People > Roxana

Roxana

Background

Roxana, or Roxane, was a significant figure in the Hellenistic period, known primarily as the wife of Alexander the Great and the mother of his son, Alexander IV. Her life was marked by dramatic turns of fortune, from royal marriage to political intrigue and eventual tragedy. Here is a detailed account of her life and legacy:

Early Life and Marriage

• Background: Roxana was the daughter of Oxyartes, a Bactrian nobleman and king. Her background was likely aristocratic, with ties to the ruling elite of Bactria, a region in what is now modern-day Afghanistan.
• Marriage to Alexander the Great: In 327 BCE, during his campaigns in Central Asia, Alexander the Great captured the Sogdian Rock fortress, where Roxana was present. Alexander, captivated by her beauty and perhaps seeking to secure his hold on the region through a dynastic alliance, married her. Their union was both a romantic and political alliance, aiming to solidify his conquests through local connections.

Role After Alexander's Death

• Birth of Alexander IV: Following Alexander's death in 323 BCE, Roxana gave birth to their son, Alexander IV, in Babylon. His birth made him a crucial figure in the succession crisis that followed Alexander's unexpected demise.
• Joint Kingship: The generals of Alexander, known as the Diadochi, accepted Roxana's son as a legitimate heir. Alexander IV was declared joint king alongside Philip III Arrhidaeus, Alexander's half-brother, who was mentally impaired. This arrangement, however, was fraught with instability as the generals vied for power.

Political Intrigue and Alliance with Olympias

• Move to Macedonia: Roxana, along with her son, moved to Macedonia to seek protection and secure her son's claim to the throne. She allied herself with Olympias, Alexander the Great's formidable mother, who wielded considerable influence and sought to protect her grandson's interests.
• Struggles with Cassander: Cassander, one of Alexander's former generals and a claimant to power, emerged as a significant threat. He captured Roxana and Alexander IV and imprisoned them in the fortress of Amphipolis.

Imprisonment and Death

• Imprisonment: Roxana and her young son were held captive in Amphipolis by Cassander, who sought to eliminate any threats to his rule. The political landscape was intensely competitive, and the presence of Alexander IV posed a continual challenge to Cassander's ambitions.
• Execution: Around 310 or 309 BCE, Cassander ordered the execution of Roxana and her son. Their deaths marked the end of the legitimate Argead dynasty and the consolidation of power by the Diadochi, who divided Alexander's empire among themselves.

Cultural Impact

• Painting by Aetion: The marriage of Alexander and Roxana was famously depicted in a painting by the artist Aetion. The artwork was renowned in antiquity and symbolized the union of East and West, a central theme of Alexander's conquests and his policy of fusion between Macedonian and Persian cultures.

Legacy

• Historical Significance: Roxana's life and fate are emblematic of the tumultuous period following Alexander's death, known as the Wars of the Diadochi. Her story reflects the vulnerability and tragic outcomes faced by those caught in the power struggles of Alexander's successors.
• Dynastic End: The death of Roxana and Alexander IV marked the end of the direct line of Alexander the Great, paving the way for the Diadochi to establish their own dynasties and reshape the political landscape of the Hellenistic world.

Conclusion

Roxana, daughter of Oxyartes and wife of Alexander the Great, played a significant role in the early Hellenistic period. Her marriage to Alexander symbolized the blending of cultures, but her later life was marked by political intrigue and tragedy. The execution of Roxana and her son, Alexander IV, by Cassander underscores the brutal power struggles that followed Alexander's death, marking the end of the Argead dynasty and the beginning of a new era in the ancient world.

Sources

Plutarch, Alexander, 47, 77; Arrian, Anab. iv. 18, vii. 27; Diod. Sic. xviii. 3, 38, xix. i t, 52, 105; Strabo xi. p. 517, xvii. P. 794.

1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, Volume 23

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