Mythical Eugenics. The Macedonian-Amazon Royal Alliance in Classical Sources

Cercetări Arheologice 31.2, 2024, 321-332
https://doi.org/10.46535/ca.31.2.03



Mythical Eugenics. The Macedonian-Amazon Royal Alliance in Classical Sources

Authors: Arturo Sanchez Sanz

Keywords:

Alexander, Talestris, Amazons, mythology, eugenics

Abstract:

The most well-known Amazon stories exhibit a number of common characteristics, most notably their ultimate defeat at the hands of a legendary male hero. Even those narratives in which such characters did not achieve the same degree of renown as Heracles, Theseus or Achilles, as in the case of Bellerophon, or those who were not even granted a Hellenic origin, as in the case of the young Priam, the most important of these premises is fulfilled: they were all characters as mythical as the Amazons themselves. However, the case of Alexander III of Macedon presents particularities that are not linked to the historical character of the main character, but rather to the time in which this story arose (4th century BC), which is much later than the traditional heroic texts. This tale is atypical and marks a significant turning point in the Amazon mythological tradition. Despite the growing prominence of the Macedonian ruler, there is no direct representation of this encounter. Indirect references to it emerge only at a relatively late stage in the tradition. This article will analyse the classical sources dedicated to this legendary encounter in order to ascertain the reasons behind its invention.

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How to cite: Arturo Sanchez Sanz, Mythical Eugenics. The Macedonian-Amazon Royal Alliance in Classical Sources, Cercetări Arheologice, Vol. 31.2, pag. 321-332, 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.46535/ca.31.2.03

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