HISTORIANS DEBATE THE FATE OF ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREAT CONQUERORS Was Alexander the Great Buried … Alive?! empire mourned, Alexander’s body was prepared for the afterlife, but he didn’t show signs of decomposition for six days. This only fed the belief that Alexander — like other rulers of his time — was part god.
For centuries, the ancient Greeks ruled most of Europe and the world, and one man is credited with unifying this historically powerful mass of people under one rule for 13 years: Alexander the Great. Alexander is most known for his hard-fought capture of land all across the globe after succeeding his father on the throne at just 20 years old. But Alexander’s rise came crashing down when he died just 12 years later. Today, the facts of his death are starting to piece together a curious puzzle for historians, because some now believe Alexander was buried alive. Surprisingly (and terrifyingly), this wasn’t uncommon. For centuries, doctors struggled to definitively prove someone was dead because many of the classic signs of death are similar to those of someone in a comatose state. This became such a common problem into the 20th century that people were buried in specialty coffins or with a bell tied around their hand to alert grave watchers. (As bodies decomposed, you can imagine how this created eerie occurrences.) Experts believe Alexander the Great may be one of history’s first recorded instances of such a death. After 12 days of abdominal pain that led to a fever and paralysis, ancient Greek doctors couldn’t detect a breath from their great ruler, and he was declared dead. As the massive
Take a break! leads to paralysis, which could result in the lack of breath. As such, Dr. Hall believes he was entombed alive, making him one of the first to suffer a “false death.” However, other historians are quick to say Dr. Hall’s theory is too speculative to be taken as fact. Among the common counter arguments, Dr. Hall’s reliance on data and details collected centuries after his death can be troublesome. We may not know exactly how Alexander died, but with Hall’s theory, some of the final pieces of the puzzle may fall into (an eerie) place. Dr. Katherine Hall of the University of Otago, New Zealand, believes this suggests that Alexander wasn’t yet dead. In fact, he may have been suffering from a rare bacterial infection that attacks the nervous system and
Roasted Turkey Inspired by TheKitchn.com
Ingredients
• 1 whole turkey, thawed • 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth • Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 450 F. 2. Remove packaging and giblets from inside of the turkey. 3. Place the turkey in a broiling pan breast-side up and rub it with salt and pepper. Pour the broth around the turkey. 4. Place the pan in the oven and turn the temperature down to 350 F. Turkey should cook for 12–15 minutes per pound, typically 3–4 hours. 5. Remove the turkey from the oven every 45 minutes and baste it with the broth. 6. Once finished, let the turkey rest for 15–20 minutes before carving and serving.
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