Divine Kingship Before Rome: How Alexander the Great Became a God

Sources that discuss Alexander the Great's perceived divinity emerged after his lifetime, making it difficult to substantiate claims of his self-identification as a god. Plutarch narrates that Olympias had a dream involving a thunderbolt, while Philip II dreamed of a serpent; the Oracle at Delphi instructed Philip to honor Ammon. Olympias asserted her lineage from Achilles, and Philip connected himself to Heracles. Alexander's tutor, Lysimachus, depicted him as Achilles. Following the Battle of Chaeronea, Philip established a city in his name and commissioned the Philippeion. In 331 BC, Alexander sought the oracle at Siwa, where he was recognized as the son of Ammon. After his death at 32, Ptolemy relocated his remains first to Memphis and then to Alexandria, shaping subsequent divine honors in Rome.