#He is Alexander too

[jeannereames]

Do you think alexander considered hephaistion his alter-ego?

"He, too, is Alexander"

Did Alexander think of Hephaistion as his alter-ego? Quite possibly—but not by that term. For one thing, “alter-ego” is Latin, and we find it first used in writing by Cicero, although it may have been (quite possibly was) in common parlance prior.

The concept did appear to exist in Greek, but the tendency to apply it to Alexander and Hephaistion owes chiefly to two attestations. The first is the recorded meeting between Alexander, Hephaistion, and Sisygambus, wherein he supposedly said, of Hephaistion, "He, too, is Alexander." The other concerns a quip attributed to Aristotle, mentioned in Diogenes Laertus that friendship is one soul in two bodies—but this not found Aristotle's surviving works, despite a longish passage on friendship in his Nikomachian Ethics.

Without being unduly cynical, we must always take exact phrasing with a grain of salt. I think there's very little we can be certain Alexander said. Same problem with Aristotle, unless you're reading his actual writings, and even some of those are dubious, such as the infamous Ath Pol, or Constitution of the Athenians. We typically distinguish these as “pseudo-Aristotle.” (So if you see “pseudo-”some-name, that means the work is attributed to that person but almost certainly not actually written by him/her.)

So, as part of my usual ‘Let me ‘splain you why you can’t trust that story/saying…,’ let’s play some dating games here.

First, Cicero is our initial attested use of “alter ego,” in a letter to his friend Atticus, that dates the phrase to somewhere between 68-44, or middle of the first century BCE. Maybe we can push it back a little earlier to the early first century, but I’d be uncomfortable pushing it further without solid evidence. Popular terms change. Anybody call a fashionable (male) person, “That cool cat…” these days—except as a bit of a joke? I didn’t think so. 😉 But “cool” itself is otherwise still in common use. So we have to be careful about when terms are popular.

Now, the story of Alexander before Sysigamgus is best known from Curtius (3.12.16-17), but Diodoros also relates it (17.37.5-6), and so does Arrian (2.12.3-8)—although with a caveat. He says it doesn’t appear in his trusted sources (Aristoboulos or Ptolemy) but he tells it anyway, apparently because he approves of the actions in it.

We don’t know where it comes from. Maybe Kleitarchos? Possibly Kallisthenes? It does not appear in either Plutarch’s bio of Alexander or his Moralia, although normally he loved these sorts of anecdotes. There’s a good reason, however, that Plutarch doesn’t tell it (see below). Justin is just too short. (It also appears in abbreviated form in a couple of later Roman sources, Valerius Maximus and Dio Chrysostom. So it was clearly popular in the rhetorician crowd.)

So, what are the words attributed to Alexander? Diodoros’ Greek is kai gar kai outos Alexandros estin: “and for also this [man] Alexander is” (6). Arrian renders it kai gar ekeinon einai Alexandron: “and for that man is Alexander” (7). Curtius puts it, albeit in Latin, nam et hic Alexander est: “for he also Alexander is” (17). Yes, I rendered those into English pretty exactly, even if it sounds a bit funny. First, it helps show how every translation is an interpretation, but also allows us to watch the parsing itself.

None of them is exactly the same, even if the meaning is the same. That’s a good reminder we don’t have his exact phrasing!

Assuming the event even happened.

Why should we doubt it? Aside from Arrian’s skepticism?

This story feels a LOT like a classic lesson in proper clemency. I’ve talked about the importance of clemency before. The bulk of this tale is meant to show a chivalrous Alexander early in his career, before he fell victim to divine aspirations and the lure of that nasty Oriental Luxury <tm>. See what a good guy he was?! Plutarch, in his take, insists not only did Alexander not rape the royal women, he wouldn’t even look at the women. That’s probably why he doesn’t tell this story, because going to their tent absolutely IS looking at them, donchaknow. It’s even funnier because it’s Plutarch who tells us Statiera died in childbirth well, well after that baby could have been Darius’s. (Consistency? What consistency? Pfff.)

My point here is that the story may very well have been fabricated to make a MORAL point of how to be an honorable victor—whether in the era of the Successors (which grew increasingly bloody and vicious), or in the later Roman period. It would also provide a perfect example for Curtius to contrast with Alexander’s later Asian debauchery.

