Schoolcraft College

The Mystery of Alexander the Greats Tomb

Anne Buford
Professor Dyer
Ancient World History
8 October 2014

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Alexander III, better known as Alexander the Great, reined over Macedonia from 336 BCE to 323
BCE.1Alexander was born in 356 BCE to King Philip II and Queen Olympia and during his childhood years
he was tutored by Aristotle.1 Over the course of three years, Aristotle taught Alexander and a handful
of his friends philosophy, poetry, drama, science and politics. Seeing that Homer's Iliad inspired
Alexander to dream of becoming a heroic warrior, Aristotle created an abridged version of the tome for
Alexander to carry with him on military campaigns (Alexander the Great-Biography). The teachings
from Aristotle were what inspired Alexander to be the daring, powerful, remarkable king he was.
Although his leadership of Macedonia was brief, Alexander conquered copious amount of land, his
infamous conquest being Persia.2 In June 323 BC, Alexander died in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II, in
Babylon.2Although there are two different version of his death the most common suggestion is natural
causes. It is believed he contracted a disease like Malaria or Typhoid fever.2 Alexander no doubt has one
of the most recognized legacies of all time but the tomb of Alexander, particularly its location, still
mystifies archeologist today.
Alexanders childhood was spent observing his father, King Phillip II, turn Macedonia into a
critical military power within the Greek city-states.3 At age 12 he [-Alexander-] showed his equestrian
skill to his father and all who were watching when he tamed Bucephalus, an unruly stallion horse,
unable to be ridden and devouring the flesh of all who had tried(Alexander the Great (Alexander of
Macedon) Biography). Alexander is said to have rode Bucephalus in all of his major battles.3 Perhaps the
taming of Bucephalus allowed Alexander to gain a more enhanced reputation with his father because
In 340, when Philip assembled a large Macedonian army and invaded Thrace, he left his 16 years old
son with the power to rule Macedonia in his absence as regent (Alexander the Great (Alexander of
Macedon) Biography). Even at a young age Alexander was capable of ruling Macedonia. Not too long
after the defeat of the Greeks at Chaeronea the royal split apart.3Subsquently Alexander and his mother
Olympia left Macedonia. In 336 BCE King Phillip II was assassinated by Pausanias.3

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There are reports that that both Olympias and Alexander were responsible for the assassination,
by driving the young man into committing the act. That might explain why Pausanias was instantly
put to death by Alexander's close friends as he attempted to flee the scene, instead of being
captured alive and tried before the Macedonian assembly(Alexander the Great (Alexander of
Macedon) Biography).
The death of King Philip II allowed Alexander to launch his rule as King of Macedonia. Philips death was
the cause behind many of the rebellions throughout the conquered nations of the Illyrian, Thracians,
and Greeks but Alexander quickly ended them.3After the rebellions the Battle of Granicus occurred; this
is when Alexander invaded Asia at the age of 22. At this battle the Macedonians defeated the Persians,
the battle ended in Macedonian victory.3 At his death eleven years later [after he conquered Persia],
Alexander ruled the largest empire of the ancient world. His victory at the battle of Gaugamela on the
Persian plains was a decisive conquest that insured the defeat of his Persian rival King Darius III
(Alexander Defeats the Persians, 331 BC). Throughout Alexanders short reign he conquered many
empires the most renowned was his victory over the Persian Empire.
Alexander controlled the largest empire in history, he started a new eastern campaign very
soon after his return from Persia.4 By 327 B.C., he had conquered Afghanistan, Central Asia, and
northern India. In the next year, his army, exhausted after eight years of fighting, refused to go farther,
and Alexander led them on a difficult journey home through the inhospitable Makran Desert(Alexander
the Great Dies). When Alexander finally reached Babylon he began constructing a large fleet which
would allow his army to return home but was unable to finish it.4 After another next of binge drinking
Alexander complained of extreme stomach pain and a fever which lasted twelve days.5 Alexander began
to slowly lose the use of his arms and leg eventually becoming up able to speak. 5 Alexander the Great,
the Macedonian conqueror died in his early 30s around 323 B.C [;] he was buried in Alexandria

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(Olsen). Modern doctors believe Alexander died from Typhoid fever.5Perhaps earnestly believing
himself to be a god, he had not selected a successor, and within a year of his death his army and his
empire broke into a multitude of warring factions. His body was later returned to Alexandria, where it
was laid to rest in a golden coffin(Alexander the Great Dies).It is said that on his death bed when asked
who should rule Macedonia next Alexander said the strongest.5
After death Alexanders body became one of the venerated objects in the classical world.
6

