February 2005 Alexander knew very well that he was no God. Once when he was wounded, blood was flowing from his wound and some sycophant exclaimed that divine ichor was flowing from him. Alexander replied, ' It's blood, stupid.' It was the title that he wanted. It made him sacrosanct. That's what they all wanted, all the deified Hellenistic kings and all the cæsars and augusti. It raised them above all law. He knew that he did not have the supernatural powers of a God. He could not bring Hephaistion back from the dead, pat him on the shoulder and say, ' there now, all better.' He probably believed that he might become a God after his death. He was a very religious man and his religion taught that this was possible. It had happened to one of his fore bearers, Herakles, and it seemed likely to happen to him as well. Meanwhile, if the ordinary working men in the fields saw him as an official God, he would be far more tractable.