The Tomb of Alexander the Great: One of Historys Mysteries

By Shanen Jackson

The actual location of Alexander the Greats body still remains a mystery today. There are
a few locations where his body could be placed but no one knows for sure where his final resting
place is. It is said that Alexander the Great asked shortly before his death to be buried in the
temple of Zeus Ammon at Siwa Oasis. Unfortunately his death wish was not honored. Alexander
died in Babylon in 323 B.C of unknown causes. Shortly after he passed the possession of his
body was under negotiation with Perdiccas, Ptolemy I Soter, and Seleucus I Nicator.1 Perdiccas
chose Aegae as the resting place for his body but his corpse was said to be stolen by Ptolemy I
Soter, who was one of Alexander the Greats generals. Alexander the Greats body was said to
have been buried in Memphis and then transferred to Alexandria where he would be reburied.
Alexandria is said to be his final resting place.
There are many transactions happening between 323 BC and 274 BC. His body was not
buried where he requested to be buried. It became part of a negotiation between three of his
generals. He was to be buried in Aegae as chosen by Perdiccas but his body was stolen during his
transition by another one of his generals Ptolemy. In 215 BC Caracalla, a Roman Emperor,
located some of Alexanders items such as his tunic, belt, and other priceless objects. Caracalla
placed them on his coffin which was said to be located in Alexandria.
All signs point to Alexandria as the final resting place for Alexanders body. An author by
the name of Leo the African visited Alexandria in 1941. He wrote: "In the midst of the ruins of
Alexandria, there still remains a small edifice, built like a chapel, worthy of notice on account of
a remarkable tomb held in high honor by the Mahometans; in which sepulchre, they assert, is

preserved the body of Alexander the Great... An immense crowd of strangers come thither, even
from distant countries, for the sake of worshipping and doing homage to the tomb, on which they
likewise frequently bestow considerable donations".2 What he wrote shows some significance or
proof that his tomb is indeed in Alexandria and historical figures did visit his tomb. So where is
the final resting place of Alexander the Great? Alexandria? Amphipolis? On Wikipedia it states
The recent discovery of a large Alexander-era tomb at Kasta Tomb in Amphipolis in the region
of Macedonia, Greece, has once again invited speculation about Alexander's final resting place.
3

Notes
1.) Saunders 2007, p. 34
2.) Madden 1851, p. 138
3.) Giorgos Christides (22 September 2014). "Greeks captivated by Alexander-era tomb at
Amphipolis". BBC. Retrieved 2 April 2015.

References

Saunders, Nicholas (2007). Alexander's Tomb: The Two-Thousand Year Obsession to

Find the Lost Conqueror. Basic Books
Madden, Richard (1851). The Shrines and Sepulchres of the Old and New World.