Alexander Murdered?

[Krackalackin]

There is a lot of evidence to back this theory and I for one believe Alexander was assassinated by his own retinue. Anyone else think so?

[M. Porcius Cato]

There is a lot of evidence to back this theory and I for one believe Alexander was assassinated by his own retinue. Anyone else think so?

 

It's my hunch too. Power was corrupting Alexander, and his men had had it.

[Andrew Dalby]

There is a lot of evidence to back this theory and I for one believe Alexander was assassinated by his own retinue. Anyone else think so?

 

It's my hunch too. Power was corrupting Alexander, and his men had had it.

 

Who else thinks, as I do, that Alexander knew in advance about the killing of Philip II? (Maybe this should be another thread, but 'How the Macedonians managed the succession' is all one topic really)

[WotWotius]

Who else thinks, as I do, that Alexander knew in advance about the killing of Philip II? (Maybe this should be another thread, but 'How the Macedonians managed the succession' is all one topic really)

 

It would make sense. Alexander was not the product of Phillip's current marriage. If Phillip were to have another son, Alexander would have lost his place as heir apparent.

[Gaius Paulinus Maximus]

There is a lot of evidence to back this theory and I for one believe Alexander was assassinated by his own retinue. Anyone else think so?

 

I too think there's quite a bit of truth in this theory, Alexander was forgetting his heritage, where he came from and his close circle of friends could probably see him turning into a mad power hungry tyrant and they realised they had to stop him before he destroyed the world that they knew and loved.

[DecimusCaesar]

Even if he died of natural causes, I believe he would have been assassinated eventually. I don't think his generals could bear having to go to another long war to secure Carthage, followed by a very long war across Europe to the "the Britannic isles" as Arrian suggested.

 

After all there was a assassination attempt earlier in his career with the 'conspiracy of the pages'. Philotas got the blame for that one.

[Rameses the Great]

Even though Alexander's love for the Persian culture was more love than he gave to the Greek one is a bit unusual, it is not the reason why people would attempt to assassinate him. He could never mellow down and just relax he always had to conquer and travel which took a toll on his health. His men thought he was the son of Zeus so for them to kill a military genius who killed so many is not a smart thing. Also remember whoever killed Alexander would be torchered in unimaginable ways.

[Segestan]

It would Not be at all surprising if Alexander were assassinated. Philip II was an adopted son of the Macedonian King Amyntas II ; one of Three adopted son's the other two being Alexander and Perdikkas. His blood son was Ptolemy. After the death of Amyntas II the three adopted son's and thier supporters , claimed a right to the Throne over Ptolemy. Alexander took the throne and was murdered , Ptolemy then reclaimed the throne , ruled as King of Macedon 364-360 BC, after his death Perdikkas took power was murdered then Philip II was proclaimed King. Philip II was raised in Thebes as a Pythagorean. Philip II and his son Alexander the Great were Not Blood Royalty of the House of Macedon Kings but it would seem where in an Alliance with the Hellenic Leagues to use the power of the kingdom for the gain of Athens interests against Persia. King Amyntas II had ruled Macedon under the heal of Persia as a tribute paying kingdom. It was the Hellens who by defeating the persians at Salamis had regained Macedon it's independence. Athens took full advantage of this new power over the Kingdom of Macedon and installed in the Royal House heirs to the Throne who were Greek not Macedonian. Greek means son of Hercules. Alexander always claimed his rights by that virtue. The murder of an usuper of the throne using that seat of power for the gain of a foreign power could have been the reason of his untimely death?. Considering that Ptolemy in his attempts to regain the throne, his rightful place on it , even used the Gauls in an Alliance to wage war and attack the Macedon of the Greek usupers of Antigonus Gonatas and Demetrius. Rebel pirates and thier leages of supporters who used the power of the sword to rob and pilage others are not long lasting Kings. It was therefore, No surprise that the young Ptolemy I Soter , Soter meaning Savior, as general of Alexander the Great, would take his own Kingdom out of Egypt and would see there Macedonian rulers in the Royal House of Egypt which did from their attempt for centuries the regaining of Macedon against Greek interests.

 

regards,

[Krackalackin]

Now I'm assuming some of you are history teachers or historians so if i write something inaccurate, it wouldn't help our speculation to be silent. I do know a lot about Alexander. I've read plenty of books on him. I even have that awful movie Stone made. The evidence I know is at the least enough to make you think. First of all, his men had a perfect motive. Racial Integration. It's been a favorite for killing leaders forever. It's the same root motive of why Lincoln and Kennedy were shot. Imagine the hatred involved over two thousand years ago. It can only be seen as an abomination. Not only this, we know there were attempts on his life and we also know that he became more paranoid and jittery towards the end of his life. If he was assasinated, I seriously doubt it was because of greed for the amount of power he had. It isn't likely at all. His men initially loved him. He would have to do more than just claim himself a god and reign over a tremendous kingdom for his men to mutiny. I don't think his men cared very much at all that he ruled a large territory. They probably initially thought no one was more capable or deserving. But he started forcing people to marry natives of the land. I think he did it himself for favor of his men. I don't think it was because Roxane was a fierce woman like the stupid film depicts, or he really loved that dumb bitch,I think he did it to set an example for his men that it was ok and the right thing to do. For Alexander was the most popular, richest, most powerful man in the world. I feel it was a ploy solidify his reasoning for his men to follow his example, perhaps maybe stop a mutiny because it wouldn't then be hypocracy, this being a definite ground in context for overthrow. The undisputed events of his life, really do show a deterioration of his relations with his men as well as failed efforts by him to bring his men into a new way of thinking that most people even today don't embrace.

