[67] Lucian, writing in his book On Slips of the Tongue, describes an occasion when Hephaestion's conversation one morning implied that he had been in Alexander's tent all night,[68] and Plutarch describes the intimacy between them when he tells how Hephaestion was in the habit of reading Alexander's letters with him, and of a time when he showed that the contents of a letter were to be kept secret by touching his ring to Hephaestion's lips. [63], The former assumption has persisted to the present day, with writers of fiction such as Mary Renault and the film director Oliver Stone among its proponents, as well as modern historians such as Paul Cartledge, who says: "Rumour had it—and rumour was for once surely correct—that he [Hephaestion] and Alexander had once been more than just good friends. Its hot, and the devotion between characters is evident and simply moving. It is possible to discern a pattern, when studying Hephaestion's career, of Alexander's constant trust in, and increasing reliance on, Hephaestion. [12] Hephaestion was a contemporary of Alexander and it is likely that his influence might have been seen as less of a threat than these more mature companions. On the day of the funeral, he gave orders that the sacred flame in the temple should be extinguished. [99] It is possible that the pyre was not burnt, but that it was actually intended as a tomb or lasting memorial; if so, it is likely that it was never completed, as there are references to expensive, uncompleted projects at the time of Alexander's own death. … Darius' mother, in doubt owing to the similarity of their dress, which of the two was the King, prostrated herself before Hephaestion because he was taller than his companion. Attic orator Aeschines, who was contemporary with them (albeit somewhat older), explicitly addressed the question in these terms: "...Homer, though he often speaks of Patroclus and Achilles, is silent about love and gives no name to their friendship; he thinks that the remarkable strength of their affection is obvious to the cultivated among his audience. Yet given the factions and jealousies that arise in any court and that Hephaestion was supremely close to the greatest monarch the Western world had yet seen, it is remarkable how little enmity he inspired. "[8] That Alexander's exact age is given provides another clue to Hephaestion's upbringing because at fifteen Alexander and his companions were at Mieza studying under Aristotle. The third level showed a hunting scene, and the fourth a battle of centaurs, all done in gold. "[59] Thus, according to Robin Lane Fox quite different conclusions can be drawn from Martin's: [80] Thus it is possible to imagine Alexander and Hephaestion hoping that their respective offspring might unite their lines and that, ultimately, the crown of Macedon and Persia might be worn by one who was a descendant of them both. Map of Alexander the Great's Conquestsby US Military Academy (Public Domain). Hephaestion took part in a notable cavalry charge at the battle of the Hydaspes river (326 BC). Hephaestion was cremated and his ashes taken to Babylon. [84][85] The general Eumenes suggested that divine honors be given to Hephaestion, this was later done. One officer, Craterus, grew to deeply resent Hephaestion (the feeling was mutual), and Alexander had to separate the two on more than one occasion. Before marching into India and prior to their expedition into Bactria, there was major unrest within the army. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. "[3] This relationship lasted throughout their lives, and was compared, by others as well as themselves, to that of Achilles and Patroclus. Plutarch says they were massacred as an offering to the spirit of Hephaestion and it is quite possible to imagine that to Alexander this might have followed in spirit Achilles' killing of "twelve high-born youths" beside Patroclus' funeral pyre. "[90], Another hint that Alexander looked to Achilles to help him to express his grief may be found in the campaign, shortly following these events, against a tribe called the Cossaeans. We have also been recommended for educational use by the following publications: Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. Eventually, after his defeat of Darius III, he became the self-proclaimed King of Asia. In the end, Craterus would return to Macedonia, eventually dying in 321 BCE during the Successor Wars after Alexander's death. The Ancient History Bulletin. This is clear from Arrian's comment about Alexander's grief: "All writers have agreed that it was great, but personal prejudice, for or against both Hephaestion and Alexander himself, has coloured the accounts of how he expressed it."[75]. In his The Campaigns of Alexander historian Arrian related the story. Learn More. Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings; Alexandros III of Macedon | Alexander the Great/Hephaistion of Macedon; Summary. [23], In spring 327 BC the army headed into India and Alexander divided his forces. Oddly enough, this jealousy was not limited to the staff for Olympias, Alexander's overly-protective mother, also resented the relationship. The subject matter suggests that this took place while they were in Egypt. Alexander the Great, Hephaistion Amyntoros and the nature of their relationship", History Faculty Publications, 17,, The Ancient History BulletinVolume 13, Issue 3, 81–96, 1999. On that occasion superb teamwork would have been of paramount importance. The unmatched Theban Band was made up exclusively of male couples who would fight to the death for each other, and of course the love felt by Alexander's great role model, Achilles, for his companion Patroclus reflected the feelings Alexander had for his own lifelong companion Hephaistion. Hephaestion was a friend, companion and a general in the army of Alexander. Robin Lane Fox has suggested that a conversation with Hephaestion may have won Mazaeus over: "It is conceivable that the battle of Gaugamela was partly won on the banks of the Euphrates and that Mazaeus' reinstatement was less a sign of magnanimity than of a prearranged reward. It is notable that their two cavalry regiments in particular were selected by Alexander for the dangerous crossing of the river Hydaspes before the battle with the Indian king, Porus. [31] At the coast he organized the construction of a fortress and a harbour for the fleet at Pattala. [2] Of his short married life nothing is known, except that at the time of Alexander's own death, eight months after Hephaestion's, Drypetis was still mourning the husband to whom she had been married for only four months. Alexander often had to divide his forces and command was given to a variety of senior officers on different occasions. Their tutor Aristotle described generally friendship as "one soul abiding in two bodies". Hephaestion's section marched "five days in advance, with the object of intercepting and capturing any native troops which ... might be rapidly moving forward". Wasson, Donald L. In only one instance is Hephaestion known to have quarrelled with a fellow officer and that was with Craterus. [27] Then when the army began its homeward journey he was again entrusted with half the army, including the elite troops and two hundred elephants, as they travelled south-west along the banks of the Hydaspes. What that antagonism might have been, it is not possible to know, but someone with the closeness to the king of a secretary might well have felt some jealousy for Hephaestion's even greater closeness. Hephaestion's body would eventually be sent to Babylon where a giant pyre was built. Among those exiled by Philip II after Alexander's failed attempt to offer himself as groom to the Carian princess were Ptolemy, Nearchus, Harpalus, Erigyius and Laomedon. Realizing the fate of most prisoners of war, especially women, and expecting the worse, Darius' mother, Sisygambis, feared for their safety, and as Alexander and Hephaestion entered the tent, she threw herself before the taller and more handsome Hephaestion, begging for her life. Hephaestion commanded one of the columns and, after arriving at Marakanda, he set out again to establish settlements in the region. Also, many staff officers disagreed with the king on many of his atypical decisions - his adoption of Persian customs and attire as well as his wish that they prostrate themselves before him and kiss his ring. That he chose Hephaestion to help him shows that he could rely on Hephaestion's tact and sympathy. Whether or not he was a capable commander is irrelevant, his abilities in logistics assisted in the defeat of the Persians and their king Darius III. Photius mentions Perdiccas being appointed "to command the chiliarchy which Hephaestion had originally held".[35]. [98], The pyre was sixty metres high, square in shape and built in stepped levels. The Star Trek and Mary Renault Connection Once on the expedition to India they actually drew their swords and came to blows ..."[78] Alexander, who also valued Craterus highly as a most competent officer, was forced to intervene and had stern words for both. Later, the two men stood side-by-side as Alexander severed the Gordian Knot. The contests ranged from literature to athletics and 3,000 competitors took part, the festival eclipsing anything that had gone before both in cost and in numbers taking part. This helps to explain why there was bad feeling festering between the two of them, so that they often clashed. Because of this unique closeness, many officers grew extremely jealous. [47] According to the painting done by Aetion of Alexander's first wedding, Hephaestion was his torch-bearer (best man), showing by this not only his friendship, but also his support for Alexander's policies as Alexander's choice of an Asian bride had not been a popular one among the Macedonians. A member of the old royal family Abdalorymus was quickly found and given the governorship. He was a son of Amyntor, a noble man of Macedonia. The king spent the next two days in tears, grieving for the death of his friend. Film, History, and Cultural Studies. [85], Hephaestion's death is dealt with at greater length by the ancient sources than any of the events of his life, because of its profound effect upon Alexander. He did not arrive