Another very well-argued piece, which I enjoyed reading. It's quite baffling why anyone would confidently announce that Hephaistion was two years older, with no proof whatever. The assumptions you mention, on which the theory is based, don't even seem to be correct. The translation I have of Curtius mentions that Hephaistion was 'brought up with' Alexander. Now, to my mind, this doesn't even have to mean just education - and as you rightly say, education could very well have been together since a very young age indeed - but brought up with is more like the American 'raised with', almost implying that Hephaistion left his father's home as a young child, and shared his life entirely with Alexander from that point on. If this is the case, then he was surely chosen from eligible local families of repute, and I think it good proof that they were the same age. As you say, two years makes a big difference to small children, and if Philip, say, had been choosing a child to invite as companion to Alexander, he would have taken care that the boy be the same age. Once again, thank you for you interesting post, Fiona
Dear Fiona, thanks very much for taking the time and trouble to comment on this. When I posted it, I honestly didn't think anyone would be very bothered with it, but it was something I'd had at the back of my mind for years, so thanks again.
As I said, when I first started reading about Alexander back many years ago, the first thing I did with a new book was look in the index for references to Hephaestion, and invariably they would say he was a year or two older than Alexander but without saying what proof there was for this. So, I'm afraid, the assumptions are my interpretation of what this statement was probably based on - if they even thought about, which they probably didn't but just repeated somebody else's assertion.
I'm not sure I agree with the idea of Hephaestion effectively being adopted into Philip's family, as I can't think why he would do it. Alexander had plenty of brothers and sisters and the only reason I can think of that Philip would foster someone else's son was that he owed Amyntor, or that Amyntor was so important that Philip needed to hold his son hostage (like Langarus who later became king of the Agrianians and became friends with the young Alexander when he was a hostage of Philip's). If this was the case, we would surely know more about Amyntor. Unless of course, Hephaestion was an orphan and Philip was just being charitable!
The translation I have of Curtius mentions that Hephaistion was 'brought up with' Alexander. Now, to my mind, this doesn't even have to mean just education - and as you rightly say, education could very well have been together since a very young age indeed - but brought up with is more like the American 'raised with', almost implying that Hephaistion left his father's home as a young child, and shared his life entirely with Alexander from that point on. If this is the case, then he was surely chosen from eligible local families of repute, and I think it good proof that they were the same age.
As you say, two years makes a big difference to small children, and if Philip, say, had been choosing a child to invite as companion to Alexander, he would have taken care that the boy be the same age.
Once again, thank you for you interesting post,
Fiona
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As I said, when I first started reading about Alexander back many years ago, the first thing I did with a new book was look in the index for references to Hephaestion, and invariably they would say he was a year or two older than Alexander but without saying what proof there was for this. So, I'm afraid, the assumptions are my interpretation of what this statement was probably based on - if they even thought about, which they probably didn't but just repeated somebody else's assertion.
I'm not sure I agree with the idea of Hephaestion effectively being adopted into Philip's family, as I can't think why he would do it. Alexander had plenty of brothers and sisters and the only reason I can think of that Philip would foster someone else's son was that he owed Amyntor, or that Amyntor was so important that Philip needed to hold his son hostage (like Langarus who later became king of the Agrianians and became friends with the young Alexander when he was a hostage of Philip's). If this was the case, we would surely know more about Amyntor. Unless of course, Hephaestion was an orphan and Philip was just being charitable!
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