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You could give a theory as is mine to the death of ATG.Alexander had returned from the east he was ready and prepairing for the west, he was also punishing upsurgers and people who had abused there authority,Harpalus been one who fled and was killed by Athens.It was clear the old guard were been replaced by his own guard, the Macedonian Regent and his cronies would well have been replaced.Antipater and his family and friends obviously knew this and I believe this the motive Cassander travelled 1500 miles to poison him.This theory has readilly been dismissed but for a 32 year old man who had survived campaigns and serious injury, to die of a drink caised fever is laughable, is it just councidence that Heapastion died in similar circumstances.I think not!Cassander uliimately gained power in Macedonia ,he Murdered Olympias and Alexander wife and son.cassander in my opinion is as much a traitor as Judas was to Christ and what he robbed the world of by his treachery and underhanded poisoning.Hows that?Alexander Desciple

That's certainly one of the theories, and Cassander/Antipater would have had motive. But then so would many others as Alexander had no shortage of enemies.Although Alexander had survived many injuries we will never know how much of a toll they had taken on him physically and mentally? It is quite possible that an illness he succumbed to in 323BC may have been something he could have overcome in 334BC?From a purely dramatic point of view I actually prefer death by illness- I prefer to believe that no man could have overcome Alexander, even in an underhand manner, so fate had to intervene! But that's probably me just being a bit of a 'romantic'!Still, we will probably never know for sure so poison or illness, one of them was the cause.regards,Kit.

The theory I'm following in my novel "Shadow of the Lion" is that Alexander's death was 'caused by malice'. Although we know he had severe wounds (the lung wound for instance) it is highly suspicious that his death happened the way it did. His cup-bearer was Kassandros younger brother. Kassandros had quarreled publicly with Alex. shortly before and had been insulted by Alex. They had been long time enemies. Of course we will never know for sure, but this was the question I posed to the professor at the Society for Macedonian Studies in Thessaloniki when I had my interview with her at the time I was well into my novel. She said they agreed with the theory so that's the one I'm using in my story. (of course, writing historical FICTION you have poetic license for certain things and as there is enough mystery shrouding this I can safely go ahead with this idea.) Hephaestions' death also sounds rather suspicious. And we know Alexander was having problems with threatened mutinies etc so there were enemies lurking.

thanks for your replies to my theories and genuine acceptance it may be true, off course well never know but I thinlk its a good hunch.And if it is true it makes it more tragic as the man conquered and tried to spread the ideals and morals of the people who killed him.it bears testament that the peoples he conquered some of them perhaps loved him more than his own kinship, ie darius mother who commited suicide on the death of ATG.But as an Alexander devotee it leaves a bitter taste for a young man to achive and do what he did to be brought down by treason and underhanded murder.I will always believe he was murdered by Cassander the evidence is crystal clear thanks.Alexes desciple

In a word, it is neither clear nor concise that he was murdered. Anyone with good knowledge of medicine at the time would not come to this conclusion - problem is most historians know little about medicine.On the other hand I know both the history and the medicine well - he died of disease, not by poison.Regards,Tre

Te with all due respect.You dont know enough about medicine to be conclusive.Also try to describe Heaphastions death very similar and not long before.The killers would not have to just get rid of Alexander but his most trusted Commander as if Alexander did die Hephastion would have taken command and would have bean loyal to Alexanser sons accesion.Or did Hephastion die of a fever also,its too much of a close coincidence for them both to die in this way.The deaths were very similar, very perculiar and the link between both men acute.Let the bbc do a trial programe and use the evidence and see the conclusion ,i plead murder and treachery by Cassander.Any comments please RegardsAlexes desciple

Well, it's not every day someone tells me I don't know enough about medicine to draw a conclusion! I'd like to know how you came to that conclusion myself What I will say is there is not enough symptomology to exactly define what illness he died of. I've already stated a number of times why it wasn't poison on this forum, so not to be repetitive you can look it up in the archives if you care too.Alexander and Hephaistion dying of illness was not any sort of coincidence. People died of illness all the time back then, especially when you take into consideration they had ventured forth into new areas with different diseases they would not have had any sort of resistance too. If one follows the thought process of just because Hephaistion was close to Alexander he must have been poisoned, well, then so were Bucephalus and Perita.Regards,Tre