(ORDO NEWS) — Where is the tomb of Alexander the Great, one of the most successful rulers and military strategists of all time? He was only 33 years old when he died in Babylon in 323 BC.
Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great was born in Pella in 356 BC. He was the son of King Philip II of Macedon and a student of the great Greek philosopher Aristotle.
He won his first military victory when he was only 16 years old. Despite his apparent merit as a royal son, Philip and Alexander fell out when Philip chose a new Macedonian-born wife.
There was talk that she should produce a “legitimate” heir. This angered Alexander, and he and his mother were banished.
However, Alexander became king when his father was killed during his daughter’s wedding. He was 20 years old. By the age of 26, he had conquered the Persian Empire.
Body buried in Memphis, Egypt
Before his death, he said that he was leaving his kingdom to the “strongest”. If he wanted an empire to exist in the world after his death, he chose the wrong words.
His people took this as the fact that the place of Alexander would be taken by the strongest of them. This naturally led to a fight.
Against the backdrop of all these altercations, plans for the burial of the king were developed, which were also argued about.
Plans were made and changed several times. Eventually, Ptolemy I Soter seized the body in 321 BC before it was transported to Aegea and laid Alexander’s remains in Memphis, Egypt.
Coffin
According to Diodorus Siculus in Book XVIII :
“First, a coffin of suitable size for the body, made of hammered gold, was prepared, and the space around the body was filled with incense, which could make the body sweet-smelling and incorruptible.
On this coffin was placed a golden lid, precisely fitted to the size and fitted along the top edge.
Over it was placed a magnificent purple robe embroidered with gold, next to which was placed the weapons of the deceased, wishing that the design of all the decoration was in harmony with his achievements.
Honored in death
Due to Alexander’s great success in life, achieved through his perseverance and courage, he was greatly revered in death. That is why we know where his grave was in certain places at certain times.
There are records of visits to his tomb by people such as Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, and Caligula (who may have had his sarcophagus breastplate stolen).
We also know that the body of Alexander the Great may have been placed in a golden sarcophagus.
Either Ptolemy I Soter or his son Philadelphus moved Alexander’s body to a new tomb in Alexandria in the late 4th or early 3rd century BC. The tomb was placed in a mausoleum and was reportedly still in existence in 274 BC.
The tomb in Alexandria was replaced by Ptolemy Philopator around 215 BC. Philopator erected a mausoleum in the center of Alexandria. In it he placed some of his ancestors and Alexander the Great.
There is evidence that the golden sarcophagus of Alexander the Great was melted down and sold in 89 BC. It was replaced with a glass sarcophagus.
The last reliable mention of the tomb of Alexander the Great dates back to about 215 AD, when it was visited by Caracella.
Period of upheavals
War came to Alexandria in the 3rd century. Over the years, the city has been repeatedly attacked and looted. It is possible that the tomb of Alexander the Great was destroyed, partially destroyed and/or robbed at this time.
Mother Nature and Christianity
If the tomb was left standing after these events, as some evidence suggests, then most likely it was destroyed during the famous earthquake and tsunami that hit Alexandria in 365 AD.
If, by some chance, the tomb or corpse survived the tsunami, then most likely the tomb was lost around 400 AD, when Christians began to demand that the pagans stop worshiping false gods.
Since Alexander the Great was worshiped at the time of his death, he would have been a prime candidate for destruction.
If the body and tomb of the revered king had been preserved at this time, they would not have had a chance to resist the Christians.
Rising sea levels may also have influenced the concealment of the tomb. According to National Geographic, the sea level in the Alexandria area rose by 4 meters after Alexander’s death.
No further trace
After this period of time, there is no mention of the location of the tomb of Alexander the Great. To this day, no traces of any of his three tombs have been found.
His sarcophagus, body, or any relics supposedly buried with him have never been found. If his tomb was plundered, we have a chance to find these things somewhere else, not in Alexandria.
If it was destroyed by a powerful tsunami, which supposedly took other treasures with it, there is a chance that we will never find any traces.
Final location
The general opinion, and most likely the truth, is that the tomb of Alexander the Great is located in the center of Alexandria, Egypt.
Some scholars suggest that the tomb is located somewhere in the Canopic Street area, which is now known as Horrey Avenue.
There have been claims that Alexander’s tomb may be found elsewhere, and there is evidence for this. However, the evidence that it was in Alexandria when it was either destroyed or plundered beyond recognition is simply overwhelming.
However, for the moment we must conclude that the fate of the tomb of Alexander the Great is unknown.
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