It is generally accepted that the father of the Greek king Alexander, known as the Macedonian, was Philip II, nicknamed the Barbarian. Meanwhile, Alexander's contemporaries had a different point of view on this score. And the mother of the great commander herself, Olympias, never called her lawful husband Philip the parent of Alexander. The venerable woman said that her son was conceived by God. And these words were not a metaphor. It was about the beloved of Olympias, Pharaoh Nehtanebo II, who, like every pharaoh, was officially considered a god on earth in Egypt.
King Philip was brave, but not very attractive outwardly: lame, one-eyed, with a wild, unbridled disposition, for which he received the nickname Barbarian. In addition, he spent almost all of his time on military campaigns. It is not surprising, therefore, that a beautiful woman, while her warlike husband was absent, made herself a "warm friend". Where and when the Greek queen and the Egyptian ruler met, history is silent, but one of the reasons for their rapprochement is known. Both Nehtanebo and Olympias were great experts in magic. Thus, in addition to physical attraction, a spiritual relationship arose.
Nehtanebo was known as a great astrologer and sage not only in his own country. They said that the pharaoh knows how to draw up horoscopes, predict fate, and in military battles he is invincible. From time to time, Nehtanebo, dressed in the dress of an Egyptian doctor, came to Pella, where they met with Olympias. Once he made a horoscope for his beloved, in which he predicted that the gods had prepared for her to become the mother of a great man. On the eve of the birth, Nehtanebo again came to Pella and secretly went to the palace. Olympics was very nervous, the pregnancy was difficult, and even her husband harassed her with his suspicions (Philip strongly doubted his paternity). Soon the queen's labor began, and a wonderful healthy boy was born. The birth was taken by Nekhtanebo himself. He congratulated the queen, but his voice was sad. Olympiada askedWhy does the beloved not rejoice at the birth of their son, especially if a great future is prepared for him? Pharaoh replied that the boy was born a little earlier than the hour predetermined by the stars and, therefore, life will be brilliant, but short.
The next morning, too, did not bring joy to the queen. Philip flatly refused to recognize the child as his son and heir. Olympics told about this new misfortune of Nehtanebo, who had not yet left the city, and he promised to settle everything. At night, the Macedonian king had a dream in which he saw a falcon, who said to him: "Your son was conceived by the Egyptian god Amun-Ra himself." It is not known whether Philip fully believed the dream, but just in case he hastened to declare Alexander his son. In subsequent years, friendship and correspondence between Olympiada and Nehtanebo continued, but he often could not visit his beloved. Egypt was going through hard times. Fate seemed to be testing the lord. First there was an uprising organized by a relative claiming the throne, then the raids of the Persians, the betrayal of the best friend and military leader, who went over to the side of the enemy. But still,despite the difficult situation, Egypt flourished, and the king emerged victorious from every battle.
The secret of the phenomenal success of the pharaoh was in a small casket, which was kept in a secret room. When he or his country was in danger, the ruler retired to this room, opened his chest and took out several wax dolls. If a threat was expected from the sea, the pharaoh took a large bowl, filled it with water and lowered there miniature models of ships, on which he placed his wax dolls. Further, the king pronounced a spell, and the ships with the little men began to sink by themselves, and his army in reality won a victory in the sea battle. This has happened many times.
But then one day the scouts reported that the Persians were preparing a new sortie. Pharaoh laughed and went to his "laboratory". But from the very beginning, the magical action did not work, the ships and soldiers personifying the enemy fleet did not sink, and soon the ruler, with the help of maps and secret signs, read that this time the Persians must conquer Egypt, and that this was predetermined by the gods. Nehtanebo, submitting to the will of the gods, bowed his head sadly, then imperceptibly left the secret room, went to his room, changed into a simple dress and quietly left the city. He came to Pella to see his beloved, the mother of his son. Alexander at that time was 13 years old. Nehtanebo settled at the court, calling himself an Egyptian doctor, and very soon became friends with Aristotle. Aristotle taught young Alexander various sciences, and Nehtanebo taught him magic.
Before the first battle, the pharaoh handed his son his sacred chest and explained how to handle its contents. Alexander was surprisingly lucky in all battles. He emerged victorious from all the fights. The young tsar always carried the casket with him, not allowing even the closest friends to touch it …
One of his first victories was the liberation of Egypt from the rule of the Persians. Not all countries easily recognized the Greek, but the Egyptians immediately accepted him as the heir to the Egyptian kings and declared him their pharaoh. History is silent about the role of Nehtanebo in this event, but from the goodwill with which the young man met the conservative Egypt, it becomes clear that Alexander's true origin was known.
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Alexander reciprocated with Egypt, forever giving his heart to this ancient country. Doing what the gods intended, he conquered many countries and peoples, but at the age of 33 the life of the great commander ended. Dying, he bequeathed to bury himself in the oasis of Amun, a place where at the very beginning of his reign the oracles revealed his purpose.
