Did Aristotle Use Calicheamicin To Poison And Murder Alexander the Great?

The 'official' story of Alexander's death is thus... In June 323 BCE he had a hardcore night of drinking with his men in Nebuchadnezzar's palace in Babylon. He immediately fell ill and consequently died a couple of weeks later, probably of liver failure, alcohol poisoning, or malaria (or a combination of all). He was 32.

All perfectly believable. However, right from the start questions were asked.

How could a man of such incredible physical and mental strength and will die from a few too many cups of wine? Or how could a man who ate the healthiest food, drank the cleanest water, travelled apart from his army in clean conditions, had the best physicians and medicine in the world, die of a common soldier's disease such as Malaria? And why did he die suddenly just as he seemed to be starting to recover? Rumors of poison began to circulate and a conspiracy was born.

Well, in fact, many conspiracies were born. But the main one concerned the great philosopher Aristotle and Alexander's veteran general, Antipater. Aristotle, of course, had been Alexander's tutor when the Macedonian prince was young. They remained great friends over the years, but this friendship disintegrated towards the end. Aristotle became disgusted with the King's adoption of bizarre Persian customs and his pretence of divinity. Alexander had also executed Aristotle's nephew for being a traitor. Aristotle feared for his own life should Alexander return from Babylon.

Lane Fox, however, in what is probably the definitive biography of Alexander, dismisses the possibility of intentional poisoning:

If Alexander had been poisoned, he should surely have been given a massive dose which was absolutely certain to kill him at once. And yet diaries, pamphlets, and official calanders insist that twelve days passed between... the banquet and the death of the king. (Robin Lane Fox, Alexander the Great, 1973)

But Lane Fox wasn't aware of calicheamicin... This highly toxic poison wasn't discovered until the 80s.
Calicheamicin

This natural poison is prevalent in the modern Greek river Mavroneri, associated with the legendary River Styx, located near Nonacris. Now read Plutarch Lives of Alexander...

But those who affirm that Aristotle counselled Antipater to do the deed,124 and that it was entirely through his agency that the poison was provided, mention one Hagnothemis as their authority, who professed to have heard the story from Antigonus the king; 4 and the poison was water, icy cold, from a certain cliff in Nonacris; this they gathered up like a delicate dew and stored it in an ass's hoof

Alexander the Great poisoned by the River Styx

Antipater, Alexander's general, was a former student of Aristotle and a close friend. He also controlled the main supply line for Alexander's army into Asia from Greece. Furthermore Antipater's son, Iollas, was one of Alexander's main servants at the time of the King's death. Later, when Aristotle died he left Antipater as executor of his will.

Contention

In June 323 BCE Alexander the Great had a serious night's drinking. He fell ill. His immune system weakened and he got worse. Medicine was sent for from Greece [this is a historical fact]. His general Antipater was in charge of the supply line from Babylon to Greece and therefore responsible for the delivery of the medicine. Antipater however had fell out of favor with Alexander and was soon to be sent on a pointless expedition deeper into Asia (the direction the army had just come from). Antipater was in communication with Aristotle and suggested Aristotle procure the 'medicine'.

Aristotle did just that, from the river Styx (now Mavroneri). This was delivered into Babylon by Antipater, presumably along with some legitimate medicine. The real medicine was given to Alexander (this would explain his apparent improvement before he died), then later the fatal dose of calicheamicin was delivered to the king by Iollas, son of Antipater.

Didn't Aristotle die the next year? 322 bc? Where does this fall into the conspiracy?

Also, could this all have to do with the Skull & Bones 322 thing?

reply to post by jessejamesxx

In the years after Alexander died it all went into chaos and many died of 'natural causes', Aristotle was one of them. There could be a connection, I suppose, but that's anyone's guess...

reply to post by FOXMULDER147


Looks like you've done a bit of research. Okay. Here's my rebuttal:

If Aristotle really poisoned Alexander, could it really have been because he felt they were falling out of their friendship?

Aristotle supported a nationalistic strategy, which would protect Greek culture from the "barbarians," whereas Alexander eventually supported the inclusion of non-Greek culture into his policies to ease his rule of the outer provinces.

I mean I see how Aristotle could have killed him because he did not want the country to fall under barbaric rule (which may explain why he later left in exile), but could it really have been because he was mad because he lost a friend? It just doesn't seem likely.

Also, Aristotle was in Chalchis at the time of Alexander's death, no?

reply to post by mr10k

There's a real possibility that Aristotle feared for his own life, and the lives of his friends and family.

Alexander had executed his own general Parmenion without hesitation, a man who had been a father figure to him for over twenty years, when a relative of Parmenion's (just a relative!) was involved in a conspiracy against Alexander. Aristotle of course knew this. Alexander had also executed Aristotle's nephew in similarly quick fashion.

Not trying to be insulting to anyone here, I would simply like to say that I find it highly doubtful that Aristotle would have participated in not only the the demise of Alexander, but anyone else for that matter. This is based on purely academic study and the student writings that we read as his "books", and assessing the man behind the thought. We are so far removed that we cannot know any of the story behind Alexander's death any further than any fragmental text that we can find.

Also, as the OP stated, he could have died from any of his listed possibilities. Further, as he also states "rumors" began after Alexander's death. What I have been told by genuine Aristotle scholars is that after Alexander's death, Aristotle left the city in order to avoid the enemies of Alexander which appeared to be certainly interested in setting about the demise of any Alexander's allies.

He did apparently die within a year or two while doing what he loved... trying to study species of fish and seemingly drowned.

I just can't see people who are interested in the pursuit of knowledge or in the correction of the soul or inner self engaging in the pursuits of the hairless monkeys, if I may be so crass for a moment. Aristotle, like his predecessors, had a healthy disdain for the thought processes and actions of the unenlightened masses, so I do find what the people who study Aristotle say to be more credible and probable.

If there was a conspiracy to poison Alexander, I would look more closely at Antipater, had I been an investigator at the time. He had both motive and access.

Well... that's my 2 cents for today! take care