7. Oops – Should Not Have Stepped Between Fighting Monkeys and Dogs
As Alexander struggled to restore the peace between his dog and a monkey, another monkey rushed in to defend his pal. Seeing what appeared to be the king and a dog ganging up on his buddy, the newly arrived monkey joined the fray, and fell upon Alexander, biting him in the leg and upper torso several times. Oops. The king’s entourage came to his aid upon hearing the commotion, and chased away the monkeys. By then, however, the damage had already been done.
The monkey bites became inflamed, and the king developed a serious infection. Alexander’s leg should have been amputated, but none of the doctors wanted to take responsibility. So it was left until it was too late. By the time amputation was finally considered as a serious option, the infection had spread into the Greek monarch’s body. King Alexander died of sepsis three weeks after the monkey brawl, at age 27.