The Last Days of Alexander {Winter 324-June 323}
Policy or Propaganda
Brotherhood of Mankind?
Greek philosophical view = Greeks innately and culturally superior
Blessings of empire
= bring enlightenment and civilization to backward peoples
Some see as brotherhood of mankind policy
100 Macedonian aristocrats were forced to marry Persian aristocratic women
Alexander marries daughters of Darius and Arataxerxes
Nearly all were eventually repudiated
Integration policy ultimately failed
Orientalization
Expanded previous policy
30,000 Persian troops
Placing Persians in positions of power
Court
Autocracy and tyranny
Persian dress, customs and court protocol
Reaction of Macedonians
We do all the work and get none of the benefits
We will eventually be purged
Deification
Previous efforts were interior and limited
Now publicly order that all Greek cities publicly acknowledge him as a god
Foundation
Divine ancestors
Heroic ancestors
Begotten by Zeus
Pharaonic coronation
Revelation of Ammon
Superhuman achievements
Increasing megalomania and losing contact with reality
Most Greeks accepted it but mocked it mercilessly
Relations with the army
Betrayal by Macedonian army and officers
Rivalry between Persian and Macedonians
Couldn’t rule without Persians
Alexander pays all outstanding debts (= 20,000 talents)
Mercenary problem
Too many to hire them all
Many hated Alexander
Collecting in
Ordered them to be returned home
Dispersed and problem shifted to city-states
Mutiny at Ophis
Demobilization of Macedonians
Replaced with new Persian or mixed regiments
Troops feel betrayed
They are being rejected for Persians
Their base of power was removed
In
Fundamentally they wanted Alexander’s gratitude and respect
Alexander executes 13 and retires to his tent
“he could think of no worse punishment to inflict on his fellow-warriors than to deprive them of his incomparable and indispensable presence.” (Green 455)
Replaces all Macedonians with Persians
Army relents and begs to be restored to favor
11,000 discharged, all with one talent each
Note: generous with money, but not with glory or power
Children forced to stay with Alexander
10,000 wards of the state as new army
Alexander would be their “father”; loyalty only to him
New Phalanx organization
4 Macedonians, 12 Persians per rank
Macedonians with sarisa,
Persians with bow and javelin
Hephaestion
Best friend of Alexander
Possible lover
High command, but no great competence
Can’t be a threat to Alexander
Married to a daughter of Darius
Given office of Chiliarch = grand vizier
Overdrinking at a party
Got high fever, died in a week
Alexander’s grief
Extravagant funeral, 10,000 talents
Worship of Hepaestion as a hero/god
Died of same symptoms as Alexander
Alcohol poisoning?
Antipater and the coup plot
He and Craterus were the last of the old guard
Served as regent in
Provided logistics and recruitment
Suppressed Greek liberties by Alexander’s order
Defeated Spartans
Feud with Olympias who starts smear campaign
Alexander orders him to report to
Antipater fears it is a death warrant
Paranoia, Megalomania, purges
Greek city-states still hated Alexander
People were beginning to see a pattern of removing all potential threats to throne
No one felt safe
Fear of his mental instability and unpredictability
Antipater begins to organize a coup plot
Senior officers and Aristotle
Fear of Failure
Everyone wants to rebel, but no one wants to be first
Cassander’s embassy
Laughs at prostration
Beaten by Alexander and threatened with death if he was found disloyal
Harpalus Affair
Flees Alexander with thousands of talents and mercenaries
Openly advocating rebellion
Flees to
Allowed to Escape
Assassinated at
Major Policies
Capital at
Founding of
Became major
Next most important city after
Campaign against the Cossaeans, unsubdued mountain tribe {winter 323}
Irrigation in
Large port in
Bored by administration, didn’t pay close attention
Plans for new conquests and Explorations
“utter loss to know what he should do
during the rest of his life” (Plut.
East
Mutiny and reaching Ocean
North
Scythians
West
March to the
Libyan (sent submission)
South
Circumnavigation of
Initiated operations in his last months
Transported fleet from
Trade and spices
Trade link to
Initial explorations were undertaken
Circumnavigation of
Discussed with Nearchus
Built 700 new galleys for
Omens of Alexander’s death
Alexander took them seriously
Can’t enter
Must rebuild
Agreed to pay for it
Hat blows off while sailing on
Lands on tomb
Babylonian slave mounts the throne
Akitu festival
Alexander’s death
Drinking party
Collapses, encounters high fever for two weeks
Increasingly weak
Dies morning
Soldiers file by for last view
Officers ask “To whom do you leave your kingdom”
Roxanne was pregnant
“To the strongest.”
“I foresee a great funeral contest over me.”
Murder or natural?
All sources talk of poisoning
Death exactly like Hapaestion’s
Aristotle mixes, Cassander brings it, cupbearer gives it
No way to determine truth
Officers, who were loyal, began to fear for their lives from paranoid purges
Strychnine: culmination of small doses in unmixed wine
Natural death
Alcohol poisoning?
Pleurisy
Malaria
Cumulative impact of wounds