Alexander the Great : myth, genesis and sexuality / Daniel Ogden.

1. Son of the thunderbolt: Alexander's birth myths and their dates. The birth myths ; The lion-seal ; The thunderbolt ; The serpent sire and its tradition ; The serpent sire and the debate over Alexander's paternity ; The serpent sire and Ammon -- 2. Son of the serpent: the original identity of Alexander's serpent sire. Alexander's world of serpents ; Patterns in the Alexander serpent-lore ; The original identity of the serpent sire ; The visualisation of the seduction of Olympias -- 3. Son of the ram: Alexander as heir to the Macedonian foundation myths. Typologies ; Macedon ; Caranus ; Perdiccas ; Midas ; Archelaus ; The interaction of Alexander's myths with the foundation myths -- 4. Son of the Eagle: the heirs to Alexander's birth myths. The opportunities offered by Alexander's birth myths ; Ptolemy Soter ; Seleucus Nicator: the foundations of Antioch and Seleuceia ; Seleucus Nicator: descent and typologies ; Seleucus Nicator: Apollo as sire ; Antigonus Monophthalmus and Demetrius Poliocetes ; Other Hellenistic dynasties and the Roman Empire ; Conclusions -- 5. Son of the witch: traditions of polygamy in the Macedonian court. The polygamous structure of the Macedonian court ; Olympias and Philinna: a war of witches? ; Alexander's family: polygamy and productivity -- 6. Alexander's wives: fact and tradition. Roxane ; Stateira ; Parysatis ; Barsine -- 7. Alexander's dalliances: fact and tradition. Courtesans ; Sons and mothers : encounters with local queens -- 8. Alexander's men: fact and tradition. The enigma of Hephaestion ; Bagoas the eunuch ; Hector -- 9. Alexander the gynnis. The gynnis tale ; What was a gynnis? ; Alexander as a gynnis.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 252-270) and index.

Examines ancient texts for clues to Alexander the Great's parentage and birth, romantic relationships, and successors.