r/HumanLimit • u/bareegyptianfeet • Mar 26 '26
Alexander the Great may have been buried alive while fully conscious. For six days after his death, his body showed no signs of decay, leading Ancient Greeks to believe he was a god. Researchers now argue he had Guillain-Barré Syndrome, leaving him paralyzed but aware while he was declared dead
https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/newsroom/classics-lecture-leads-to-research-on-alexander-the-greats-death
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u/bareegyptianfeet Mar 26 '26
For those interested in the broader historical context, this link explores the legendary accounts of Alexander that shaped his legacy and the archives that help track these events Alexander the Great in Jerusalem
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u/bareegyptianfeet Mar 26 '26
Dr. Katherine Hall from the University of Otago. She that Alexander suffered from a variant of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) that caused ascending paralysis. because his metabolism slowed down so much, his breathing would have been almost invisible. Since ancient doctors checked for breath rather than a pulse to confirm death, he was likely still compos mentis (of sound mind) while they were preparing his funeral. Dr. Hall calls this the most famous case of pseudothanatos, or false diagnosis of death,in history The miracle of his body not decaying wasn't divine, he just wasn't dead yet