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UPon reading the summaries on this line, I was struck by the similarity between the lines of Alexander's to the wife of Darius III, when he states that Haphaestion is Alexander too, Mother. This sounds a lot like Jesus while suffering on the cross when he tells John, the Beloved, Behold thy Mother. Interesting for quotation similarities...

Wasn't Jesus telling John to look after Mary, as his adopted mother, since Jesus was about to shuffle off this mortal coil? Alexander was reassuring Darius's mother that she had not committed a grevious social error by mistaking Hephaestion for Alexander - Arrian doubts the story is true, but says that this shows that Alexander's compassion and commends him for his fine feelings to his friend.

Wasn't Alexander just fond of dreaming he was someone else? Some examples:* As a child, Alexander chose one tutor over the others because he would call him Achilles.* "If I were not Alexander, I would be Diogenes..."* "Relax, he [Hephaistion], too, is Alexander."* "I would do that, too, if I were Parmenio."Maybe the role of Alexander, son of Zeus, World Conqueror, got tiresome at times?John

I think he had an incredible sense of self - he didn't want to be Hephaestion, poor Hephaestion was morphed into Alexander...A was very aware of who he was, but he no doubt comapred himself a lot to other people; he was incredibly competitive. And also a bit of an actor?

Plutarch, in his Moralia, goes on for pages about Alexander's desire to be Diogenes.How could the great king want to live like a bum?Maybe his parents (and tutors) were always pushing into him how important he was, and how many cares and responsibilities he had, and part of him was rebelling, just wanting to live the carefree life of a bum, kicking back in the sun all day, not a care in the world... And when some great king approached, saying, "If you haven't noticed, you're blocking my sunlight... Thank you."As for Alexander wanting to be Hephaistion, the sources do say Hephaistion was taller and better looking than ATG. Maybe he just wished he had Hephaistion's physical body. Well, I hope after he crossed to the "other side" from Babylon 323 BCE, he demanded a better body for his next life, and a better lifestyle, too, so he could stop dreaming he was someone else! LOLJohn

The reason ATG answered: "He is Alexander too, is because he was referring to the actual name "Alexandros" which means "Protector of men" i.e: Hephaistion was a "protector of men" too.

No no, Alexander said 'Don't worry mother, you're not far out. He too is Alexander' because Alexander loved Hephaestion very much.

Although, as the story is probably apocryphal, it is open to as many interpretations as people want to give it...All the bestMarcus

Hi John!I liked that! '[...]part of him was rebelling, just wanting to live the carefree life of a bum, kicking back in the sun all day, not a care in the world...'.
I agree totally! I think he was a rebel, and meant what he said when he said he wanted to be Diogenes. Why not? Just imagine how boring it had been to be bowed to the ground by odd people wearing old-fashioned clothes and speaking a very weird language... Or getting married twice [twice?] because he had to, politically [politically?].Umm, no, i think it could have been a great fun as well!But i don't think he wanted to have Hephaistion's stature. What for? It's more or less like what Julius C said --- how was that? --- i'd rather be the second man in Rome than the first man in the province. Right?:) ;)susa

So, better to reign in hell than get your ass
kicked in heaven? Unlike Akhilleus, who
wouldn't have minded being the least helot on
earth rather than ruler of Elysium... :0)enjoy.... (& excuse - more red wine & anasthetic)wmp

wmp [wha' brand of wine do u take?]That's why i hardly agree when people say Alexander had Achilles as model. He'd rather be short, general/king/emeperor, and be remembered as 'the Great', than be tall, chief logistics officer, and be remembered as 'fundamentally stupid'.
sus

But of course that remark is a careless one of Peter Green, not a historical fact.

yes, of course.:)susa

...but very memorable...