How Tall Was Alexander the Great?

Contents

1 Introduction
2 What do the ancient sources say about Alexander the Great’s height?
3 What do modern scholars say about Alexander the Great’s height?
4 How was Alexander’s height compared to the average person of his time?
5 What factors may have affected Alexander’s height?
6 Conclusion

Introduction

Alexander the Great was one of the most successful military commanders in history, and he is also one of the most famous and influential figures in history. His conquests stretched from Greece to India, and he founded one of the largest empires in history.

But one thing that has always been a bit of a mystery about Alexander the Great is his height. There is no definitive answer to the question of how tall Alexander the Great really was, but there is some evidence that suggests he was slightly taller than the average person of his time.

What do the ancient sources say about Alexander the Great’s height?

The ancient sources on Alexander the Great’s height are somewhat contradictory. Plutarch, one of the most famous ancient biographers, says that Alexander was “of middle height.” However, other ancient historians, such as Arrian and Curtius Rufus, say that Alexander was “of a moderate height” or “of a moderate stature.”

It is important to note that the definition of “middle height” in the ancient world was different from the definition of “average height” today. In the ancient world, “middle height” was considered to be the ideal height for a man. So, the fact that Plutarch says that Alexander was “of middle height” may simply mean that he was of average height for his time.

What do modern scholars say about Alexander the Great’s height?

Most modern scholars believe that Alexander the Great was between 165 and 170 cm tall (5’5″ and 5’7″). This is based on a variety of evidence, including the descriptions of Alexander’s height in the ancient sources, as well as the average height of Greek males in the 4th century BC.

However, some scholars believe that Alexander the Great may have been taller or shorter. For example, Peter Green believes that Alexander was about 160 cm tall (5’3″), while Nicholas Hammond believes that he was about 175 cm tall (5’9″).

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How was Alexander’s height compared to the average person of his time?

The average height of a Greek male in the 4th century BC was about 160 cm (5’3″). So, Alexander was slightly taller than the average person of his time.

What factors may have affected Alexander’s height?

There are a number of factors that may have affected Alexander the Great’s height. These include:

Nutrition: Alexander ate a healthy diet, which may have contributed to his height.
Genetics: Alexander’s parents were both tall, so he may have inherited his height from them.
Exercise: Alexander was a very active person, which may have also contributed to his height.
Medical conditions: Some scholars have speculated that Alexander may have had a medical condition that affected his height, such as gigantism or acromegaly. However, there is no evidence to support this claim.

Conclusion

So, how tall was Alexander the Great? We can’t say for sure, but it seems likely that he was between 165 and 170 cm tall (5’5″ and 5’7″). This was slightly taller than the average person of his time.

Alexander’s height may have been due to a combination of factors, including nutrition, genetics, exercise, and medical conditions.