How Alexander the Great’s Tomb Was Stolen

It remains one of the most successful and significant thefts in history. In late 321 BC, a carefully-constructed plot was put into operation that would spark years of bloody conflict between rival warlords.

The target of the operation was Alexander the Great’s elaborate funeral carriage, designed as a miniature and gold-adorned mobile temple, and the conqueror’s talismanic corpse housed within.

Ptolemy and Perdiccas were at loggerheads. The former was the new governor of Egypt. The latter was the all-powerful regent of Alexander’s empire, whose authority theoretically stretched from Afghanistan to the Aegean.Both knew that war between them was all-but-inevitable. Rather than wait, Ptolemy aimed to provoke it on his terms – a pre-emptive strike. It was a huge risk, but one the governor believed he had to take if he would have any chance of victory.

At the end of 321 BC, Alexander the Great’s funeral carriage was heading west from Babylon to the Mediterranean. Perdiccas, who was then stationed in Pisidi, central Anatolia, with the royal army, wanted to take the body back to Macedonia. Returning with the dead king’s body to his homeland, and with the royal army in tow, was a key part of his grand plan to seize the throne.

But Ptolemy had other ideas. He wanted the body to come to Egypt, and he had prepared for this in advance. Colluding with Arrhidaeus, the general in command of the cortege’s escort, and Archon, the governor of Babylonia, they arranged to hijack the body and fatally damage Perdiccas’ grand imperial plans.

In late 321 BC they put the plan in motion. Upon arriving in Syria, Arrhidaeus and the funeral cart turned south towards Egypt. The theft was on. The thieves had a head start, but speed was not a luxury afforded to them. Even with the best suspension the ancients could create, the progress of the great carriage was painfully slow.

It was not long before Perdiccas received word of the cart’s new course and sent a special light-armed task force in pursuit. Its purpose: to retrieve the carriage and its precious cargo – by force if necessary. The chase was on.

In this documentary, Dr Chris Naunton and Tristan Hughes discuss the events of this great heist in antiquity.

Film directed by Mark Bowsher.

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[marissahammer]

I was only going to watch 5 mins of this, but ended up watching the entire thing. What an amazing story I knew nothing about!

[pegxo]

The tomb of Alexander really is the Holy Grail of archaeology. The search will never be abandoned.

[susanroutt]

I wonder if artifacts from the lost tombs of Ghengis Khan, Cleopatra, and Alexander are currently in collections of museums or private individuals

[jillwanlin]

Always a spectacular story telling by Dr. Chris Naunton and Tristan Hughes. Love that they’re so passionate about what they do. They pull you in. Stunning photography and drone footage. Thanks HH. ❤this.

[kevd]

It's the weirdest thing to me that there are places that everyone knew of their existence, and many people would have known exactly where they were-literally for centuries, only to be lost entirely. How does that happen? That would be like the Lincoln Memorial or Nelson's column being totally unknown and unfindable in a few hundred years.

[chris.asi_romeo]

If they could find the tomb and body of Alexander the Great. It could be the most remarkable archaeological find in history.

[SpartanLeonidas]

Alexander the Great’s Tomb is the Holy Grail of Archaeology! 🇬🇷👍🏻

[Spyderredtoo]

Alexander’s war horse Bucephalus, which he kept with the army, also had died. There are horses, and there is The Horse. When my wonderful Arabian horse passed on at only 22, it toke me several years to speak of him without tears.

[sidp]

As usual Tristan Hughes kills it. I would also like to point out that Tristan did a video for the history, YouTube channel kings and generals on Alexander’s tomb topic.

[srfrg]

there was no such thing as Turkey in Anatolia back then.

[stepps]

Absolutely stunning video! Thank you for this incredibly well documented story.

[InAeternumRomaMater]

Alexanders best friend 3:34 Hephaestion wasn't his lover. There's no mention of them engaging in any relationship, they were bros. There's only mentions of Alexander engaging in heterosexual acts

[TripleR]

I kinda like how his Tomb hasn't been discovered it's as if he's more of a mythical figure than a mortal leader without his remains.

[josephinemiller]

I am always annoyed by the speculation that He had this lover. That is certainly not proven and I’m sick and tired of people speculating that two men are gay just because they are close. Plenty of men are close to each other as brothers in arms. Does it mean they are buggering each other?

[JohnnnyT]

This was one of the greatest documentaries I’ve ever watched. Keep up the good work history hits !!

[muhamadsinghateh]

I wish i had the funds to fund an archeological expedition to uncover Alexanders body

[theodorepapatchidis]

In my opinion, the tomb has to be in Vergina Greece. In the ancient Greece, the tombs of kings were at the place were born, with the tombs of their family. For sure for security reasons nobody knows where it is. But in Vergina Greece they found the tomb of his father and two gold crowns and other things .Also his Wife Roxani and his son went to live in Macedonia after his death. Looks like his tomb is there close to his father tomb.

[helenangus]

Amazing discussion. I read a book about an englishman who was in the british army, he was sent to india. He deserted and went on a journey searching for a city built by Alexander in Afghanistan.

[RealBonnieBlue]

Great video although, there is no evidence that Hephastean was his "lover" only his childhood best and most trusted friend. He also didn't conquer Greece but conquered the Athenian hegemony to unite Greece under Macedonian leadership in his quest to free Ionian Greeks from Persian rule. It was common for dominance over the rest of Greece to be under different Greek states at different times.

[PrincipledUncertainty]

I'm sure when he was bearing down on your city he did not seem so heroic, but can you imagine any current European leader being talked about millenia from now? Life was more precarious than today and often downright terrifying, but how much more people must have savoured every day that went well. We live in an era devoid of great men and women, under the thumb of corrupt, spineless middle managers with no grand vision.