You may be wondering, But why would they make up an entire story like that? Wouldn’t people know?

Um, to prove my point I give you…Twitter, QAnon, and whatever quote is being attributed (wrongly) to Samuel L. Jackson this week. The more often people hear something, even a lie, the more likely they are to believe it’s true. Arrian’s other stories of after-Issos events has Leonnatos going to talk to the women, not Alexander (and Hephaistion). Of course, it’s entirely possible Leonnatos went the first evening, while Alexander and Hephaistion went the next morning. It even makes a certain amount of sense that he’d visit the royal women. So, the bare-bones of the encounter may be true, but mistaken identities and all those speeches were likely put in people’s mouths later.

Incidentally, there’s a pun in the line, as alex-andros translates to “protector of men.” So Hephaistion is also a protector of men. Romans and Greeks ate up that sort of word-play.

As for the Aristotle titbit…Diogenes Laertus reports a list of “sayings” (aphorisms) attributed to various philosophers. For Aristotle, one is: “To the query, ‘What is a friend?’ his reply was, ‘A single soul dwelling in two bodies’” (5.20). I’ve seen people claim he was referencing Alexander and Hephaistion. There’s absolutely no reason to assume that except romanticism and an Alexander-centric view. In our surviving writings by Aristotle, he barely mentions Alexander.* Shock, I know. 😂 But Alexander wasn’t at the forefront of his mind.

Additionally, as I said above, we have a longish bit on friendship in the Nikomachian Ethics, where that definition doesn’t appear, although nothing he says about true friendship in it contradicts the quote, either. But “Sayings of…” were a popular form of literature in antiquity, and sometimes a clever quip got attributed to more than one person! Maybe Aristotle did say that, but it’s not in actual writings about friendship by Aristotle. Aristotle’s writings on friendship are rather more complex; he lists three types of friendship in Book VIII.

Anyway, this little in-depth study is meant to help folks see how complicated it can be, to get back to what ALEXANDER himself said, thought, or even did.

Yet one thing ALL the sources agree upon: Hephaistion was Alexander’s favorite, not just (or even primarily) as a commander, but as a person. I’ve never read any claim to the contrary, and I have (quite literally) read everything in the ancient sources that concerns Hephaistion (and most everything that concerns Alexander too).

So, while it’s impossible to say that Alexander considered Hephaistion an “alter-ego,” or ever called him “Alexander too,” you can rest assured that every ancient source agrees that Hephaistion was dearer to Alexander than anybody else, maybe even including his own mother.

—————-

* 391a2: his “On the Universe” treatise opens with a reference to “Alexander,” who I think it’s safe to assume is the king. And 1420a5, is “Rhetoric to Alexander”--except that treatise is widely understood (even in the medieval world) to be bogus: e.g., a "pseudo-Aristotle" text. Plus Alexander is mentioned in a couple fragments.

[harbingersecho]

Tzimisce fashion show ft. Nikifor and Laszlo the Revenant

[hephaestn]

Alexander and Hephaestion at the Temple of Amun, Siwa Oasis, Egypt.

Alexander: The Making of a God — Episode 5

[eva-birdman-art]

The Hephaestus babygirls!! Cutter knows how to pick them doesn't he

(inspired by that one post with all the babygirl pose stock photos I can't find anymore)

[kingslionheart]

A good King relies upon good advice, Uhtred. I speak only as a man who has made mistakes before.

[hurrakka]

lol what a drama queen

[divingsave]

i refuse to download threads but i just saw this in the suggested bit on insta and 💀

[eloquentsisyphianturmoil]

Fingon: *Goes for a long walk with all his worldly possessions*

Fingon: *Climbs a mountain*

Fingon: *Casts a search-and-find spell*

Fingon: *Gets a miracle from god*

Fingon: *Encounters an unbreakable manacle*

Fingon: Time to get creative.

[raapija]

Palex au – pilot Alex / driver Pato

In which Pato falls in love with a commercial pilot he met on grindr 🤧

[ciderbird]

War of the Fifth Coalition, 1809

[avalordream]

MC: Hey-

MC: Can I talk to you about something?

