Death of Alexander the Great

In February 323 BC er Alexander ordered his army to prepare for a campaign against Babylon ^[4] . According to Arrian , after crossing the Tigris, Alexander met Chaldeans , who advised him not to enter the city, because their deity Bel warned them that this time would be fatal for Alexander ^[5] . The Chaldeans also warned Alexander to go against the route to the west, since then he would look at the setting sun, a symbol of decline ^[5] . It was suggested that he enter Babylon through the Royal Gate, in the Western Wall, where he faces east. Alexander followed this advice, but the route was unfavorable because of the marshland ^[5] . According to Yona Lendering, “apparently, in May 323 BC. e. "Babylonian astrologers tried to prevent misfortune by replacing Alexander on the throne of Babylon with an ordinary man who would bear the brunt of the omen. The Greeks, however, did not understand that this is a ritual ^[4] .

The Prophecy of Kalan

Kalan, apparently, was an Indian Naga sadhu , whom the Greeks called hymnosophists. He accompanied the Greek army, returning from Punjab , at the request of Alexander. He was seventy-three years old at the time. However, when the Persian climate and travel fatigue weakened him, he told Alexander that he would rather die than live as an invalid. He decided to take his own life by self-immolation. Although Alexander tried to dissuade him from this, at the insistence of Kalan, Alexander relented, and work on the construction of the fire was entrusted to Ptolemy ^[6] . It happened in Susa in 323 BC. er ^[7] Kalan is also mentioned by the naval commander Alexander Nearh and Hares Mitilensky ^[8] . He did not flinch during the self-immolation to the surprise of those who watched it ^{[9] [10]} . Before burning himself alive on a funeral pyre, his last words to Alexander were "We will meet in Babylon" ^{[11] [12]} . Thus, it is believed that he predicted the death of Alexander in Babylon. At the time of Kalan’s death, Alexander, however, did not plan to go to Babylon ^{[13] [14]} . No one then understood the meaning of his words "We will meet in Babylon." This happened only after Alexander fell ill and died in Babylon, and the Greeks came to the realization that the words of Kalan were prophetic.

Alleged causes of Alexander's death include alcoholic liver diseases, fever, and strychnine poisoning, but there is little evidence to support these versions ^[15] . According to the University of Maryland School of Medicine (1998 report), Alexander probably died of typhoid fever (which, along with malaria , was common in ancient Babylon ^[16] ). A week before Alexander’s death, historical evidence mentions chills, sweating, weakness and high fever, and characteristic symptoms of infectious diseases, including typhoid fever. According to David W. Oldaha from the University of Maryland Medical Center , Alexander also had "severe stomach pains that made him cry out in agony." This version, however, goes back to the pseudo-historical novel The Story of Alexander the Great . According to Andrew N. Williams and Robert Arnotat, Alexander the Great has become mute in recent days. He became mute due to a previous neck injury during the siege of Kyropol ^[17] .

One of the ancient authors reports that the planning and creation of a proper funeral procession to transport the body from Babylon was two years since Alexander’s death. It is not known exactly how the body was saved for two years before it was transferred from Babylon. In 1889, A. Wallis Budge suggested that the body lay in a barrel of honey, and Plutarch reported embalming with Egyptian embalmers.

On the way to Macedonia, one of Alexander’s commanders, the future ruler Ptolemy I Soter, met the burial procession with the body of Alexander in Syria. At the end of 322 or at the beginning of 321 BC. er Ptolemy sent the body to Egypt, where he was buried in Memphis, Egypt. At the end of the 4th or the beginning of the 3rd century BC. er Alexander with the body was transferred from the tomb in Memphis to Alexandria for reburial (under Ptolemy Philadelphus about 280 BC, according to Pausanias ). Later, Ptolemy Philopatra placed Alexander’s body in a common mausoleum in Alexandria. Shortly after Cleopatra's death, Augustus, who is said to have laid flowers on the grave, and the golden tiara on Alexander's head visited the place of rest of Alexander. In the 4th century AD er about this resting place of Alexander was no longer known; later authors, such as Ibn 'Abd al-Hakam, Al-Masoudi and the Lion of Africa, report that they have seen the tomb of Alexander. The African Lion in 1491 and George Sandys in 1611, reportedly saw the tombs in Alexandria. According to one legend, the body lies in a crypt under the early Christian church.