Why does Hephaistion appeal so much to women?
Someone asked me this recently and since then, I've been thinking about it. This is not generally true of men. Quite a few have rather poor opinions of Hephaistion. So little is actually known about the guy that both groups are somewhat biased, I think and reflect different subconscious feelings. So, why does Hephaistion Amyntoros appeal (or not appeal) to you?
Speaking as a woman, I think
1. Women ADORE love stories. Hephaistion’s story is inextricably tied up with how much Alexander loved him - so it’s one of the original and quite genuine love stories of our planet! There is too a "star-crossed" aspect about it that gets women all sentimental! They died young and everything went to ashes.
2. Even more importantly, women love to identify with Hephaistion, and imagine themselves in his place, being loved so deeply by the most powerful man on earth. Alexander gave him love, power, wealth, and went a bit crazy when he died. And then shortly after, died himself. If that isn’t every woman’s fantasy love story, what is? That the lover will love us above everyone else, and after we die, we will not be replaced by anyone else in his/her heart.
3. Many of us are fascinated by Alexander the Great. We are intensely curious about the person whom he loved as much as his own self. Who was this man? What was he like? How did he manage to keep Alexander enthralled all his life?
For me, it's # 3 and then #1. What does everyone else think? Is it one of the reasons above? Or that he was handsome and played in a recent movie by Jared Leto? Anything else? And why is he unappealing to some? Because he could influence Alexander? Because Alexander gave him too much? Because he got into a quarrel with macho Macedonian warriors like Krateros?
Speaking as a woman, I think
1. Women ADORE love stories. Hephaistion’s story is inextricably tied up with how much Alexander loved him - so it’s one of the original and quite genuine love stories of our planet! There is too a "star-crossed" aspect about it that gets women all sentimental! They died young and everything went to ashes.
2. Even more importantly, women love to identify with Hephaistion, and imagine themselves in his place, being loved so deeply by the most powerful man on earth. Alexander gave him love, power, wealth, and went a bit crazy when he died. And then shortly after, died himself. If that isn’t every woman’s fantasy love story, what is? That the lover will love us above everyone else, and after we die, we will not be replaced by anyone else in his/her heart.
3. Many of us are fascinated by Alexander the Great. We are intensely curious about the person whom he loved as much as his own self. Who was this man? What was he like? How did he manage to keep Alexander enthralled all his life?
For me, it's # 3 and then #1. What does everyone else think? Is it one of the reasons above? Or that he was handsome and played in a recent movie by Jared Leto? Anything else? And why is he unappealing to some? Because he could influence Alexander? Because Alexander gave him too much? Because he got into a quarrel with macho Macedonian warriors like Krateros?