in time; by the time he got there, Hephaestion was dead. However, unlike many others, Hephaestion always supported Alexander's decisions even with the idea of taking a Persian wife and he was given one of the daughters of Darius, Drypatis, while Alexander chose the other daughter, Barsine, as his mistress. Alexander would leave much of the campaign's logistics to Hephaestion - the supply and transportation of equipment, bridge building and even the establishment and planning of new settlements. It endured through adolescence, through Alexander's becoming king, and through the hardships of campaigning and the flatteries of court life and their marriages. Share. [30] Again, Hephaestion was called upon when initiative was required. A disagreement erupted between Philip and Alexander, a dispute fueled by his friends. His military career was distinguished. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading The Twin Soul of Alexander: A novel of Alexander the Great (Alexander and Hephaestion Book 1). Diss. Hammond sums up their public relationship as follows: "It is not surprising that Alexander was as closely attached to Hephaestion as Achilles was to Patroclus",[48] and "At the time of his death Hephaestion held the highest single command, that of the Companion Cavalry; and had been repeatedly second in command to Alexander in the hierarchy of the Asian court, holding the title of Chiliarch, which had been held by Nabarzanes [de] under Darius. [102], (2) Satrap at Partition of Babylon; possibly Nicanor of Stageira Later, Plutarch said that the king brought the two together and made them friends again but gave each a warning - he would kill both of them if he ever found them quarrelling again. He reached the Indus with the land behind him conquered, including the successful siege of Peuceolatis, which took thirty days, and proceeded to organize the construction of boats for the crossing.[25]. On the fifth level, also in gold, were lions and bulls, and on the sixth the arms of Macedon and Persia. The Pennsylvania State University, c1998. No concise biography has ever been written about him, likely stemming from the fact that he died before Alexander and none of those among Alexander's companions who survived him would have had a need to promote someone other than themselves. Piecing the accounts together, it seems as if Hephaestion's fever had run its course for seven days, after which time he was sufficiently recovered for his doctor, and Alexander himself, to feel it was safe to leave him, and for Hephaestion to feel hungry. As Chugg says, "If he did persuade Alexander to reach an accommodation with Demosthenes at this critical juncture, as would seem likely from the circumstances, then he was significantly responsible for saving the situation for Macedon in Greece by preventing the revolt of Agis spreading to Athens and her allies. However, before clashing with the Persian army at River Granicus, Alexander chose to visit the tomb of his hero (and supposed ancestor) Achilles at Troy (a small village at the time of Alexander). As a reader of gay romance novels, this one I could not put down. Alexander was forced to reprimand them both, scolding Hephaestion and telling him he would be nothing without Alexander. [93] He saw to it that shrines were erected to Hephaestion's memory, and evidence that the cult took hold can be found in a simple votary plaque now in Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, inscribed, "To the Hero Hephaestion". His intelligence impressed the Athenian academic, and, like the king, they would correspond with each other during the long Persian campaign. Related Content Great Alexander! Hephaestion was Alexander's best man when he married Roxane, his first wife. Of course, he could not have done this without th… [66] This was no fashionable affectation; this was something that belonged at the heart of what it was to be Dorian, and therefore Macedonian, and had more in common with the Theban Sacred Band than with Athens. Next, Perdiccos and he took half the Companions, the mercenary cavalry, the baggage train and several Indian engineers to build a bridge across the Indus (this same bridge would be used to ford the Hydaspes). The Greek name of Hephaestion's father suggests that he was one of the Greek mercenary leaders or intellectuals who came to Macedonia and received an honor… After the battle of Issus (333 BC) when Alexander was proceeding south down the Phoenician coast and had received the capitulation of Sidon, Hephaestion was "authorised to appoint to the throne the Sidonian he considered most deserving of that high office". Yet Alexander could also rely on Hephaestion for firmness and resolve. The veterans were weary and wanted to return home to Macedonia and their families. He is said to have become a page in 343 BC, a role common to adolescent boys of the aristocratic clas… When he rejoined Alexander at Rhambacia he established a city there also. [87] Arrian also mentions Alexander ordering the shrine of Asclepios in Ecbatana to be razed to the ground,[88] and that he cut his hair short in mourning,[89] this last a poignant