5 Takeaways from Netflix’s “Alexander: The Making of a God”
Controversy is swirling around Netflix’s new six episode show Alexander: The Making of a God. I finished watching the six episodes this week and am ready to give my thoughts.
Guest appearance on Ray & Cam's "Life of Alexander" podcast
Last week, I had the pleasure of being on The Life of Alexander podcast with Ray & Cam.
Were Alexander the Great and Hephaestion lovers?
The age-old question. Were Alexander and Hephaestion lovers? Or merely close friends? It has been debated, and commented on, by countless historians and philosophers. So what do we know for sure, and what's merely myth?
The ancient sources on Alexander and Hephaestion
So far, I've looked at what Arrian, Plutarch, and Curtius had to say about Alexander the Great's relationship with Hephaestion. Now it's time to look at what some of the other ancient sources said about Hephaestion, including Diodorus, Aelian, and Diogenes of Sinope.
Robin Lane Fox's Hephaestion
Even though Fox's account of Alexander is immensely detailed, he admits it is not exactly a biography of Alexander the Great. Rather, it is an interpretation - one plausible take on Alexander and his career. With that in mind, what does Fox have to say about Hephaestion?
Curtius on Alexander the Great and Hephaestion
This post looks at what Quintus Curtius Rufus (aka simply Curtius) wrote about Alexander and Hephaestion. Curtius was a Roman historian who wrote The History of Alexander in the First Century AD (a few decades before both Plutarch and Arrian). The History of Alexander is considered one of the five main sources on Alexander's campaign.
Plutarch on Alexander the Great & Hephaestion
As far as I can tell, the first major insight Plutarch offers into Alexander's relationship with Hephaestion comes in Book 39, as he discusses Alexander's mother's habit of sending her son private letters from Macedon.
Arrian on Alexander the Great & Hephaestion
Arrian's first mention of Hephaestion comes in Book I of his account, when Alexander and his army visit the ruins of Troy. There, Arrian writes that Alexander traded armor at the Temple of Athena, then proceeded to honor the tombs of those who fought at Troy.