Alexander the Great Articles

By investigating the works of Polybius and Livy, we can discuss an important aspect of the impact of Alexander upon the reputation and image of Rome. Because of the subject of their histories and the political atmosphere in which they were writing – these authors, despite their generally positive opinions of Alexander, ultimately created scenarios... [continue reading]

Alexander the Great died from an acute febrile illness in 323 BC. Recent analyses have suggested several possible causes of his death and one among them is malaria. However, the analyses of Alexander‘s terminal illness have failed to consider his family history. Carriers of mutations for alpha and beta thalassemias, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase... [continue reading]

Plutarch, Arrian, Diodorus, Justin, and other ancient historians report that rumors of poisoning arose after the death of Alexander in Babylon in 323 B.C. Alexander’s close friends suspected a legendary poison gathered from the River Styx in Arcadia, so corrosive that only the hoof of a horse could contain it. It’s impossible to know the... [continue reading]