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.
Alexander the Great, Part I: Show Notes
Alexander the Great, Part I investigates the mysterious link between Alexander and the mythic hero Achilles.
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?
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.
How Reliable is Arrian's Account of Alexander's Personality?
Arrian primarily relied on the accounts of Ptolemy (Alexander's childhood friend, soldier in his army, and ruler of Egypt after Alexander's death) and Aristobulus (an engineer who worked for Alexander). Both of these men knew Alexander personally and were present for much of his campaign, unlike other contemporaries of Alexander who wrote their own accounts.
Did Alexander the Great Really Idolize Achilles?
Oxford historian Robin Lane Fox, whose biography of Alexander was the primary inspiration behind Oliver Stone's film Alexander, has long maintained that Alexander the Great saw himself as a kind of "new Achilles". Many other scholars agree with Fox that the myth of Achilles played a key role in Alexander's public persona and personal motivation. But are they right?