Roxana
Roxana (Greek: Ῥωξάνη; c. 340s–c. 310 BC) was a Bactrian noblewoman who became the wife of Alexander the Great and, after his death, the mother of Alexander IV of Macedon. Her marriage to Alexander and her subsequent actions during the Wars of the Diadochi made her a central figure in the final years of the Argead dynasty.
Background and Marriage
Roxana was the daughter of a Bactrian noble, often identified in the sources as Oxyartes. She came from the eastern satrapies conquered by Alexander during his campaigns in Central Asia. Alexander met Roxana after the capture of the Sogdian Rock; ancient authors describe her as celebrated for her beauty and noble birth. Alexander married Roxana in a politically significant union that symbolized his policy of fusion between Macedonian and local elites.
Life with Alexander
Roxana accompanied Alexander on the remainder of his campaigns and was with him in the eastern provinces. She bore Alexander a son, Alexander IV, who was born after Alexander the Great's death in 323 BC. Roxana’s marriage and her son’s birth made her a figure of dynastic importance, though she and her child were vulnerable amid the power struggles that followed Alexander’s death.
Role after Alexander’s Death
Following Alexander’s death, Roxana and her infant son were recognized by some factions as the legitimate royal line. Because Alexander IV was a posthumous heir, Roxana’s position depended on the protection of powerful generals and regents. She and her son were moved for safety as rival Diadochi vied for control. At times they were used as symbols of legitimacy by different factions; at other times they were confined and isolated to prevent them from becoming rallying points for opposition.
Imprisonment and Death
When Cassander secured control of Macedonia, he confined Roxana and Alexander IV in Amphipolis. In 310/309 BC, Cassander ordered the secret execution of both Roxana and her son to eliminate the last legitimate Argead claimants. Ancient sources report that the murders were carried out covertly to avoid public unrest. The deaths of Roxana and Alexander IV effectively ended the Argead dynasty and allowed the Diadochi to consolidate their own dynastic claims.
Historical Sources
Accounts of Roxana’s life and fate appear in the major ancient narratives of the Hellenistic age, including:
- Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica
- Justin, Epitome of Pompeius Trogus
- Plutarch, scattered references in biographies of Alexander and the Diadochi
- Arrian, for background on Alexander’s eastern campaigns
Modern treatments of Roxana appear in standard works on Alexander and the Successor period; these syntheses evaluate the ancient sources and discuss the political uses of Roxana’s person and her son’s claim.
Legacy
Roxana’s marriage to Alexander is often cited as an example of the Macedonian ruler’s attempts to integrate conquered elites into his new imperial order. Her tragic end, together with that of her son, is a key episode in the collapse of the Argead line and the transition to the Hellenistic kingdoms ruled by Alexander’s former generals.
See Also