reminder of Achilles' last gift to Patroclus on his funeral pyre: "Thus o'er Patroclus while the hero prayed,/On his cold hand the sacred lock he laid./Once more afresh the Grecian sorrows flow:/And now the sun had set upon their woe. He led his section north into the Swat Valley, while Hephaestion and Perdiccas took a sizeable contingent through the Khyber Pass. From 334 to 323 BCE Alexander the Great conquered much of the known world. [51] But Andrew Chugg, Robin Lane Fox and others[61] show different views. p81-94 _____ (2010) "The cult of Hephaestion", in Cartledge, P. and Greenland, F. Responses to Oliver Stone's Alexander. Finally, he could go no farther; Alexander succumbed to the wishes of his troops and decided to return northward to Babylon. Thus Alexander honoured Hephaestion both as the closest of his friends and the most distinguished of his Field Marshals. For almost a decade, Alexander the Great and his army swept across... No military commander in history has ever won a battle by himself... After securing the eastern Mediterranean seaboard and Egypt, Alexander... Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. [88] At Babylon, funeral games were held in Hephaestion's honour. World History Encyclopedia. [9] Hephaestion has never been named among those who attended the lectures at Mieza, but his close friendship with Alexander at that age suggests strongly that he was numbered among them. The army set out from Balkh in five columns to spread through the valleys between the Oxus and Tanais[dubious – discuss] rivers to pacify Sogdiana. Alexander sent an envoy to Siwa to request Hephaestion be declared a god, but the request was refused; he would only be honored as a divine hero. Donald has taught Ancient, Medieval and U.S. History at Lincoln College (Normal, Illinois)and has always been and will always be a student of history, ever since learning about Alexander the Great. They arrived in the autumn and it was there, during games and festivals, that Hephaestion fell ill with a fever. Hephaestio… Wasson, D. L. (2014, May 20). When the reply came saying he might be worshipped not as a god, but as a divine hero, Alexander was pleased and "from that day forward saw that his friend was honoured with a hero's rites". We should all be so lucky to find a love like Alexander and Hephaestion. Of course, he could not have done this without the support of his loyal army and staff of skilled officers - Ptolemy, Perdiccos, and Craterus, but above all others, Hephaestion. After the victory against Porus, Hephaestion split with Alexander reconnecting later and battling against the Mallians - it was here that Alexander was injured and near death. After Alexander had taken a detour to subdue a hostile tribe, in which he was seriously injured, Hephaestion took command of the greater part of the army as they travelled down the Indus to the sea. "[65], However, what was the case in Athens was not necessarily the case in Macedon. Being from an aristocratic family, as were many of the staff officers who would follow Alexander into Asia, he became a student, alongside Alexander, of the philosopher Aristotle at Mieza, a city west of Pella. Arrian[76] mentions a quarrel with Alexander's secretary Eumenes but, because of a missing page in the text, the greater part of the detail is missing, leaving only the conclusion that something persuaded Hephaestion, though against his will, to make up the quarrel. The Mourning of Alexander the Great, In: Syllecta Classica 12 (2001) 98-145.External links[edit]Alexander's Tomb by Andrew M. ChuggHephaestion at WCD (Wiki Classical Dictionary)Hephaistion - Philalexandros by Jeanne ReamesLivius, Hephaestion by Jona Lenderingpothos.org All about Alexander the Great Aside from their strong personal bond, theirs was also a working partnership in that all that Alexander undertook, Hephaestion was at his side. Bookmark Notes: This is great; finally a story that depicts their relationship as I’d always imagined it: Hephaistion being the devote and possessive protector, and Alexander, with all his faults, being Hephaistion‘s lifelong treasure. [55] and they ran a race, naked, to honour their dead heroes. [80], In spring 324 BC Hephaestion left Susa, where he had been married, and accompanied Alexander and the rest of the army as they travelled towards Ecbatana. Its senior member, the queen Sisygambis, knelt to Hephaestion to plead for their lives, having mistaken him for Alexander because he was taller, and both young men were wearing similar clothes. HEPHAESTION GOES HUNTING! [62] The pattern that same-sex love affairs followed, however, was not the same in every city-state. Are you too great to remember whose life was saved by me? He was described as his dearest friend, the person who was witness to the most significant moments in Alexander's life, but also the one with whom the king shared his most perso… Arrian lists Hephaestion first among these "honorary trierarchs", indicating his leading position at this time. Ost recent Alexander histOria.ns-especially t.hose writing after Stonewall assume that the friendship of Alexander the Great and Hephaistion