Alexander and his loved ones...

[fajrdrako]

Out of curiosity, over lunch, I was looking for articles on the web to sort out various connections of Alexander's. I was interested to read about his illegitimate son Heracles, and Heracles' mother Barsine. (Articles at Wikipedia: Heracles and Ancient Persia - Barsine.) Barsine caught my interest because Steven Pressfield talks about her as Alexander's lover in The Virtues of War. As the mother of Alexander's child, I would have thought she had some strategic significance. (Not to mention strong reasons to resent Roxane, and Hephaistion as well.)

I was bemused to look at the purported family tree of Heracles and see that it conflates Barsine with Stateira - which would have interesting implications, but I can't imagine how they could be the same or even connected, since Barsine's father was Artabazus and Stateira's was Darius III. So is the history confused, or is the the people putting up websites? Alexander did encounter Stateira and Barsine in Damascus at the same time.... which, misplaced to Babylon in the Oliver Stone movie, would be the same time he met Bagoas. Hmm. An interesting occasion.

Interesting also that Barsine lived for a time in Pella, when she and her father were in exile after their rebellion against Artaxerxes III. So presumably she knew Alexander when they were both in Marcedon. That court had some fascinating people there.

I am having too much fun learning about these people.