Alexander the Great Poisoned: New Theory

Toxicologist Dr. Leo Schep of the National Poisons Center at Otago University in New Zealand believes he has unraveled the 2000-year-old mystery of how Greek leader Alexander the Great was killed. According to the scientist, Alexander appears to have been poisoned by a plant that was turned into wine.

In 2003, Dr. Schep was approached by BBC and asked to conduct research on the death of Alexander the Great. He said he accepted because he always “likes a challenge,” but he never expected to find anything of importance.

Scholars have been divided for years on the matter of the great Greek leader’s death. Some believe he died of natural causes and others support the theory that he was poisoned by his close associates during a banquet celebration. According to Dr. Schep the theory that he was poisoned by arsenic or strychnine is ridiculous, seeing as he would have died almost immediately.

Alexander the Great died in 323 BC after he managed to build one of the largest empires ever to exist. His death was slow. It lasted 12 days during which he was not able to walk or talk. Some scientists said he might have been poisoned by aconite, hemlock, autumn crocus, wormwood or henbane, but even those wouldn’t have been so slow to kill him.

Dr. Schep in collaboration with Dr. Pat Wheatley — a classics expert at Otago University — published a medical journal in Clinical Toxicology, concluding that he must have been killed by a harmless looking white plant called Veratrum album, also known as white hellebore. This particular plant was also used for curing vomit and could have caused the 12 day torture that the Greek leader had to endure.

Dr. Schep’s theory is that the plant was fermented into wine and given to Alexander during the banquet. It also could have been mixed with wine in order to cover its original bitter taste, but it is possible that Alexander was drunk and didn’t actually notice the difference.