What happened after Thalestris departed the Macedonian camp? After Alexander’s interlude with his Amazon lover, the historians report that he began to outfit his horses with barbarian ornaments. He also began to affect Median-style robes with gold borders and fancy belts over his short Greek chiton—although he drew the line at trousers, the “barbaric” nomad attire of the Mardians and Thalestris’s people. Some of Alexander’s luxurious trappings were spoils; others had been presented by tribal envoys. Perhaps a few items were love gifts from Thalestris? Alexander’s foreign style offended his Greek soldiers, but adopting some native customs in public appears to have been a deliberate strategy to win over Asian tribes. And by 326 BC, anyway, Alexander’s men were compelled to fashion clothes out of foreign garments to replace their Greek rags.18
Curtius claimed that Alexander became lax and embraced barbarian attire and luxuries after consorting with Thalestris. Other historians
FiG. 20.1. Warrior huntress with bow and quiver, Baktrian-Sogdian medallion, silver chased and gilded dish, early second century BC? Inv. S-77, State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg. Photo by Vladimir Terebenin, Leonard Kheifets, Yuri Molodkovets. Photograph © The State Hermitage Museum.
Report that Alexander now began to travel with a harem of beautiful concubines from native populations. He soon met and married Roxane (Raoxshna, Avestan for “Luminous Beauty”), the sixteen-year-old Bak-trian princess said to be the love of his life. Roxane bore his son soon after Alexander’s death (323 BC). And Thalestris.? Did she give birth to Alexander’s child.? Justin is our only source for her fate and he is terse: “Thalestris was granted her wish to sleep with Alexander in order to have a child by him. She then returned to her kingdom and died soon afterwards, and with her all trace of the Amazonian name.” We do not hear of any child born of her union with Alexander, as one might expect if their affair was a purely fictional tale.19
Indeed, there are other remarkable departures from the expected mythic script when real men like Alexander became involved with contemporary women warriors. In the Greek myths, when the great Greek heroes meet with Amazon queens, they oppose each other as equal enemies and engage in combat, and ultimately the mythic heroes kill the women. Yet in every one of the historical and legendary Greek accounts describing Alexander’s relationships with women identified as Amazons, a fascinating new development stands out. The great hero and the warrior women meet as equals, they engage in peaceable conversations (and sex in the case of Thalestris), they refrain from fighting, they discuss the idea of joining forces, and they part on amiable terms. Instead of dominance and subservience, instead of any military contest and violence, they negotiate about sharing a child or becoming partners in war. Equality, harmony, and mutual respect are the prominent themes of the stories of Alexander and Amazons. These same peaceable features are prominent in the ancient and medieval Persian-influenced legends about Alexander (Iskander, Sekander) and a warrior queen who resembles Thalestris (Nushaba, Qaidafa; see chapters 22 And 23).
If the accounts of Alexander and the Amazons were simply mythic parallels casting Alexander as a Greek hero who must overcome a foreign Amazon queen, the irenic course of events would be unthinkable. The striking difference between the Greek myths and Alexander’s friendly parleys with barbarian war leaders who happen to be female is further evidence of authenticity.
World History