Amyntoros Hephaestion's career was never solely a military one. [22] The cavalry prospered under this command, showing itself equal to learning new tactics necessary against Scythian nomads and to counter-insurgency measures such as those deployed in the spring of 328 BC. Arrian says that Alexander "flung himself on the body of his friend and lay there nearly all day long in tears, and refused to be parted from him until he was dragged away by force by his Companions". Such was his fascination with the hero, the king always slept with a copy of Homer's Iliad under his pillow. Prior to the final battle against Darius at Gaugamela, Alexander placed Hephaestion in charge of a squadron to scout the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and build a bridge. "Hephaestion." This is from Robin Lane Fox: Alexander the Great: Hephaestion was the man Alexander loved, and for the rest of their lives their relationship remained as intimate as it is now irrecoverable: Alexander was only defeated once, the Cynic philosophers said long after his death, and that was by Hephaestion's thighs. In the context of the nature of their relationship however, one stands out as remarkable. Furthermore, on arrival at Gaza the cargo of siege engines had to be unloaded, transported across difficult terrain and reassembled. This intimate relationship between Hephaestion and Alexander can also be seen in an incident after the Battle of Issus and the defeat of Darius III. Arrian says that after the fever had run for seven days, Alexander had to be summoned from the games to Hephaestion, who was seriously ill. [74], However, outside the close-knit coterie of the Macedonian high command, he was not universally admired. It was Hephaestion, along with Craterus and Coenus, who insisted on, and actually carried out, the customary torture. Hephaestion stepped back, and one of the Queen's attendant's rectified her mistake by pointing to Alexander; the Queen withdrew in profound embarrassment, but Alexander merely remarked that her error was of no account, for Hephaestion, too, was an Alexander. [91] The army, too, remembered him; Alexander did not appoint anyone to take Hephaestion's place as commander of the Companion cavalry; he "wished Hephaestion's name to be preserved always in connection with it, so Hephaestion's Regiment it continued to be called, and Hephaestion's image continued to be carried before it". "[15], It is likely, though not certain, that it was Hephaestion who led the advance army from Egypt to bridge the Euphrates river. Precisely why this should have happened is not known. While it is true that very little detail of Hephaestion's childhood and education can be found, that which remains gives credence to what is known about his later life. His intelligence impressed the Athenian academic, and, like the king, they would correspond with each other during the long Persian campaign. [96] Alexander himself drove the funeral carriage part of the way back to Babylon with some of the driving entrusted to Hephaestion's friend Perdiccas. However, this view remains extreme conjecture[citation needed] given the lack of any direct evidence that Alexander and Hephaestion had a sexual relationship. This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. [86], Alexander ordered a period of mourning throughout the empire and "many of the Companions, out of respect for Alexander, dedicated themselves and their arms to the dead man". Curtius explains: For only $5 per month you can become a member and support our mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. Last modified May 20, 2014. [101], Based on a monogram found in the Amphipolis Tomb, the lead archaeologist, Katerina Peristeri, claims that the whole tumulus was a funerary monument for Hephaestion, built between 325–300 BC. According to a document that is included in Arrian of Nicomedia's Indikê,{{Quoted here.}} Some Rights Reserved (2009-2021) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. [18][19], After Gaugamela there is the first indication that Alexander intended reconciliation with the Persians and that Hephaestion supported him in this unpopular policy. Ancient History Encyclopedia has a new name! Plutarch, while writing about Alexander's correspondence, reveals an occasion when Hephaestion was away on business and Alexander wrote to him. A member of Alexander the Great's personal bodyguard, he went on to command the Companion cavalry and was entrusted with many other tasks throughout Alexander's ten-year campaign in Asia, including diplomatic missions, the bridging of major rivers, sieges and the foundation of new settlements. After Issus, Hephaestion was placed in charge of Alexander's naval reinforcements, ordered to follow the army's progress along the Mediterranean coast from Gaza to the city Pelusium on the Egyptian delta - the latter's governor surrendered both the city and its entire treasury without a fight. He led his army on a ten-year odyssey across Asia Minor and into Persia, Egypt and India. Follow edited Jun 4 '19 at 14:17. answered Jun 4 '19 at 10:48.
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