Alexander and the gods

Alexander took religion very seriously. He respected the gods and made his daily offerings to them according to the Macedonian laws. We may accept that these references to the gods and the omens are part of ancient beliefs. It is, however, challenging for us living in today’s world to understand the role the gods played in antiquity when all major events in life were accompanied by religious ceremonies. It was unthinkable to celebrate a wedding or to organize a burial without the proper rites to the gods.

Nobody really knows what Alexander thought about religion. We don’t even know for sure if he ever believed that his father was Zeus/Ammon and not Philip, as his mother claimed. During his visit to Siwah, he is acknowledged as the son of Amon. The matter is deadly serious and not, as we might assume, a mere recognition that his mother was right. Claiming to be “the son of Zeus/Amon” or being recognized as such sealed his right to this title.

As we mainly concentrate on Alexander’s campaigns with facts and figures, we tend to ignore the role of the gods entirely. However, the king gave thanks to the gods whenever appropriate. He made various offerings before entering the battlefield or celebrating his victories afterward. Such occasions were often followed by expensive banquets and competitions of all kinds.

Almost every single river crossing was accompanied by lavish sacrifices. Many altars were constructed on such sites. The most expensive altars may be those erected at the Hyphasis to mark the border of his empire. These twelve altars, dedicated to the Olympian gods, were indeed out of proportion and were reported to be “as high as the loftiest siege towers and even broader in proportion” (see: Alexander erected twelve altars on the banks of the Hyphasis).

Alexander and his army took these sacrifices and the predictions by the diviners very seriously. What’s more, the troops expected this from their king. Alexander would demonstrate to his army and followers at every step that he acted with divine approval. The one time he worked against the will of the gods was in Babylon, where the soothsayers/ magi advised Alexander not to enter the city. He paid the ultimate price with his life.

Besides the common Olympian gods as Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Apollo, Artemis, Hephaestus, Athena, Ares, Aphrodite, Hermes, and Dionysus, Alexander honored several heroes. Worth mentioning are Achilles, the Dioscuri, Hector, Heracles, Asclepius, Patroclus, Priam, and Hephaistion. He consulted the gods through the priests and diviners but also listened to local soothsayers and magi.

We have plenty of examples of Alexander funding the construction or reconstruction of temples. When in Ephesos, he offered to cover all costs to rebuild the Temple of Artemis that burnt down the night he was born. In Babylon, the king had ordered the repair of the Temple of Marduk. He took great care to maintain or repair many temples and sanctuaries throughout his empire. He also accepted foreign gods and goddesses, merging them together with similar deities he and his fellow men were familiar with.

According to some sources, the list of Alexander’s offerings to the gods is quite extensive, and the number may be close to 5,000. That is much and much more than one would even consider at first sight.