Here's another piece of evidence. Don't you find it odd that a historical super-star like Alexander the great who (considering elapsed time) was so well documented is missing the documentation of his definite demise? This man had been documented since he was a prince, if not earlier. We know his approximate height, he had different color eyes, his favorite author, yet we're supposed to agree that they forgot to write it down exactly how he died. And if he really did die of a sickness, how come it wasn't described in detail?

Another thing, if his men were at the very least passionate about continuing his dream of conquering the world, why did they kill off his immediate family after his death? This doesn't mean ofcourse that an Officer couldn't have continued it but why kill his family? *****, they could have had some nobody adopt the kid and he would have never had any dream of ruling anything. I think they killed him not only to make sure nobody tried to rule the entire empire but also because his kid was the embodiment of all they hated. An interracial child. The poor kid was probably mutilated.

Also, Alexander was killed after Hephaiston's death. I don't know if Hephaiston was murdered but it would have been a hell of a lot easier to kill Alexander after Hephaiston's dead and get away with it since Hephaiston would have no doubt been the successor and would have taken revenge.

Also, if you look at all the surviving relics of his empire, the statues particularly, by ware, they're not that bad but most of them are destroyed. One could guess that people later like the turks could have done that but one thing that really struck me as odd was this one particular statue I've seen. The head had come off the statue in a perfect line. If I didn't know better, it looks like someone cut his damn head off. I seriously doubt it cracked off and I don't think people of a later time would have taken the time to do that. If I were to make up a theory, it looks like even though they admired and respected Alexander, they hated everything he stood for. This built up until they killed him, destroyed everything symbolic of or reminded them of him. After Alexander was gone, it was too compelling to off his brown toned, snot-nose son as well as kill his wife also so it was for damn sure that Alexander died in vain in every respect. That's what I think happened. "Death to the Tyrant!"

 

Even though Alexander's love for the Persian culture was more love than he gave to the Greek one is a bit unusual, it is not the reason why people would attempt to assassinate him. He could never mellow down and just relax he always had to conquer and travel which took a toll on his health. His men thought he was the son of Zeus so for them to kill a military genius who killed so many is not a smart thing. Also remember whoever killed Alexander would be torchered in unimaginable ways.

At first glance it would appear so but you mustn't forget, these people were smart. Not only that but a lot of people wanted him dead. Remember, he also killed Parmenio. Parmenio was the direct opposite of his thinking. Parmenio was the macedonian conservative man, stuck in his old macedonian ways as well as natural ways. Alexander the great practiced the thoughts of a rabid liberal. I don't really know if he believed all the crap he said. I'm not even sure if he really believed in what they would have killed him for. It could have all been well-planned rhetoric as part of his master plan for world-wide conquest.

[Krackalackin]

As for Philip's murder, there is compelling reasoning for both yes and no but I personally doubt Alexander had anything to do with it. There is however to my mind, no doubt that Olympias was behind everything. Pausanius was a perfect candidate to kill Philip. Pausanias was a girly guy to their standards and was picked on by Philip . I don't know how he became one of Philip's guards then but Pausanius was savagely raped by some Greek well-to-do's as well as the whole upper macedonian gvt. Olympias, after Philip divorced her, met with Pausanius in Lyncestis and planned out the details. After Philip was dead, she made an offering to the Gods that was considered a ceremony of blessing. Even the commoners were confused about this.

[Andrew Dalby]

As for Philip's murder, there is compelling reasoning for both yes and no but I personally doubt Alexander had anything to do with it. There is however to my mind, no doubt that Olympias was behind everything. Pausanius was a perfect candidate to kill Philip. Pausanias was a girly guy to their standards and was picked on by Philip . I don't know how he became one of Philip's guards then but Pausanius was savagely raped by some Greek well-to-do's as well as the whole upper macedonian gvt. Olympias, after Philip divorced her, met with Pausanius in Lyncestis and planned out the details. After Philip was dead, she made an offering to the Gods that was considered a ceremony of blessing. Even the commoners were confused about this.

 

Yes, Olympias must surely have been involved. My thinking is along these lines: Olympias must have had a purpose. The purpose must have been to clear the way for Alexander, her own son by Philip, to succeed, and remove in advance the possibility of another son to Philip, by any other mother, being conceived.

 

So, given that that was her purpose, isn't it rather likely that she would have told Alexander to make preparations? There's a lot of work to do, in an absolute royal court, when you take over from the previous incumbent. People to promote, people to kill, advisers to select. You can't just leave it to chance. And the succession was, apparently, perfectly efficient.

 

But I quite agree with Krackalackin that there is compelling argument on both sides and we can't ever know.

[the5500th]

I think it was less likely that it was because of Alexanders own behavior and more likely that it was by men like Antipater who who thought he was going to be killed himself or else another man who was power hungry. I doubt that it was a large-scale plan but was probably arranged by just a few men.

[Centurion-Macro]

I think it is possible he was assassinated, but let us not forget that he was a drunk and could easily have killed himself - after all, he thought he was a god.