Alexander's Divinity

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  • Created by: ekmad
  • Created on: 11-06-15 14:24

Alexander's Divinity

Similarities

  • Visited the Oracle of Ammon at the Siwah Oasis in 332. Told he has an affiliation with the God Ammon, as such he could then match Heracles in all his exploits.
  • Worshipped as a God by the Egyptians who associated the Pharaoh with being the physical manifestation of Amun-Ra, however Macedonian reports are believed to be a lot more sceptical in their worship.
  • Demanded obeisance from the Greek/Macedonian courts as well as Persian courts in 327. The Persians who associated the Great King with divinity were happy to oblige however the Macedonians were not, fearing it overstepped Alexander's position from the secular to the divine.
  • Ordered his own deification to the Old Greeks in 324. Arrian details that delegates from Greece arrived to Babylon and crowned Alexander "as if" he was a God. Perhaps suggesting they were patronising him on behalf of his position as Supreme Ruler of Asia and Greece
  • Hellenic cities in Anatolia worshipped Alexander without prompting as a liberator of the people from the Persian "barbaric" menace.

Differences

  • The proskynesis affair was a tricky one for Alexander who wanted to carry on continuity of the Achaemenids whilst also securing his own position politically. The obeisance of the courts was necessary then to achieve this. Greek opposition, as led by Callisthenes, may have been against the threat to their supremacy more than an objection on spiritual grounds.
  • The 324 order of deification is uncertain to have either been issued by Alexander or even legitimately existed. If it did then it is unlikely to have been majorly upheld as evidence from Sparta attests to: "we concede to Alexander that if he wishes to be called a God then he can be"
  • The worship of Alexander in Hellenic polis' in Anatolia was allowed as politically it created stability and obedience from these areas.

Overall comparison

It is clear to see that after 330 Alexander took on a more despotic role in the Empire. His rise in spirituality cannot be a coincidence. Initially he allowed it as it gave him political stability but by the order of 324 it is clear his megalomania was getting out of hand which fed into his divinity complex.

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