Alexander III of Macedonia, better known as Alexander the Great, he was one of the great conquerors of the history of humanity . Instructed by his father from an early age in the art of war and educated by the great philosopher Aristotle , was king of Macedonia during thirteen years, in which radically changed the political and cultural structure of the area. He founded 70 cities and on the day of his death, the empire of Alexander the Great extended from Greece to Egypt. This cultural icon, considered a great hero by many, passed away very young and in a very mysterious way . If you want to know how Alexander the Great died, in this article we will offer you 3 hypotheses to help clear up your doubts.
Some say that the great conquistador was poisoned, while others suggest that he was seriously ill for a while. Be that as it may, the deaths of great conquerors like that of Atila , they are always surrounded by a halo of mystery and conspiracy. The only thing in which it seems that most of the authors agree, is the place of events that was the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon . In an era in which murder was the order of the day, we can not rule out anything so we will present 3 hypotheses about how Alexander the Great died so that you can form an opinion yourself.
How Alexander the Great died | The 3 most accepted hypotheses
1. Death by poisoning
This theory was sustained by two historians of antiquity named Justin and Curcio. It is true that there were many interests in which Alexander the Great was killed because after his death it was thought that the empire he had created would plunge into chaos . According to the authors previously named, the cause of the plan that ended with the death of the conqueror was Cassandro, who was also the son of the regent of Greece. His brother was the royal cupbearer of Alexander and the person who supplied the poison.
Some historians suggest that this poison could be hellebore or strychnine and that it was transported by mule until it reached Babylon. Authors who are against this theory, like Robin Lane Fox, assure that It is impossible for Alexander the Great to die so long since the poison was supplied . Since it is said that twelve days passed from the beginning of his illness until the day of his death. At that time, all the poisons that were supplied had much more rapid and lethal effects.
2. Malaria
This is one of the diagnoses with which most experts agree on the matter. It was very widespread during the time, not in vain ended up with many people during the Greek and Roman empires. This hypothesis has two weak points, the first is that being so well known is very rare that historians of the time did not say so. The second is that it seems very unlikely that a man of strength and age would Alexander the Great died of malaria in such a short space of time . No matter how serious this one was.
3. Yellow fever
Another hypothesis that has penetrated more among historians. This viral disease is contracted due to the bite of a mosquito and in ancient times it was known as the "black vomit" disease because of the damage it caused. Its most severe symptoms are usually fever, headache, generalized hemorrhages and vomiting of coagulated blood. This disease is progressive, its most devastating effects begin to be visualized after days .
It is very likely that this was the cause of the death of Alexander the Great. Its symptoms are the ones that most fit with the ailments brought by the historians of the time and, in addition, it was found that he was very close to areas affected by this type of fever. Another clue left by the ancient writings is that seven days after death the conqueror still had a good skin tone. This may be due to the classic yellow tone that this disease gives, as opposed to the corpses that have the whitest skin.
In addition to these three theories, which are the most accepted, it is also said that he died due to other diseases such as peritonitis or meningitis , impossible to detect in those times. Now that you know all the possible explanations of how Alexander the Great died, we want you to give us your opinion on the matter considering that the conqueror was characterized by having an iron health . Which of all the theories about how Alexander the Great died seems more likely to you? Do you think he was murdered or that a simple illness ended his life? Do you think it is possible for the great warrior to die otherwise? Leave us your comments, we are looking forward to reading them!