To What Extent Could Alexander's Action Be Held as Evidence of His Intention to Create a Policy of 'Racial Fusion Between the Macedonians and the Persians?

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Whilst it may be clear that the repercussions of Alexander’s actions were directly understood by some historians to be evidence of his intention to create a policy of ‘racial fusion’ between the Macedonians and the Persians, others argue the resulting integration and assimilation of these cultures, whilst on a large scale, were simply a natural consequence of his actions. The purpose of this essay is to identify and discuss aspects of Alexander’s career (post Guagamela) the so-called ‘Racial Fusion’ theory sets out to explain as well as recognizing the theory’s strengths and weaknesses as an explanation of Alexander’s motives. In doing so, this paper will not only discuss causes and consequences of Alexander’s actions as presented by ancient sources, writing only a few centuries after his death in 323 BC, but also those arguments for and against Alexander’s intentions, in respect to the theory, as presented by historians writing some two millennia later. One aspect of Alexander’s career some ancient sources and modern historians claim the so-called ‘Racial Fusion’ theory sets out to explain is the matter of the mass marriages as Susa in 324 BC. At this event, and on his command, Alexander and ninety of his Macedonian elite Companion corps married daughters of the Persian nobility in a ceremony that followed the Persian tradition. At the same time he also formalized the unions of over 10,000 of his troops to native women, giving wedding gifts to all. Whilst more modern sources hold the interpretation of this event as ambiguous , a weakness of the theory in itself, some ancient sources held it as proof of Alexander’s intentions to bring together the Macedonians and the Persians in a policy of ‘racial fusion’ or a ‘unity of mankind’. For example, Plutarch signifies the marriages as “a means of uniting the two imperial people” in

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