Alexander III of Macedon – better known to us as Alexander the Great – is remembered as a military genius, empire-builder, and cultural icon. But like many great figures of antiquity, his personal relationships have become a field of fascination. Was he straight? Gay? Something else? The truth is, trying to map modern categories of sexuality onto ancient lives is messy at best. And in Alexander’s case, the evidence suggests something closer to what we’d now call pansexuality – attraction to people regardless of gender.

Heterosexual Relationships

Like any king of his age, Alexander’s marriages were political. He had at least three known wives: Roxana (a Bactrian noblewoman, married in 327 BCE), Stateira II (a Persian princess, married in 324 BCE), and Parysatis II (daughter of the Persian king Artaxerxes III, also married in 324 BCE). These unions were designed to secure his empire by binding him to powerful dynasties. Ancient sources don’t dwell on romantic passion in these marriages, though Plutarch tells us Alexander loved Roxana deeply – enough to have her execute Stateira after his death. That suggests at least one genuine bond, though the politics are never far away.

Despite these marriages all being concurrent (unlike Henry VIII’s serial marriages), that doesn’t imply polyamory since these were political unions.

Homoerotic Relationships

Alexander’s most famous relationship was with Hephaestion, his childhood friend, general, and (if the ancient gossip is right) lover. Plutarch and Arrian both compare Alexander and Hephaestion to Achilles and Patroclus – the heroic pair often understood in antiquity as lovers. When Hephaestion died in 324 BCE, Alexander was inconsolable: he fasted, cut his hair, and demanded divine honours for his companion. Whatever their physical intimacy, the emotional depth was undeniable.

There are also hints of other male lovers. The Persian court eunuch Bagoas was said to be beloved by Alexander. Curtius Rufus describes a banquet scene where the troops applauded as Alexander kissed Bagoas publicly. Such moments suggest Alexander did not hide his affections for men.

Relationships Beyond the Binary

The figure of Bagoas also points us toward gender categories that don’t fit neatly into “male” or “female”. Eunuchs in the Persian world often occupied a kind of third-gender space – neither fully men (lacking the ability to be fathers and heirs) nor women. For Alexander to openly favour Bagoas suggests an attraction that crossed the boundaries of sex and gender as the ancient world understood them. In a court culture obsessed with masculinity, this was no small gesture.

Conclusion

So what do we make of Alexander’s love life? He married women for politics, loved men with passion, and openly cherished at least one eunuch. He doesn’t fit comfortably into “straight” or “gay”. His story suggests a capacity to love and desire across the spectrum of human experience – in other words, something very much like pansexuality. Of course, the ancients didn’t have that word. But perhaps, in recognising Alexander’s complexity, we also honour the fluidity of human desire across time.

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Sources:

• Plutarch, Life of Alexander
• Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander
• Quintus Curtius Rufus, History of Alexander the Great
• Diodorus Siculus, Library of History