Alexander the Great, “son of god Amon”: Alexander’s stay and legacy in Egypt and “a conversation with Amon” Cover Image

Aleksandar Veliki, “sin boga Amona”: Aleksandrov boravak i nasljeđe u Egiptu, s posebnim osvrtom na “razgovor sa Amonom”
Alexander the Great, “son of god Amon”: Alexander’s stay and legacy in Egypt and “a conversation with Amon”

Author(s): Amina Šehović
Subject(s): Archaeology, Customs / Folklore, Social history, Ancient World, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology
Published by: Udruženje za proučavanje i promoviranje ilirskog naslijeđa i drevnih i klasičnih civilizacija “BATHINVS”
Keywords: Alexander the Great; Egypt; Amon; deity; Alexandria; Ptolemy; temple; Persian Empire; Macedonia; Greece;

Summary/Abstract: Alexander the Great, one of the greatest rulers the world has ever seen, in his conquests, among other things, reached Egypt. The focus of this paper is on the influence that Egypt had on Alexander the Great and the influence that Alexander had on Egypt. Particular attention was paid to the writings of various historical sources about Alexander’s stay in Egypt. The Egyptian aspect of Alexander’s life is very important. This country influenced Alexander to get lost in his desires. One of the big questions the paper deals with is whether Alexander really believed that he was the son of the god Amon / Zeus. For the Egyptians, Alexander was the savior. For Alexander, Egypt was a picture of what he wanted to be, and what kind of relationship he wanted to have with people. For a man who did not lose battles, a man who crossed a great path to worship Amon, a man who came to the land he conquered and received treatment, not like a conqueror but a liberator it may not have been hard to believe that he was something more than a ruler himself. For Egypt, the new ruler was not cruel to them. He was their friend. So they accepted him and accepted those who came after him as their own. Alexandria in Egypt, what is considered one of the greatest achievements of Alexander’s conquests, was something new – the center of Hellenistic culture, far from Hellas. In addition to the topics mentioned in the paper, attention is paid to Alexander’s legacy in Egypt and his body in Alexandria as well. The aim of the paper is to review Alexander’s stay in Egypt. A good part of the work is seen through the prism of Alexander’s stay in the temple of the god Amon. The reason for this is the influence that “conversation with Amon” had on this great ruler, but also the fact that through the journey to the temple, Alexander wanted to show the Egyptians what kind of ruler he would be.

  • Issue Year: 7/2023
  • Issue No: 7
  • Page Range: 59-83
  • Page Count: 25
  • Language: Bosnian