Alexander the Great and Hephastion
Alexander the Great’s romantic conquests were almost as legendary as his military ones. For the most part, the strategic genius preferred to seduce women, bedding beauties by the hundreds as he took control of much of the known world. That said, some historians of the period do believe that Alexander enjoyed trysts with men too, and even had two great same-sex relationships during his turbulent life. Of these, his bond with Hephastion, a Macedonian nobleman who served as a general in his huge army, was the strongest of all.
According to most accounts, the pair grew up together and were inseparable from an early age. As boys, they both learned about the world under the tutelage of Aristotle. And, in fact, the great philosopher was among the first to notice the close bond the two shared, commenting that they were essential ‘one soul abiding two bodies’. This wasn’t lost on the young men themselves, and they even publicly made offerings at shrines devoted to Achilles and Patroclus, the two great friends and alleged lovers of Greek myth.
After their education, as Alexander started making a name for himself as a strategist and warrior, he kept Hephastion close by, with the latter becoming a respected cavalry commander in his own right. Fittingly, it was on the field of battle where the deep bond was ultimately broken: Hephastion was mortally wounded at Ecbatana at the age of just 32. Alexander was, by all accounts, truly devastated by his soulmate’s demise. He called on an oracle to grant his deceased companion divine status and, with Hephastion’s ashes taken to be scattered in Babylon, the military leader started to build lasting monuments to his legacy, including temples and even a new city.
Alexander himself died just eight months later, with some sources believing that his deep grief over his lover’s death led him to neglect his own health. Did the greatest military leader of all time end up dying of a broken heart?