Talk:Heracles of Macedon

00:40, 24 March 2015 (UTC)Thomaswayne2 (talk)

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Why ON EARTH does this article present Heracles as a legitimate son? The article of Alexander's personal relationships + Cambridge Ancient History + every other source I've ever read consider him a trick of Antigonus' and Polyperchons - fx the affair should have taken place after the battle of Issus, yet that makes Heracles 5 years too young. He IS 5 YEARS TOO YOUNG, yet this article proclaims that he STILL REALLY WAS THE SON OF ALEXANDER??????? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.107.24.213 (talk) 16:20, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

How come then no contemporary writer refers to him as a trick? Had he truly been an imposter don't you think Cassander and the other Diadochi would have taken advantage of it as a source of their propaganda against Antigonus and Polyperchon? How come Ptolemy or Seleucus, who were close to him during his campaign and lifetime, did not advocate that Alexander never had an illegitimate son with Barsine? I also enjoy Mary Renault's books but let's face it, she was not historian! The reason she denies Heracles' legitimacy and Alexander's liaison with Barsine is that she had imagined inside her head an Alexander who disliked the company of women and preferred the idealized love of men and boys. Tarn also denied this because of an idealized, chaste, pre-Christian heterosexual man. Plutarch cites Aristoboulus, who was present during the entire campaign as a source of Alexander's liaison with Barsine and the fathering of Heracles. And since no ancient writer seems to have a single speculation of him being simply an imposter who, oh what a surprise, just happened to look like him i don't see why we should think otherwise