Baxter: Of course...?

MC: But, not as my boyfriend- Like a best friend!

Baxter: OH! I see now!

Baxter: ahem

Baxter: 𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝑔𝑜𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝑔𝒾𝓇𝓁𝒻𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓃𝒹~

MC: oh my god- QwQ

Baxter: 𝑅𝑒𝓂𝑒𝓂𝒷𝑒𝓇:

Baxter: ✨𝑀𝑒𝓃 𝒶𝒾𝓃'𝓉 𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓉✨

[hephaestn]

Alexander and Hephaestion encountering Darius' family after the Battle of Issus.

Alexander: The Making of a God — Episode 3

[nico-di-genova]

“Alex doesn’t care. Alex doesn’t show emotion.”

Alex just made a novel of a tweet about all the reasons Pato is as famous as he is, and how he’s positively impacting the sport, because some pos ceo wanted to try to degrade Pato’s efforts. Alex absolutely does not fuck around when it comes to the people he cares about, he’ll go to war for them, that’s how much he cares.

[foreverisntenough]

I HATE Southgate for depriving us of pretty pictures like this but in a kit playing footie.

F off. Send my man back to me RN! 😤

[hacash]

I'm well aware this must be the fiftieth poll on the subject floating around tumblr but screw it, I want to know who lives in your head rent-free. Feel free to wax lyrical about your nautical blorbo of choice in the tags: the more deranged the better.

Please reblog for a better sample size!

[lomltrentarnold]

I’ve got a request maybe the reader is a bit of an airhead/ really clumsy and hurts herself a lot and ends up in hospital and trent hears mid game and rushes to her but she’s just laughing coz she fell or something. Reader being a bit ditzy 😂❤️

oopsie ✶ trent alexander-arnold

💌 hana’s notes : no bc this could definitely happen to me 💀 i changed it a lil bit i hope that’s okay <3 | main masterlist

“Your boyfriend is here.”

Your ears immediately perked up when the nurse informed you. The hand that was holding the ice pack on your head fell on your lap. Your eyes searched for him and there he stood, in his lfc hoodie a red bull cap on his head wearing a worried look on his face.

“Baby.” he whispered, rushing towards to where you’re sitting on top of the bed and settling between your thighs.

“Hey.” you said, winching a bit when you try to move your head and hug him.

Trent rested his hand on your arm, holding you in place “Hey, slow down, it’s okay.” he immediately took the ice pack from your hand and placing it back on your forehead where a bruise is already forming. “What happened?” he asked, hand protectively setting on your hip.

“I fell and hit my head a little.” you shrugged, a little laugh escaping your lips. “I wanted to grab those fancy plates at the upper shelf because you’re mom is coming this weekend. It was a little funny cause I knew that I was gonna fell but then I wanted to defy gravity like all those characters in movies so-“

Trent let out a deep breath and shook his head, “Baby.” an adoring smile tugging up on his lips. “You should really be more careful. You’re lucky it’s not serious.” he scolded, pinching your nose, making you scrunch up your face.

He lifted the ice pack on your forehead and his smile quickly dropped when he peaked at your bruise. You look up at him, eyes softening when you saw how worried he was.

“It’s not even that bad.” you mumbled as a pout formed on your lips. Guilt washing over you when you realised he rushed from a long match. “Sorry I made you rush here. You must be exhausted.”

“It’s okay babe.” he said, his unoccupied hand moving to cup your face, before leaving a peck in your nose. “Just glad you’re okay.”

You hummed, body relaxing in his hold. A sudden thought cross your mind and you can’t help but let it out, “Did you shower?”

Trent already know where you’re going with this, “Nah, it’s okay though. I prefer showering at home.”

“No wonder you stink.” There it is.

“Hey!” he playfully scoffed, “Is this what I get for being your knight and shining armour?”

You giggled at his dramatic attitude, the sound pulling on Trent’s heartstrings. “I love you though.”

“Love you too.” he whispered.

“Stinky boy.” you added, making Trent roll his eyes.

“I’m leaving.”

“Wait, I’m joking!”

reblog for a kiss <3