Death of Alexander the Great
Alexander returned from India through the Gedrosian Desert, a catastrophic march in which tens of thousands died of thirst and heat. He arrived in Babylon in early 323 BCE, planning campaigns against Arabia and possibly the western Mediterranean. He was reorganizing his empire when he fell ill after a banquet. For eleven days Alexander lay in his palace, his condition worsening. Ancient sources describe fever, progressive loss of speech, and finally inability to move. His Macedonian soldiers, fearing he was dead, demanded to see him; he was carried out and raised his hand in recognition as they filed past. He died on June 10 or 11, 323 BCE, aged thirty-two years and eight months. The cause of death has been debated for two millennia. The ancient Royal Diaries describe a progression consistent with typhoid fever complicated by heavy drinking and possibly Guillain-Barre syndrome. Poisoning — by a son of Antipater — was alleged in antiquity but is not widely accepted by modern historians. When asked who should inherit his empire, Alexander reportedly said 'the strongest' (kratistoi). His only legitimate heir, his son Alexander IV, was born posthumously to Roxane. Alexander's body became a political object. Ptolemy eventually stole it and brought it to Egypt, where it was placed in a crystal sarcophagus in Alexandria. The tomb was visited by Julius Caesar and Augustus. Its current location is unknown.
- Year: 323 BCE
- Category: Political
