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14 - Religion

from Part II - Contexts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 January 2024

Daniel Ogden
Affiliation:
University of Exeter
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Summary

This chapter examines the religious role of Alexander as king and military commander in the Greek world and the territory of the Achaemenid empire. It explores how he used sanctuaries of the gods to develop his relationship with the Greek cities, as locations for the meetings of associations of Greek cities, and as sites for making dedications. It considers the honours offered to Alexander by the Greek cities, arguing that these were offered spontaneously, and were not a response to any request from Alexander. It discusses his use of diviners and other religious experts while on campaign. It considers the extent to which Alexander engaged with the religious practices and expectations of the territories he conquered, including in particular Egypt and Babylon. It discusses the evidence that Alexander consciously attempted to emulate Heracles and Dionysus, and suggests that this is unlikely to reflect any historical reality. It then explores the story of Alexander’s visit to the oracle of Ammon/Amun at the Siwah oasis, suggesting that while Alexander was aware of the significance of his pharaonic titulary, including the phrase ‘son of Amun’, this did not lead to claims of divine filiation beyond Egypt.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • Religion
  • Edited by Daniel Ogden, University of Exeter
  • Book: The Cambridge Companion to Alexander the Great
  • Online publication: 04 January 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108888349.015
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  • Religion
  • Edited by Daniel Ogden, University of Exeter
  • Book: The Cambridge Companion to Alexander the Great
  • Online publication: 04 January 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108888349.015
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Religion
  • Edited by Daniel Ogden, University of Exeter
  • Book: The Cambridge Companion to Alexander the Great
  • Online publication: 04 January 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108888349.015
Available formats
×