That may be why Alexander's body did not appear to compose, according to Oldach. Historian Eugene N Borza of Pennsylvania State University noted some circumstances surrounding Alexander's death may have been exaggerated. Just as the unpopular Roman dictator Sulla was depicted as being eaten alive by worms and other vermin, even though he probably died quickly from massive bleeding, those who sought to glorify Alexander may have wanted to evoke a minor miracle by claiming that his body did not deteriorate after death. It is doubtful this latest theory can ever be proven. Alexander's embalmed corpse was hijacked while en route to Macedonia, and displayed in a glass sarcophagus in Alexandria for 550 years, before its whereabouts became uncertain.
Legend says the body is in a crypt beneath an early Christian church.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.