Editing Alexander of Pherae (section)

==Death==
The murder of Alexander is assigned by [[Diodorus Siculus|Diodorus]] to 357/356 BC.  [[Plutarch]] gives a detailed account of it, with a lively picture of the palace.  Guards watched throughout the night, except at Alexander's bedchamber, which was at the top of a ladder with a ferocious chained dog guarding the door.  Thebe, Alexander's wife and cousin (or half-sister, as the daughter of [[Jason of Pherae]]),<ref name="plut"/> concealed her three brothers (Tisiphonus, Lycophron and Peitholaus) in the house during the day, had the dog removed when Alexander had gone to rest, and, having covered the steps of the ladder with wool, brought up the young men to her husband's chamber. Though she had taken away Alexander's sword, they feared to set about the deed until she threatened to wake him.  Her brothers then entered and killed Alexander.  His body was cast into the streets, and exposed to every indignity.

Of Thebe's motive for the murder different accounts are given.  [[Plutarch]] states it to have been fear of her husband, together with hatred of Alexander's cruel and brutal character, and ascribes these feelings principally to the representations of Pelopidas, when she visited him in his prison.  In [[Cicero]] the deed is ascribed to jealousy.  Other accounts have it that Alexander had taken Thebe's youngest brother as his [[eromenos]] and tied him up.  Exasperated by his wife's pleas to release the youth, he murdered the boy, which drove her to revenge.<ref name="plut"/><ref>[[Diodorus Siculus]], xvi. 14</ref><ref>[[Xenophon]], ''[[Hellenica]]'' vi. 4. ~ 37</ref><ref>[[Cicero]], ''[[De Officiis]]'' 2.25</ref><ref>[[Cicero]], ''[[De Inventione]]'' ii. 49</ref><ref>Aristot. ap. [[Cicero]] [[De Divinatione|de Div.]] i. 25; the dream of Eudemus</ref>