Pilgrims along with some of the most powerful emperors paid homage at the kings shrine but after the

first half of the first millennium all traces of this site of fame and importance vanished.6 Due to the fact
the tomb is still undiscovered today the location is still one of historys greatest mysteries. It is believed
the tomb may have been destroyed or hijack.6 To own the bones of a particular individual, say King
Alexander, was something that brought legitimacy and prosperity to a community.6 Ptolemy, one of
Alexanders generals, is believed to have brought Alexanders body to Egypt to the town founded only a
decade before Alexanders death, Alexandria.6 Here Ptolemy brings the city to great power and at the
center of it all, its symbol of legitimacy, the mausoleum housing the remains of Alexander himself. 6The
tomb itself became a sightseeing point. Even though Dr. Jean-Yves Empereur and his team have
discovered thousands of priceless artifacts the tomb remains undiscovered.6Although Alexanders tomb
is lost scholars have not given up the search. The lack of archeological evidence is made up from the
textural evidence. There are many texts from the first three centuries A.D that state Alexanders body is
located in Alexandria and then almost all references end.6Nobody knows for certain why.
To understand why the tomb may have disappeared we need to exam what else was going on in
Alexandria during the time. The majority of the reliable reference to the tomb stopped in the latter half
of the third century.6 At this time the Roman Empire is going through a period of violence and rebellion.6
The third century A.D is also known as the Crisis Century for the Roman Empire due to the economic

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depression and poor governance there which led to rebellion, extreme violence, and destruction.6 It was
particular the eastern part of the Roman Empire were the problems are the worst which is located right
near Alexandria.6 Zenobia, the queen of Palmyra took advantage of the weakened Roman empire by
invading Egypt and conquering the city of Alexandria.6 Due to the invasion, Rome retaliates by capturing
the Queen, and order is restored briefly to the city of Alexandria.6 Thirty years pass and there is another
uprising led by local rebels which leads the Roman Emperor Dioceltian to invade.6 During this attack he
destroys the city of Alexandria.6 Decades of war, invasion, and rebellion destroy much of Alexandria.6
This period of lawlessness coincides with the loss of eyewitness references to the tomb.6 Scholars
suggest that during this time of anarchy the tomb was destroyed, lost forever.6
Even though most of the records of the tomb stop at the end of the third century there as an
isolated mention of it much later in the fourth century A.D.6 This mention was made by Libanius of
Antioch; He specifically said that the body of Alexander was on display in Alexandria in 390 A.D.6 If the
reference is accurate it records the body 100 years or so after the violence that took place during the
third century which implies the tomb survived. This quote is the last mention of Alexanders body and
the tomb.6 Dr. Nick Saunders claims One of the reason why the textual evidence, the written evidence,
stops around 390, 391 A.D is because there was a revolution of spirituality(Mystery Files: Alexander the
Great). Egypt, Greece, and Rome were polytheistic and cults to hundreds of deities existed across the
known world but in the fourth century the Roman Emperor Constantine embraces Christianity; some
scholars believe the rise of Christianity can explain the loss of Alexanders tomb because the King was
viewed as a threat to the followers of Christ. In life Alexander was a great military leader but in death he
became divine, being worshipped as a Pagan god.6 Alexander was the first of many leaders who changed
from a man to something divine.6 In Christianity there is only one God and Paganism is polytheistic
which created a great conflict between the religions. Early Christians were extremely fundamental in
their views and because of this Paganism became an enemy; at the time of Libanius last mention of the

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tomb Christianity had just reached the Emperor Theodosius. 6Theodosius banned not only Pagan
festivals and feasts, but he closed the temples and he makes a non-enforcement of these rules a
punishable crime.6 After this change even viewing Alexanders tomb was a crime seeing how after death
he became a Pagan God. The extreme fundamentalist of Christianity went around at this time destroying
all kinds of images, temple carvings hieroglyphics, and any inscription which had to do with Paganism.6
The archeological evidence in Alexandria show how hard fundamentalist went to get rid Paganism.6
Because Alexander is the god of the city the theory by some scholars is that if the temple complex
dedicated to Serapis [another Pagan God] and all other Gods were destroyed, Alexanders would have
suffered a similar fate(Mystery Files: Alexander the Great). Alexanders tomb was destroyed along with
all the other polytheistic shrines and after around 390 the references of Alexanders tomb stoped.6 To
this day his tomb still remains undiscovered.
Alexander the Great, son of Philip II, presided over Macedonia from 336 BCE to 323 BCE.2 During
Alexanders childhood he was tutored by Aristotle.2 The knowledge Alexander gained from Aristotle is
what encouraged him to be the bold, influential, notable king he was. Even though Alexanders control
over Macedonia was short-term he was able to conquer an ample amount of land and empires, the
most well-known being Persia.2 Alexander also learned a lot from his father; at the age of sixteen
Alexander ruled over Macedonia in place of Philip II which allowed Philip to join his military team in
Thebes.3 Shortly after the defeat of the Greeks at Chaeonea the family split up.3 Alexander and his
mother left Macedonia and in 336 BCE King Philip II was assassinated by Pausanias.3 There are claims
that Olympias and Alexander were responsible for Philip II assassination but they are just assumptions.3
After the death of the king many of the city-states under his rule rebelled against Macedonia but
Alexander quickly ended it.3 After the rebellions Macedonia invaded Asia and this is when Alexander
conquered Persia.3 Alexander began a new campaign shortly after he returned from Persia.4 When he
finally reached Babylon he began construction on a large fleet which would return his army back to

