You’ve likely heard of Alexander the Great — the warrior prince who became a legendary Hellenic ruler of most of the known Western world. However, Alexander: The Making of a God, recounts the historical icon’s conquests in a new way, using contemporary accounts and fact-based archaeology, much of which is based on ongoing excavations being undertaken by Greek archeologist Calliope Limneos-Papakosta in Alexandria, Egypt, the city that Alexander the Great founded. 

What’s Alexander: The Making of a God about?

The six-part docuseries explores the extraordinary path of the young, exiled man determined to find his place in the world following his father’s assassination, quickly uniting his country in a campaign for dominance. Alexander pursued an unrelenting obsession with defeating the Persian King Darius, and his ambition led to his claim of largest Western empire in history, from Greece to part of India, in just under six years. 

In addition to expert academic insight and the revelations from Limneos-Papkosta’s groundbreaking archaeology. Alexander: The Making of a God reenacts dramatic details of Alexander’s mythic life during his rise.

Who’s in the Alexander: The Making of a God cast?

• Alexander (Buck Braithwaite): A Macedonian prince –– whose claim to the crown is challenged by his father taking a younger wife –– suddenly becomes king after an assassination. Alexander quickly unites his country and leads a campaign against longtime nemesis of the Greeks, the Persian Empire. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Macedonians win every single battle against the world’s largest army with Alexander as their leader. His conquests result in him being recognized as king, pharaoh, and even a god.
• Darius (Mido Hamada): With Alexander’s rise comes Darius’ fall from “King of Kings” vis-à-vis an ignominious death while on the run from his enemy’s army. His inability to either placate the Greeks with diplomacy or defeat them in battle results in Darius losing his family, his crown, and his prominent place in history.
• Stateira (Agni Scott): Darius’ wife and a cornerstone of his power through her noble lineage, Stateira is taken captive by Alexander after Darius’ retreat at the Battle of Issus. A survivor who is wise in the ways of ancient diplomacy, Stateira keeps herself and her daughter safe by providing Alexander with useful reconnaissance and eventually takes him into her bed. After she dies giving birth to his son, Alexander twists the knife into his enemy by making sure Darius is aware of the circumstances of her death.

Was Alexander the Great gay?

Alexander: The Making of a God speculates on intimate details of Alexander’s private life, including his time with childhood friend and purported lover Hephaestion (Will Stevens). In the series, experts explain that Alexander kept two friends in close confidence throughout his life: Hephaestion and Ptolemy (played by Dino Kelly). 

“Hephaestion really was not just a cherished companion, but perhaps [Alexander’s] greatest love,” Dr. Salima Ikram of the American University of Cairo says in the doc. 

Still, Alexander’s sexuality can’t necessarily be defined in modern terms.

“Same-sex relationships were quite the norm throughout the Greek world,” Professor Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones of Cardiff University in Wales says in the first episode. “The Greeks did not have a word for homosexuality, or to be gay. It just wasn’t in their vocabulary whatsoever. There was just being sexual.”

Alexander: The Making of a God comes from Tailfeather Productions in partnership with Lion TV, with executive producers Lucy van Beek and Nick Catliff. The series premieres globally on Netflix on Jan. 31.