ABSTRACT
The epilogue compares the ways Alexander's masculinity was presented with modern masculine ideals and gendered views. It is stated that in the present Western world, masculine ideals are evolving rapidly. However, certain similarities can be observed between modern and premodern masculine ideals. Male appearance and muscular male bodies are highly idealised today, just as the idea that an illustrious and worshipped man must be physically attractive was sold by the visual and textual portraits of Alexander. The idea that one becomes a man by fighting valiantly in war – a significant aspect of the Classical and medieval reception of Alexander – has not disappeared in the modern versions of his myth and lives on as a version of desirable masculinity. It is as yet unclear whether Alexander will continue to be a representative of the masculine ideal and exemplary man, or whether a radical change in the masculine ideals that have long dominated the western world will occur. Readers are left to decide for themselves whether Alexander's figure represents healthy masculinity or toxic masculinity.
