Was Alexander the Great Buried Alive?
Alexander III of Macedon, better known as Alexander the Great, is considered one of the greatest conquers in history. By his death in 323 BCE, Alexander commanded an empire that included Greece, Egypt, Persia, western India, and lands in-between. Not bad for a guy who died at the age of 32.
As impressive as his achievements were in his short life, the details of his death are shrouded in mystery. Scholars have debated for centuries on his exact cause of death. Theories vary from malaria, an infection from war wounds, alcohol poisoning, or that his enemies had him poisoned.
One new theory is that Alexander may not have been exactly dead at his burial.
Let’s back up and look at what we know about his death. Then we can look at some of the theories surrounding his death.
Alexander began his conquest of the Persian Empire in 334 BCE. Twelve years later, his Macedonian-Greek soldiers were tired and wanted to turn back home as they were approaching further conquests of India. Alexander agreed to turn the army back to Babylon to rest and plan out other conquests after a revolt.
Between the evenings of the 10th and 11th of June, 323 BCE, Alexander died after an illness that began two weeks earlier. Alexander, known for his heroic drinking binges, spent several days and nights drinking and partying with his commanders. After that, he became ill with fever, lost his voice, and died in pain.
His death would mark the end of the Macedonian Empire, as his commanders then carved up the empire amongst themselves. Alexander’s wife (Roxane) and young son (Alexander IV) were later killed, ending his family line.
The historical record of his death is a bit hazy on what caused this sudden decline and death. Medical knowledge was not what it is today, and several sources differ on the description of his final days. Therefore, historians and medical experts have attempted to apply what the records tell us to their medical knowledge.
One popular theory is that Alexander may have been poisoned. This is not an unrealistic theory. Assassination was not uncommon in the ancient world, as political rivalries made any ruler’s position tenuous at best. And Alexander had many enemies amongst the people he conquered and some more ambitious members of his army. There was more than one disgruntled commander in his army, and we know there were a few failed attempts on his life.
The most likely candidate for this theory is his general Antipater, who had been recalled from his position as viceroy of Macedon and summoned by Alexander to Babylon. Antipater was at odds with Alexander’s mother, and it is possible he saw the order as a death sentence. As a result, he may have gotten his son, who was Alexander’s wine-pourer, to poison the king’s wine.
Most of the ancient sources mention the poison theory but dismiss it as only a rumor. Given Alexander’s prolonged condition, it is unlikely that any poison known to the people at the time would have taken so long to kill him. When it comes to poison, the quicker it kills the victim, the better.
However, recent investigations have discovered two possible candidates that may have caused Alexander’s death from poisoning. White hellebore is a plant known in the ancient world that could have caused symptoms similar to those described in the ancient sources. Mixed into Alexander’s wine, it could have been used in his death. Another candidate is the water from the river Styx in Greece. The water contains the deadly compound calicheamicin. If it was mixed with the king’s wine, it could have unknowingly killed him.
Alexander may have also died from natural causes. As mentioned, Alexander was a heavy drinker and had spent several days drinking with his friends. He also had fallen into a depression over the recent death of his best friend and possible lover, Hesphestion. He very likely developed alcohol poisoning, which led to his sudden illness. This, paired with years of hard fighting and war wounds, could have finally caught up with him.
Several diseases are possible culprits of Alexander’s death. Malaria and typhoid fever have symptoms that match Alexander’s and were common for that part of the ancient world. Typhoid paired with bowel perforations and developing paralysis is a common natural cause theory. He may have also suffered from an early version of West Nile virus paired with acute pancreatitis (which his drinking may have caused).
These have been the prevailing theories of what killed Alexander the Great. If you ask ten historians, they will likely give you ten different answers. Sadly, Alexander’s body was moved several times after his death before disappearing from the historical record sometime after 200 CE. If we had his body, current forensic science could settle the debate once and for all.
A new theory has arisen that may explain one detail after Alexander’s death. He lay in state for over a week before being finally buried. It is mentioned that his body did not show signs of decomposition during this time. This odd characteristic was not so much a sign of Alexander’s divine nature as a sign that the king may not have been dead when his men prepared him for burial.
A team of medical scientists in New Zealand has shed light on a new possibility of Alexander’s death. His paralysis and loss of speech may have been due to a rare autoimmune disease called Guillian-Barre syndrome (GBS).
GBS, which starts as a bacteria infection in the stomach, causes the immune system to attack the nervous system, causing paralysis. This would explain reports that Alexander was still of sound mind while he could not move. His lung muscles would have eventually contracted to the point that his breathing was undetectable, and he fell into a coma. They did not check your pulse in the ancient world but looked at your breath as a sign of life. It may have been possible the king was still alive for several days after being proclaimed dead.
While we cannot be sure if this new theory is true, it could explain many of the events surrounding his death. This new theory does not end the debate over the death of Alexander the Great but has invigorated the conversation amongst historians.
