Becoming God
Deification from Antiquity to the Present
Lecture 4: Alexander the Great
Dr. Nickolas P. Roubekas
University of Vienna
Email: nickolas.roubekas@univie.ac.at
Alexander the Great
In the Beginning: Son of Zeus?
That Alexander, on his father’s side, was a descendant of
Heracles by Caranus, and on his mother’s a descendant of Aeacus by
Neoptolemus, has never been called into question... The night before they
confined her in the bridal chamber, thunder was heard. The bride
dreamed that a thunderbolt fell on her belly and kindled a great fire,
which burst into flames that darted everywhere and finally died away.
Some time later, Philip dreamed he was affixing a seal-ring to his wife’s
belly and imagined that the device carved on the ring was the image of a
lion. All the other seers viewed the dream with suspicion and urged Philip
to keep more careful watch over his marriage; but Aristander of Telmissus
declared that Olympias was pregnant (since empty things are not sealed)
and that she had conceived a son naturally courageous and lionlike.
Plutarch, Alexander 2.1-2
A Father’s Son
Philip II (382–336 BCE; r. 359–336 BCE)
‘Among the splendid accompaniments he paraded statues of the twelve
gods extravagantly fashioned with the most magnificent workmanship and
wondrously adorned with the gleam of precious metal. Along with these a
thirteenth was carried in procession, a statue fit for a god, one of Philip in
person, who was displaying himself as enthroned with the twelve gods.’
Diodorus Siculus, Historial Library 16.92.5
The Conquests
The Desire of Hero-ship: Alexander as ‘New Achilles’
*Alexander’s favorite line supposedly
came from the Iliad (Plut. Mor. 331c):
“Both things is he: both a goodly king
and a mighty warrior” (Hom. Il. 3.179)
*Deep attachment to the Iliad. He kept
a special copy, annotated by Aristotle,
underneath his pillow wherever he
slept (Alexander 8).
*The visit at Troy
*Dealing with the dead as Achilles did 
Looking Towards the Gods: Egypt & Siwa
A sudden desire now seized Alexander to visit and consult Ammon in
Libya, both because the oracle of Ammon was said to be truthful and
because Perseus and Heracles had consulted it... Alexander marveled at the
place and consulted Ammon. When he had heard all that could satisfy his
heart’s desire (as he said), he led the army back to Egypt, returning by the
same road, according to Aristobulus, though Ptolemy says they took
another, a road that led straight to Memphis.
Arrian, Alexander 3.1-3
Plutarch’s Version (1)
When Alexander had passed through the desert and was come to
the place of the oracle, the prophet of Ammon gave him salutation
from the god as from a father; whereupon Alexander asked him
whether any of the murderers of his father had escaped him. To
this the prophet answered by bidding him be guarded in his
speech, since his was not a mortal father. Alexander therefore changed
the form of his question, and asked whether the murderers of
Philip had all been punished; and then, regarding his own empire,
he asked whether it was given to him to become lord and master of
all mankind. The god gave answer that this was given to him, and
that Philip was fully avenged. Then Alexander made splendid
offerings to the god and gave his priests large gifts of money.
Plutarch, Alexander 27.3-4
Plutarch’s Version (2)
This is what most writers state regarding the oracular responses;
but Alexander himself, in a letter to his mother, says that he
received certain secret responses, which he would tell to her, and
to her alone, on his return. And some say that the prophet,
wishing to show his friendliness by addressing him with ‘O
paidion,’ or O my son, in his foreign pronunciation ended the
words with ‘s’ instead of ‘n,’ and said, ‘O paidios,’ and that
Alexander was pleased at the slip in pronunciation, and a story
became current that the god had addressed him with ‘O pai Dios,’
or O son of Zeus.
Plutarch, Alexander 27.5
Alexander the Pharaoh
Sacrificed to the Apis bull (a ritual that the Greeks believed
to be important for the Egyptians).
Royal Titles: “beloved by Amun”, “chosen by Ra” & “son
of Ra” (might be translated as both “son of Zeus” and “son
of Helios” (because Ra was a solar deity).
Alexander belonged to a dynasty that claimed to descend
from Zeus’ son Heracles
The Proskynesis Episode: Between two cultures (1)
It had been agreed between Alexander and the sophists and the most
illustrious Persians and Medes in his suite to introduce the topic at a
drinking party. Anaxarchus opened the discussion by saying that
Alexander would more justly be considered a god than Dionysus or
Heracles, not only in view of his many extraordinary exploits... there
could be no doubt that once he had departed the human sphere they
would honor Alexander as a god. Would it not be more just to honor him
while he lived than after his death, when the honor would be of no benefit
to him? When these and similar remarks were made by Anaxarchus, all
who shared his opinion applauded his speech and were indeed ready to
begin making obeisance. But the Macedonians, who were for the most
part vexed at his speech, kept silent. Callisthenes now interrupted and
said, “Anaxarchus, I declare that Alexander is unworthy of none of the
honors that are due a human being. But the honors accorded to men have been
distinguished from those accorded to the gods in a great many ways: the building of
temples and the setting up of statues and precincts have been given to the gods, and
hymns are composed in their honor, whereas eulogies are composed for human beings.
The Proskynesis Episode: Between two cultures (2)
But nowhere is the distinction more plainly marked than in the
custom of obeisance. For human beings greet one another with a
kiss, but divinity, I suppose because it is seated on high and must
not be touched, is honored with obeisance, and choruses are
established for the gods, and paeans are sung to them. And this is
not at all surprising, since even the gods themselves receive a
variety of different honors; and, in fact, other honors, distinct
from those paid to the gods, are paid to heroes. It would therefore
be unreasonable to confound all these things and cast human
beings in an arrogant light by offering them excessive honors, or
to degrade the gods unduly (if that is conceivable) by according
them the honors paid to human beings.
Arrian, Alexander 4.10-11
Understanding Persian Customs
‘Amongst our many excellent customs, this we account the best, to honour
the king and to worship him (proskynein), as the image of the god of all
things (eikōn theou). If then you approve of our practices, fall down before
the king and revere him, you may both see him and speak to him; but if
you think otherwise, you will need to use messengers to intercede for you,
for it is not our national custom for the king to grant audience to any man
who does not pay him obeisance’... When Themistocles was led into the
king’s presence, he kissed the ground in front of him and waited silently.
Plutarch, Themistocles 27.4–5; 28.1
Means of/for Deification
Deification Amplified
From Human to God to Myth
Alexander’s Aim?
• Was Alexander’s deification his own achievement?
• Who owns Alexander?
• Why ‘The Great’?
• Olympias’ Influence
• Philip’s Influence
• Between three worlds
General, Murdered, Hero, or God?
• Who gets to decide?
• Does deification function under pressure?
• The Greek viewpoint
• The enemies’ viewpoint
• The imagination
• The role of Persia
• Ante and Post Mortem deification
The function of deification
• Political stability?
• Historical continuation?
• Social cohesion?
• Natural order?
• Public imagination and/or reality?
• The role of myth?
From Alexander to Alexander the Great
Whose Alexander?
Why Alexander matters?
What would have happened?
The body of Alexander
The power of Alexander
The myth of Alexander
Next: Jesus of Nazareth