Alexander's eyes

[Kate]

Hi everyone,I remember reading somewhere that Alexander had oddly coloured eyes: one blue and the other brown, but I can't find where this description comes from. I looked at Plutarch, thinking it was the kind of gossipy remark he might make, but no luck.
Does anyone here know? Also, do you think it sounds likely?Cheers,Kate

[Tre]

Greetings!Alexander possessing eyes of a different color is not found in Plutarch. It is referred to by later writers (at least one of whom says his eyes were blue)and is is embedded in the romance.It is certainly possible that his eyes were of different colors. So you ask "Then why doesn't everyone refer to this, it was so unusual." Descriptions of Alexander in print are noticeably vague - his hair color is almost never referred to either. You have to remember Alexander was such a huge name, there were many, many portaits and statues of him all over the place, and ancient writers did not feel it necessary to say what he looked like. After all, it was there for everyone to see. We unfortunately, suffer for the fact that no one was thinking of what would happen to these works far in the future. However, different colored eyes was considered the mark of a witch's get, and it would not surprise me at all if Alexander requested his eyes be portrayed the same color. Regards,Tre

[dean]

Hello,
I must admit that I love anything that Renault wrote, and so I found her analysis of this quite convincing.
She affirms that due to the catapult bolt injury, it "may" have produced irregular dilation of the iris and therefore made people think that he had different coloured eyes. But as with so many other questions regarding Alexander, all we can do is speculate and wonder...
Best wishes,
Dean.

[jan]

Amusing to wonder about eyes, but I have gleaned that as the eyes are the mirror of the soul, Alexander's eyes seemed to have depths of both Heavenly Immortality and Earthly Mortality. His eyes are used as a device to portray the extreme good in him in contrast to the extremes of his rages and depressions.In one book for children, his eyes are described as gray.So who knows. Probably authors like to play with symbolic devices.

[ruthaki]

I've read Renaults work a kazillion times and haven't seen any reference to the odd eyes as a result of the catapult. Where is it? In her other book "Fire From Heaven" I believe she refers to his deep-set gray eyes. Remember she is writing fiction, same as me, so we can figure it out the way we think it might have been. Macedonians were notably red-haired and probably had gray or blue eyes, though many greeks also have those sea-coloured eyes. It's anybody's guess. Just use your imagination.

[Linda]

Renault refers to it in her "The Nature of Alexander". Of ocurse, writers could have said he had different coloured eys because of Olympias. David Bowie also has different coloured eyes, and an enlarged pupil, due to an accident in his childhood, I think. The eyes of Alexander?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/entertainme ... elarge.jpg

[marcus]

Hi Tre,"However, different colored eyes was considered the mark of a witch's get, and it would not surprise me at all if Alexander requested his eyes be portrayed the same color."Nice one! I hadn't considered that before, that in fact his eyes might have been different colours, but he caused the fact to be suppressed... that's a marvellous piece of spin.All the bestMarcus

[Tre]

Greetings Ruth:He is referring actually to something else in the book. When Alexander was hit on the head by a stone, she assumes the tale of one of his eyes being black may have been a dilated pupil from concussion based on this incident. Not sure about the red headed Macedonians - where did you get that from?

[agesilaos]

The only problem with that spin is that the author's, with the exception of Kallisthenes, all wrote after Alexander's demise and would have no reason to perpetuate a lie. I think it more likely that the story of the odd-coloured eyes is a late invention pure and simple once Alexander had become a legendary figure rather than an historical reality.

[juan]

I am sure that Ms. Renault refers frequently to the red hair ofr the macedonians - and it seems to be the kind of detail that would an author of fiction would like to relay with accuracy, as it lends authenticity if known to be true. Where she go it from is a question.

[Nicator]

It appears likely that it was not a personal slam on Alexander, only an observation made by those witnesses during the skirmish that Alexander had to help put down. We don't hear of it after this incident either, so it seems likely to be just a temporary phenomenon. A good point made by Renault is that surely we would have heard no end to the criticizm by the Athenians of the day for any type of deformity which he may have had. As a side note:
It seems amazing to me that this guy reacts on the spur of the moment to help the reeling Macedonians in the face of the sudden insurrection, is stoned in the head, and still manages to beat the crowds back. This incident left a powerful impression on me ( as it must have also left on those witnessing the event ) as to just how tough, resilient, and determined he was. Great leaders lead by example, and Alexander surely is the greatest example of this type of heroic leadership. later Nicator

[lynne]

I've been lurking here for less than a week and already I fing myself posting. This is such an interesting list.This discussionis covering a lot of ground. I too am sure I have read Renault on the differnt colours of Alexanders eyes, and from mermory she did attribute it to light concussion. Its actually happened to me so I have seen the results embodied. I doubt that Alexander, had he had permantly different coloured eyes would have been fussed by the notion of being a "withches get" as that seems to come from mediaval belief, not Macedonian or Greek. I am even wondering if this would have been yet another sign of his "difference" from other men. Lynne

[Glustin]

It doesnt necessairly have to be because of an accident. I knew a guy that had a blue eye and a brown eye, just like they say about Alexandre. He was just born that way.

[Carole]

I was looking for info re Alexander's eye colour and came up with the thread in the ATG Forum. I was wondering if you knew exactly which later sources mention Alexander's odd eyes?

[Mev]

Hi, I have been reading books on Alex. by Manfredi and according to him he had one dark and one light colour eye. I dont know the likely hood of that occuring from a gentics perspective. However, I have a friend who's Iris is half bright blue and half brown. The other eye is all blue. Hope this helps. M