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I raise my next topic basically out of jelousy for the Relationship Alexander may have had with Hepheastion. As you know ive been watching Rome and cant but admire the friendship of Verenus and his mate. wether its fiction I cant help reflect on Alexander. Within the friendship its like real soul mates brothers even.


Both men have wives or had wives but yet we get the feeling that there loyalty and love is for each other without any hint of sexual involvement. i ask is such a friendship stronger than perhaps marriages love afffairs etc. i see friends brothers etc that were once married. they obviously loved each other once. reasons and divorce happens and those who were close suddenly become the most viscious of enemies.

Then the marriages etc inevitably its the old friendships that help in times of up heavel.i therefor ask if a friendship Alexander had with hepheastion more deeper and trusted than a marriage.

kenny

I very much agree with you Kenny. Alexander and Hephaestion had such a bond. I really don't care if their relationship was sexual or not. It was totally normal back then to have lovers of both genders. We make such a big deal about it in this day and age, but what those two had was beautiful. Hephaestion was the ONLY person Alexander would allow to read letters from his Mother. She was said to be jealous of Hephaestion, but knew he was the one Alexander could trust above all others. It saddens me to think of the pain Alexander was in after Hephaestion's death. Instead of cutting just one lock of hair off to show his mourning, he reportedly cut all of his hair. To have a relationship where you aren't complete without the other person is hard to find.

I completely agree with both of you. Hephaestion was a major part of Alexander's life. Some even go to call him his alter ego. I would definitely say that the relationship that the two had was much stronger than the marriages and other love affairs. What Hephaestion and Alexander had is something seldom found, but when it is, it is beautiful. If you don't mind me quoting Oliver Stone's movie, Alexander said, "Hephaestion loves me as I am." This might be true. Hephaestion loved Alexander unconditionally, as he was - not who he once was or what he would become. I believe Alexander needed someone to love him as such. His mother and father always looked into the future. He himself did so as well. Hephaestion was there to care for him and make sure he had a grip on himself in the present. Once again, such a love is more powerful than any marriage or love affair.

Another one from the Stone movie: "I am nothing without you" - Alexander to Hephaistion as Hephaistion lays dying. Quite clever to turn a reported quote upside down like that.

One thing I found interesting was Alexander's request that Hephaistion be made into a god after his death. I think that Alexander firmly believed in his own godhood (is that a word?) by this time. Lane Fox reports that Alexander got very superstitious and fearful after Hephaistion's death and surrounded himself with Magi, priests etc. and their rituals. It's strange to me that a man who was fearless at the face of death in so many battles, found death to be a terrifying prospect after Hephaistion was gone. But Alexander was apparently more together after news came back that Hephaistion had been declared a hero by the Siwa oracle. Is it possible that even the thought of an eternity with the gods was awful to Alexander without Hephaistion by his side?

Sorry about the babbling. Alexander and Hephaistion's story (myth?) is pretty much my favourite love story.

Semiramis wrote:Another one from the Stone movie: "I am nothing without you" - Alexander to Hephaistion as Hephaistion lays dying. Quite clever to turn a reported quote upside down like that.

One thing I found interesting was Alexander's request that Hephaistion be made into a god after his death. I think that Alexander firmly believed in his own godhood (is that a word?) by this time. Lane Fox reports that Alexander got very superstitious and fearful after Hephaistion's death and surrounded himself with Magi, priests etc. and their rituals. It's strange to me that a man who was fearless at the face of death in so many battles, found death to be a terrifying prospect after Hephaistion was gone. But Alexander was apparently more together after news came back that Hephaistion had been declared a hero by the Siwa oracle. Is it possible that even the thought of an eternity with the gods was awful to Alexander without Hephaistion by his side?

Sorry about the babbling. Alexander and Hephaistion's story (myth?) is pretty much my favourite love story.

I too found it very interesting that Alexander wanted Hephaestion to be made a God, but it was still very important that he was to be remembered as a hero and that people made sacrifices to the Hero Hephaestion well after his death.
Alexander lost not only his lifelong friend/lover/companion but he also lost his best set of eyes. Hephaestion no doubt looked after Alexander and could be totally honest with him. I think Alexander really counted on Hephaestion to be there to support him and love him unconditionally. Alexander didn't treat anyone else as he treated Hephaestion and must have trusted him fully to allow him to be the only other person to read his Mother's letters. He must have felt so lost after Hephaestion died. I think I too would have been suspicious of everyone around me, he was right to in the end wasn't he?

It seems that Hephaestion was kind of a god in Alexander's eyes. He needed someone to rely on, to comfort him, and to always be there for him, and Hephaestion did all that. No one else could have replaced Hephaestion. Maybe he did deserve such a spectacular funeral. I mean, the majority of people know Alexander was great, but what if there was no Hephaestion? Would he still be great? Would he still have done all the feats that we love him for? Or would he be a completely changed man? They needed each other more than anything. In the end, I have to agree with Theseus. If my Hephaestion died, I would suspect everyone too, and lose some of my compassion. Maybe Hephaestion drove his compassion in a sense, and without him, there wasn't much left.

Oh, and it's okay Semiramis, Alexander and Hephaestion's story is my favorite love story too.