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Macedonia but he was not able to finish it.5 After another night of drinking Alexander began to complain
about stomach pains and a fever which would last for twelve days.5 He slowly began to lose the ability to
more his arms and leg and eventually became unable to speak.5 Alexander the Great died in 323 BCE and
was buried in Alexandria.5 Doctors today believe Alexander died from Typhoid fever. 5Alexander
believed himself to be a god and because of this he did not choose a successor; within a year of his
death his army and empire broke up.5 After death a large variety of people came to pay respect to the
kings shire but after the first half of the first millennium all traces of this site vanished.6 Alexanders
tomb is one of historys greatest mysteries; the location is still unknown today. It is believed his tomb
may have been hijacked.6 Ptolemy, one of Alexanders general, is believed to have brought his body to
Alexandria, Egypt.6 After the bones were brought to Alexandria the city began to have great power and
the tomb became a sightseeing point.6 While there may be a lack of archeological evidence on the tomb
there is a lot of textual evidence from ancient sources. Understanding what was occurring at the time
the tomb disappeared helps explain why we still have not found it today. During the third century A.D
the Roman Empire went through a period of violence and rebellion.6 The third century A.D is also known
as the Crisis Century for the Roman Empire due to the economic depression and poor governance that
occurred. It was the eastern part of the Roman Empire that experienced the worst of the crisis and it
was located right near Alexandria.6 Zenobia, the queen of Palmyra took advantage of the weakened
Roman Empire when she invaded Egypt resulting in Alexandria being conquered.6 The Romans retaliated
by capturing Zenobia restoring order to Egypt for a little while longer.6 After thirty years another
uprising occurred; it was led by local rebels and this resulted in the Roman Empire Dioceltian to invade.6
During this attack he destroyed the city of Alexandria.6 Decades of war, invasion, and rebellion are what
destroyed most of Alexandria.6 The period of lawlessness coincides with the loss of eyewitness
reference to the tomb.6 Scholars believe the tomb was destroyed, lost forever.6 The first three centuries
A.D have a countless number of texts that states Alexanders body is located in Alexandria, and then

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almost all reference end except in fourth century A.D where there is a single mention of the tomb.6 The
mention was made by Libanius and he specifically stated the body of Alexander was on display in
Alexandria in 390 A.D.6 This quote ends up being the last mention of Alexanders body and the tomb.6
Dr. Nick Saunders believes the reason why the textual evidence stops in due to the rise of Christianity.
6

As said above Alexander believed he was a God and so did others so when he died people worshipped

him as a Pagan God.6 In Christianity there is only one God and in Paganism is polytheistic which created
conflict between the two religions.6 Early Christians were extremely fundamental in their views and
because of this Paganism became the perfect enemy.6 Soon Pagan festivals and festivals were ended and
temples were closed.6 After this shift in religion viewing Alexander was seen as a crime seeing as his was
a Pagan God.6 Because Alexander was the God of Alexandria it is believed his temple was destroyed
along with all the other polytheistic shrines never to be seen again.6

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Works Cited
"Alexander Defeats The Persians, 331 BC." Alexander Defeats The Persians, 331 BC. Ibis Communion, Inc,
1 Jan. 2000. Web. 9 Oct. 2014.
"Alexander the Great (Alexander of Macedon) Biography."Alexander the Great (Alexander of Macedon)
Biography. Historyofmacedoniag, 1 Jan. 2013. Web. 9 Oct. 2014.
"Alexander the Great-Biography."Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 9 Oct. 2014.
"Alexander the Great Dies."History.com. A&E Television Networks, 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 10 Oct. 2014.
Mystery Files: Alexander the Great. Perf. Nick Saunders, Andrew Chugg, Michael Scott, Brian Dennehy,
Jean-Yves Empereuer. National Geographic, 2011. Film.
Olsen, Ted. "Name the Tomb." Academic OneFile. Gale, 1 Jan. 2004. Web. 11 Oct. 2014.
Rhodes, P.J. "Alexander of Macedon, 356 - 323 B.C.: A Historical Biography." Academic OneFile. History
Today, 1 Jan. 1193. Web. 13 Oct. 2014.

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Notes
1. http://www.biography.com/people/alexander-the-great-9180468#synopsis
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great
3. http://www.historyofmacedonia.org/AncientMacedonia/AlexandertheGreat.html
4. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/bc-alexander-the-great-dies
5. http://www.biography.com/people/alexander-the-great-9180468/videos/alexander-thegreat-mysterious-death-17438787545#related-video-gallery
6. http://www.netflix.com/WiPlayer?movieid=70299224&trkid=13752289&tctx=0,0,alex:6d33
7929-b8e4-4682-aed0-23b041d7f5cb