ALEXANDER'S CHILDHOOD Most of the information we have on the childhood of Alexander comes from Plutarch.

Plutarch wrote his "Lives" of great figures of Greece and Rome with a view to presenting them as examples of outstanding human achievement which could be emulated. So his main emphasis was on character, especially on what made a person special or unusually capable, often (as in the case of both Julius Caesar and Alexander) he tries to show that from the very start of their lives they were destined to be famous. This is often an imposed pattern which uses mythical stories to give the person an aura of greatness from the word go. This kind of mythology has surrounded royalty for centuries and was often encouraged during a king's own lifetime.

Firstly there were rumours put about concerning Alexander's conception, probably by Olympias. Alexander probably encouraged them later on. Tradition said that on the night of his birth the great Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was burned down which was interpreted by priests as foretelling doom for Asia. It was rumoured that on looking in to Olympias's bedroom one night, Philip saw her embracing a snake. Worried by this he consulted the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi and was told that from now on he should specially worship Zeus-Ammon and that he would lose the eye which had seen the god. This of course meant that Alexander could be of divine descent. This is very important in his later life.

It is said that at the age of seven he entertained a group of Persian envoys, asking them about the size of Persia, the condition of its roads...etc. Famously his tutor was Aristotle one of the great Greek philosophers. But we know little of their relationship. Certainly his healthy curiosity which was always in evidence could have been encouraged by Aristotle. He is said to have written angrily to Aristotle later on when he realised that his former tutor made public some writings of advice to princes which Alexander felt had been private between them. There is a story about another of his tutors, Leonidas, who encouraged a very Spartan lifestyle and hated extravagance of any kind. He once rebuked Alexander for using too much incense. Years later, when Alexander had conquered the main spice centres of the east, he sent his old tutor 18 tons of scented oils.

Alexander was a great huntsman and a lover of poetry. Above all, he was devoted to the Iliad. This gives us a critical insight into his mind as his great hero was Achilles. It is possible that he even set himself up as a rival of the great Homeric hero. Certainly his copy of The Iliad was one of his most treasured possessions.

2. One of the most famous stories of his childhood concerns his horse, Bucephalas ("Ox-head"). This probably happened when he was about 12. Philip was offered for the enormous sum of 13 talents this magnificent horse which was wild and uncontrollable. Alexander took hold of the horse and calmed it by turning it away from the sun, realising that it was afraid of its own shadow. The story goes that when Alexander did this, Philip said "You will have to find another kingdom, Macedonia will not be big enough for you". Much later on, in central Asia, Bucephalas was stolen by a mountain tribe and Alexander threatened to kill every single one of them if he did not get his horse back. They sent it back immediately. What of Alexander's appearance? He was certainly very small and quite stocky, a fast runner with fair, wavy hair often called leonine. He had a distinctive, fast-moving gait. His eyes were dark, apparently one blue and one brown. At the age of 16 it first became apparent that Alexander was a remarkable military leader. He led the crucial cavalry charge at the battle of Chaeronea where Philip defeated Athens and Thebes. Some time after this he is supposed to have been angry with Philip complaining that Philip was doing so much that there would be no great deeds left for him to do. Of course when Philip set aside Olympias and took a new wife, he and Alexander fell out in a row at the wedding. Alexander left with his mother to whom he was devoted. He later returned and was beside his father at his assassination. No one can say whether he had a hand in it. It is perfectly possible. Although Alexander was the obvious successor his position was by no means certain. He immediately set about ridding the state of his rivals, either by securing their loyalty or killing them. Attalus, Philip's father-in-law was killed.Amyntas, Alexander's cousin, was reconciled with him. Olympias is said to have burned the baby son of Philip and Cleopatra and forced

his mother to hang herself. As soon as the news spread of the death of Philip there was a spate of rebellions all over Greece as city states saw a chance to break away from Macedonian domination so Alexander had to work fast so as not to lose all of his father's gains. During his campaigns to subdue the Greeks, there was a very famous incident concerning the philosopher Diogenes who lived in Corinth. Alexander went to see him where he lived in a barrel. He found him sun-bathing and approached him, asking if there was anything he could do for him. "Yes", replied Diogenes, "Move aside, you are blocking the sun". As they went back to the city, Alexander said to his men, "If I were not Alexander, I would choose to be Diogenes". The one great love of Alexander's life was Hephaestion. He did marry, but was certainly bisexual if not homosexual.