Secret of Siwa

[jan]

I am curious as to know who knows what the secret prophecy that the Oracle of Siwa told Alexander in confidence. While it is said that Alexander did not ever reveal it, I wonder if anyone is willing to speculate at what it could have been. I just read that when questioned about it, he would become very angy. Any ideas? I have an idea and I would like to hear yours.

[jan]

My thought is that probably the oracle told him that his demise would come soon after that of Hephaestion. And I wish to add that I believe the short Flowers for Algernon which was made into the movie Charlie, starring Cliff Robertson, is a bit of a spinoff.

[ruthaki]

He wouldn't even tell his best friend Hephaestion exactly what the omens said. It was something to do with his paternity. He said he'd discuss it with his mother when he returned to Macedon (which he never did, of course). It was after that he began wearing the horns of Ammon on his helmet and even had similar horns made for his horse.

[marcus]

Hi Ruth,Maybe I'm wrong, but I always thought that the appearance of horns on Bucephalus was a medieval (or later) construct, based on the horse's name.A bit like the horns appearing on Michelangelo's statue of Moses in the Vatican...But the horns did appear on Alexander's head on coinage after the Siwa visit.Crikey, two weeks on Wednesday I'm going to be in Siwa... hoorah!All the bestMarcus

[jan]

Thanks, Ruth, and that use of the horns seems to confirm that he believes that he is son of zeus ammon. Your expertise is much appreciated as I had not remembered from my reading that it was about his paternity.

[maciek]

Ruth aren't You going a little too much into his legend? I never found in the sources that he made horns for his horse. Also I never found that he wheared it by himself. I think it was just a imagination of him made for coins - but it influenced people minds.
Maciek

[yiannis]

Or that he would like OTHERS to believe that he's the son of Ammon/Zeus... How convenient, a god as our king etc...