this post was submitted on 05 Oct 2025
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Is this accepted historical fact? Or just played up for the meme?
Because i also hate the implication that any deep and meaningful friendship such as a man being devastated over the death of their close friend and confidant totally must be gay.
IIRC the operating assumption is "sure, probably". Macedonian kings very much did often have (multiple) male (and female) lovers, so in a way it would be weird if Alexander didn't have at least some. And Alexander is described as showing "restraint" with his wives, and the sources do constantly talk about how close Haephaestion was to him, and how they're like Achilles and Patrocles, and how they were inseparable, and practically all but tell us he was his boyfriend... but they don't seem to actually say it outright, which, considering one claims Alexander's father was assassinated because one of his lovers got raped by another of his lovers, is kind of a weird thing to leave on the table.
"Gay" is probably the wrong word either way, though - both "gay" and "straight" are modern concepts that don't really translate that well into antiquity.