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The body of Alexander the Great did not break down for nearly a week after his death. Katherine Hall said that and the symptoms of the former conqueror's disease suggest that he was probably suffering from Guillain-Barré syndrome, an autoimmune disorder. ( Wikimedia Commons )
What caused the untimely death of Alexander the Great has long been a mystery. Historical records show that when the famous conqueror died, his body did not show signs of decomposition for six days.
For the ancient Greeks, this confirmed what Alexander was also thinking: the young Macedonian king was not an ordinary man, but a god.
Cause of the death of Alexander the Great
At age 32, Alexander creates one of the largest empires of the ancient world, which extends from Greece to northwestern India. He was about to undergo another invasion in 323 BC. AD when he fell ill. He died after 12 days of intense abdominal pain.
Theories surrounding the cause of Alexander's death abound, from typhoid, malaria, alcoholic intoxication to murder.
According to a new theory, Alexander may have suffered from the neurological disorder that caused his untimely death.
In an article published in The Bulletin of Ancient HistoryKatherine Hall, a senior lecturer at the Dunedin School of Medicine, said the previous theories about the death of the former leader were not satisfactory because they focused on excruciating fever and abdominal pain that Alexander had before his death.
"In particular, none of them provided a comprehensive answer that gives a plausible and workable explanation to a fact narrated by a source – the body of Alexander showed no signs decomposition for six days after his death, "said Hall.
According to Hall, Alexander has also developed "progressive, symmetrical and ascending paralysis". He also remained composed, that is to say, he fully controlled his mental faculties until his death.
Guillain Barre syndrome
Hall believes that the leader was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, or GBS, a rare but serious autoimmune disease characterized by the immune system attacking healthy cells of the nervous system, causing a series of symptoms including weakness, numbness, tingling, and even paralysis.
Even today, there is no known treatment for curing Guillain-Barré syndrome, although there are treatments that can lessen the severity of the disease and shorten the recovery time. This only concerns about one in 100,000 Americans.
Hall said that this could explain the combination of symptoms better than other theories about the death of Alexander.
The practitioner believes that Alexander may have contracted the disorder as a result of Campylobacter pylori infection. He probably has a variant of GBS that causes paralysis without causing confusion or unconsciousness.
Pseudothanatos
His paralysis and reduced oxygen demand would have reduced his respiratory visibility. This and its paralysis could explain the preservation of the body of Alexander. He probably did not show signs of decomposition because he was pronounced dead before his death.
Hall says that Alexander might have the most famous case of pseudothanatos, or false diagnosis of death.
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