ATG's Perception of the After-Life

[Thalestris-Alexandros]

What was Alexander's view on the soul? Would he have subscribed to the Pythagorean belief of the pre-existence of the soul? Or the common thought of once dead you're dead and decayed (as it is briefly stated by Cebes in Plato's "Phaedo").I ask this because Philip befriended Epaminondas when he was taken hostage by Pelopidas (360-359BC); Epaminondas' teacher was a Pythagorean named Lysis of Tarentum. Perhaps Philip followed Pythagorean belief, influenced by Epaminondas, thus affecting his son's perception of the soul's existence. This would also reinforce Alexander's experience at Siwa.Now, if Alexander subscribed to this belief, would he not have endured Hephaistion's death with more spiritual strength? His grief was paramount. [I speculate that Alexander's grief weakened him irreperably, thus reducing his immunity, resulting in his body's inability to fight the fever that ended his life. Depression and alcohol--a lethal mix.]Anyone for discussion on the *soul*:)Amazon Queen

[susan]

I think Alexander's views on the soul would probably have been more influenced by Olympias' views than Philip's. I think the prospect of Valhalla would have suited him best - an eternal afterlife of winning battles, followed by evening's carousings with other warriors and next day - doing it all over again. That would have been much more appealing than wandering through Elysian fields.RegardsSusan

[susa]

Being a very intelligent, well-read man, i don't think he'd choose the Valhalla/battles/carousing view for his after-life. I think he'd choose an eternity in company of Diogenes, and maybe he'd allow Hephaistion and a few others to share this scholarly conversation with them. Maybe.

[marcus]

And, of course, Valhalla was hardly within Alexander's frame of reference. (Sorry, couldn't resist it - I know what was meant.) Still, Alexander as a Wagnerian hero would be quite interesting, not least because the opera would last as long as Al's campaigns!Marcus

[Linda]

Hi Amazon QueenThe only thing I can add is that Alexander dedicated the dead Cosseans as a sacrifice to Hephaestion's ghost. Is ghost the same as soul - I have seen ti translated that way.RegardsLinda

[Thalestris-Alexandros]

Hi Linda,Hephaistion's ghost, hmmm. [thinking real hard here]. Soul...ghost...it is terms like those two that make me ponder what Alexander's view is on the afterlife. According Webster's Dictionary 9praise to Webster who unconfounds me when I am)*Ghost* is defined as the disembodied spirit of a dead person, conceived of as appearing to the living as a pale,shadowy apparition, a haunting. *Soul* is defined as the entity which is regarded as being the immortal part of the person.Now, Alexander (in agreement with Susa's comment)being highly read in literature and philosophy, would he have subscribed to Socrates' discussion on the soul? This also makes me ponder his last words to Perdikkas before he expired. I presume Alexander died in peace. To where did he think he was going?I am much more interested in Alexander's spirituality than his sexuality...it was the powerful energy of his spirituality that drove him.The responses are very much appreciated. I cannot help but obsess over Alexander's *psyche* .Ala-lai!!Alexander's Amazon Queen

[susa]

Hi Alexander's Amazon Queen! :)I agree with you .
It's harder to discuss Alex's psyche than his sexuality. It's so easy to start a debate with 'was he gay?', or 'he was not a homossexual!', or 'did he really spent 13 days with Thalestris?' ;)These are infallible really....That's why i keep away from both!! :)And i'd rather a thousand times ask about that so very charming straw hat called petasos, and imagine Alex wearing one of those when he's out in the sun... if he ever did wear one of those when he was out in the sun. Anyway...
susa

[Linda]

well, of course, I would say sexuality *is* part of one's psyche..., but each to their own :)Alexander was superstitious, so I think that suggests that he believed in the supernatural - he really beleived in the gods, and therefore in an afterlife...What were Perdiccas's last words?

[yiannis]

If you recall the Odyssey, the ancient Greeks believed that the dead were wondering as "ghosts" in the Hades. Those who lived a "good" life in peace and spending their life in discussions etc while the "bad boys" in eternal torment. It does remind us of heaven and hell, doesn't it?
However, a striking difference is that even the Greek heaven was not considered to be such a nice place! The ghosts were missing the earthly pleasures and wished they could return to life to enjoy them again. Considering the love for life and joyful nature of the ancients this highly understandable. I mean, what would you prefer, a nice symposium or a discussion about virtue? (Especially if you can discuss about virtue in the symposium while being drunk and surrounded by beautiful hetaeras)...

[Pam]

Do I remember,or am I confusing fact and fiction, Big A trying to have Heph. "made a god" in that crazy time after H.'s death? If this is fact,. then it speaks to thecontinuationof the soul and a wish to improve the conditions of the afterlife for it. No?

[Thalestris-Alexandros]

Yes!! I love these responses!!! I am so into this! Ah, where is my warrior-king...the Amazon Queen wanta an extra 13 days with him!! Is he reincarnated? Where? Will he be resurrected? Where can I find him.Ok, seriously.Dear Susa: I love the straw hat! And I will always remember your statement last year regarding time travel, returning to ATG, and into which time slot of his life would one wish to be-- your response was to go to Babylon 323BC, lean against our beloved warrior-king, and whisper into his ear "Beware, my king". Do you remember that? I do:)Dear Yiannis: Eharisto! The reference to "The Odyseey" was very helpful! A ghost? Where do YOU think ATG is? Suffering, longing, wandering in the realm of the living as ghost, reincarnated, dead and decayed, or asleep? Dear Linda: ATG's last words to Perdikkas-"When you are happy". To where did Alexander believe himself to go after he exhaled his last breath? Elysium, Tartarus, into another being (reincarnation)? Was it "the end" for him?I cannot explain *why* I am so persistent to learn his perception of the "soul" or "afterlife", but it is important to me. As I sit at my PC, surrounded by images, sculptures, and books of him, I sometimes wonder *why* I am so driven to him, and for so long. He's almost like an addiction.Cheers!Thalestris

[yiannis]

Parakalo, dear Thalestris:-)Unfortunatelly (?) I'm not a very spiritual person so, inevidably, I cannot see Alexander reincarnated or asleep. In my mind he's simply dead!
But, his deeds still live on and inspire people all over the world. People from different backgrounds, nationalities, religions etc...
So I guess you can say that he's immortal in that sence!regards,
Yiannis

[susa]

Ooops! what a relief to know you are not jealous of my wish to lean against Alexander and whisper into his ear!! you see, i am no match to an amazon queen...:)As for afterlife, well, i simply wish that, if a ghost, may his ghost be not suffering nor longing, but at peace ; if sleeping, may he have pleasant dreams ; if reincarnated, may he have a happy, fair and long life.God bless him wherever he is, right?:)
susa

[agesilaos]

I think we can adduce a belief in the after-life through the fact that the tombs at Vergina contain grave goods for use in the next world an representations of the occupants as divine. The Macedonians believed their Kings to be descendants of Zeus and quasi-divine embodiments of the Fortune of the People; Hammond has a dicussionof the evidence in 'The Macedonian State'.As for Alexander re-incarnated; most systems of re-incarnation have you comeback as lower life forms until the sins of your have been expiated - after 2500 yrs he may have worked his way up to being a sea-cucumber but given the strength of his pothos he has no chance of achieving Nirvana.