence and accessibility in Alexandria's royal quarter.^[47] The latest credible ancient attestations date to the 4th or 5th centuries AD, after which historical records fall silent on its upkeep or visibility.^[44] The site's obscurity likely stemmed from recurrent earthquakes, silting of Alexandria's harbors, and disruptions during the Arab conquest of Egypt in 642 AD, yielding no corroborated archaeological evidence of the tomb to date.^[44]

Modern Theories and Searches

Numerous excavations and geophysical surveys have targeted Alexandria, Egypt, as the primary site for Alexander's tomb since the 19th century, with over 140 official attempts yielding no confirmed discovery.^[48]^[49] Urban development and subsidence have submerged or buried potential sites under modern structures, prompting theories of locations in the ancient royal quarter, including near Shallalat Gardens. Greek archaeologist Calliope Limneos-Papakosta's ongoing digs in this area, initiated in the 2000s, uncovered artifacts like a marble statue possibly depicting Alexander in 2023 and intersect ancient crossroads referenced in historical texts, though no tomb has been verified.^[50]^[51]^[52] Alternative hypotheses, such as relocation to Siwa Oasis based on Alexander's expressed burial preference there, lack supporting ancient sources or archaeological evidence, rendering them implausible absent geophysical confirmation.^[44]^[53] Claims of the tomb's identification with the relics of St. Mark in Venice, proposed by historian Andrew Chugg as a misattributed preservation of Alexander's body by medieval Venetians, rely on circumstantial parallels in transfer timelines and embalming descriptions but falter under scrutiny of inconsistent physical descriptions and absence of direct provenance.^[54]^[55] Speculative notions, including destruction, relocation to Macedonia, or even consumption by marine life due to coastal erosion, remain unempirical and contradicted by records of the tomb's veneration into late antiquity.^[56]^[57] Causal analysis underscores the improbability of legend-driven pursuits without prioritizing non-invasive surveys like ground-penetrating radar to map subsurface anomalies, as repeated failures highlight evidential voids over anecdotal alignments.^[48] Future viability hinges on integrating such data with stratigraphic consistency, avoiding overreliance on unverified claims that have historically misled efforts.^[58]

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Oct 19, 2024 · Herodotus may have recorded a genuine Babylonian practice which was later used to preserve Alexander. It's also possible that, based on faulty ...Missing: initial | Show results with:initial
[38]
Alexander's Funeral Carriage: The Greatest Heist in History?
Mar 16, 2023 · ... hijack the body and fatally damage Perdiccas' grand imperial plans. In late 321 BC they put the plan in motion. Upon arriving in Syria ...
[39]
The Enduring Mystery of the Tomb of Alexander the Great
Sep 19, 2025 · In 321 BC, on its way back to Macedonia, the funerary cart with Alexander's body was hijacked in Syria by one of Alexander's generals, Ptolemy I ...
[40]
Ptolemy's Alexandrian Postscript - Saudi Aramco World
In a daring act of piracy, however, Ptolemy stole his friend's body and carried it off to Memphis in Egypt. This hijacking was more than just grand political ...<|separator|>
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[PDF] The Dating of Perdiccas' Death and the Assembly at Triparadeisus
1, 3). Page 10. 382. PERDICCAS' DEATH AND TRIPARADEISUS intercepted by Ptolemy who took it and Alexander's body to. Egypt (Diod. 18.28.2–3; Arr. Succ. 24–25) ...
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Did Ptolemy I steal Alexander the Great's corpse? - Bad Ancient
Jun 7, 2021 · Ptolemy stole Alexander's body because of its talismanic importance. A shining symbol of authority, captured by a figure determined to attain – and retain – ...
[43]
Lost Tombs - Alexander the Great, King of Macedon
But according to ancient sources, his hearse was hijacked near Damascus and the corpse taken to Egypt, first to Memphis, and, some time between 298 and 283 B.C ...
[44]
Where Is the Tomb of Alexander the Great? - TheCollector
Aug 31, 2025 · It was the Ptolemies of Egypt who acquired his body and built him a tomb in Alexandria, which became a landmark of the city for centuries.
[45]
https://www.historyskills.com/classroom/ancient-history/caesar-augustus-alexander-tomb/
[46]
The Emperor Who Broke Alexander the Great's Nose - Greek Reporter
Jul 27, 2025 · The emperor Augustus Caesar visited Alexander the Great's tomb and, according to written accounts, broke Alexander's nose.
[47]
The Search for Alexander's Tomb - Hellenic Alexandria
Plutarch doubted the validity of his unnamed source and agreed with the reports that Arrian probably also used: that Alexander kept his discussion with the ...
[48]
New clues to the lost tomb of Alexander the Great discovered in Egypt
Feb 27, 2019 · Excavations in Alexandria's ancient royal quarter provide intriguing hints to the famous conqueror's final resting place.
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TIL that, since the 19th century, there have been over 100 official ...
Aug 8, 2025 · TIL that, since the 19th century, there have been over 100 official attempts to locate Alexander the Great's tomb in Alexandria, Egypt.Where is the tomb of Alexander the Great? : r/AlternativeHistoryHow can we not know where Alexander The Great's tomb is? Surely ...More results from www.reddit.comMissing: modern | Show results with:modern
[50]
Yet Another Researcher Claims to Have Found the Tomb of ...
Feb 7, 2025 · ... Roman emperor Augustus) visiting the tomb to pay their respects. "Alexander is buried in Alexandria, and we are sure about that because in ...<|separator|>
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Where is Alexander the Great buried? Archaeologists continue to ...
Feb 6, 2025 · Calliope Limneos-Papakosta believes the tomb may be hidden beneath modern Alexandria's streets, at the intersection of ancient thoroughfares.
[52]
Archaeology's Holy Grail: The Tomb Of Alexander The Great
May 7, 2025 · In 2023, archaeologist Calliope Limneos-Papakosta reported discovering a marble statue believed to be of Alexander in Alexandria's Shallalat ...<|separator|>
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Mystery of the tomb of Alexander the Great - Heritage - Ahram Online
Sep 6, 2022 · Some historians believe that Alexander was buried in Siwa because he visited the oasis and expressed the desire to be buried there. However ...
[54]
Does the tomb of St Mark in Venice really contain the bones of
Jun 13, 2004 · The mummified remains buried beneath the altar of St Mark's Basilica in fact belong to Alexander the Great, according to Andrew Chugg, a respected authority on ...
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Is Alexander the Great Buried in Venice? The Theory of Andrew ...
Apr 7, 2025 · The body now venerated as Saint Mark in Venice may in fact be that of Alexander the Great, preserved under a Christian guise to ensure its survival.
[56]
Was Alexander the Great eaten by sharks? Inside the wild theories ...
Jan 31, 2025 · The remains of Alexander the Great may lie under the streets of Alexandria, they may have been eaten by a shark, or they may be somewhere else entirely.
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https://greekreporter.com/2025/10/19/alexander-the-great-tomb-plausible-scenarios/
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https://www.greekreporter.com/2025/10/19/alexander-the-great-tomb-plausible-scenarios/