Detailed Notes on Alexander the False Prophet

Lucian addresses Celsus, acknowledging the request to document the life and schemes of Alexander of Abonoteichus.
Lucian equates the task to chronicling the exploits of Alexander the Great due to the extent of Alexander's villainy.
Lucian will attempt to cleanse the "Augean stable" of Alexander's misdeeds to the best of his ability.

Lucian expresses embarrassment for honoring a despicable person in writing.
He believes Alexander deserves public scorn rather than literary recognition.
He refers to Arrian's biography of Tillorobus, a brigand, as a precedent for his work.
Lucian asserts Alexander was a more formidable brigand than Tillorobus due to his widespread influence throughout the Roman Empire.

Lucian describes Alexander's intellect:
- Possessing exceptional understanding, sharp wit, and insight.
- Quick to learn, with a great memory and natural aptitude for studies.
- Lucian laments that Alexander used these gifts for evil, becoming a notorious villain.
Alexander is compared unfavorably to Pythagoras; Lucian considers Alexander’s evil deeds far surpass even the accusations against Pythagoras.
Lucian characterizes Alexander’s soul as a blend of lies, trickery, perjury, and malice, hidden behind a facade of honesty and simplicity.

As a youth, Alexander prostituted himself for money.
He became the apprentice of a quack who peddled enchantments, incantations, love charms, curses, treasure divinations, and inheritance claims.
Alexander proved to be an eager student, as interested in the quack's roguery as he was in Alexander's beauty.
The quack was a follower of Apollonius of Tyana and knew his bag of tricks.

After the death of his mentor, Alexander, now bearded, joined forces with Cocconas, a Byzantine writer of choral songs.
Together they practiced quackery and sorcery, targeting wealthy individuals.
They acquired a rich Macedonian woman as a patron, accompanying her from Bithynia to Macedonia.

In Pella, they observed the tame serpents kept by local women, inspiring their scheme.
They bought a serpent of considerable beauty for a low price, setting the stage for their enterprise.

Alexander and Cocconas recognized that human life revolves around hope and fear, which drive people to seek fortune tellers to enrich themselves.
They planned to create a prophetic shrine and oracle to tap into these emotions.

Cocconas favored Chalcedon as a location due to its proximity to Thrace, Bithynia, Asia, and Galatia.
Alexander preferred his home in Abonoteichus, as the Paphlagonians residing there were rich, superstitious, and easily swayed by charlatans.
Alexander's view prevailed, and they chose Abonoteichus for their scheme.

They went to Chalcedon burying bronze tablets prophesying Asclepius and Apollo moving to Abonoteichus.
These tablets were discovered, spreading the word through Bithynia and Pontus.
The people of Abonoteichus were spurred on to build a temple.

Cocconas remained in Chalcedon composing ambiguous oracles and died soon after, supposedly from a viper bite.

Alexander was sent ahead, wearing long hair and ringlets, a white and purple tunic, a white cloak, and carrying a falchion like Perseus, from whom he claimed descent.
Despite knowing Alexander's humble origins, the Paphlagonians believed the oracle identifying him as a descendant of Perseus and Apollo.

An oracle attributed to the Sibyl foretold the coming of a prophet near Sinope, linking his name numerically to a valiant defender.
The numerical values correspond to letters in the Greek name Alexander (α=1, λ=30, ε=5, ξ=60 for ΑΛΕΞ).

When Alexander returned with fanfare he feigned madness and foamed at the mouth using soapwort root, convincing onlookers of its divine origin.
A serpent head made of linen was created, having a human-like face and created to open and close its mouth with horsehair.
Additionally, a live serpent was kept, also being destined to play a vital role.

Alexander went to the newly excavated foundations of the temple and hid a goose egg with a baby snake in the muddy water.
He then ran naked into the marketplace, wearing a golden loincloth and carrying a falchion, while tossing his hair.
He climbed up on an altar declaring the imminent arrival of god, as the crowd worshipped.
Speaking gibberish resembling Hebrew or Phoenician, he included Apollo and Asclepius.

Racing to the temple location, he sang loud hymns about Asclepius and Apollo and invited them to the city.
He asked for a bowl and picked up the egg, which he claimed contained Asclepius.
The egg had been sealed with wax and white lead.
He broke it open to reveal the snake, causing the crowd to erupt in praise.
He then carried the small Asclepius to his house while the people followed him.

For days Alexander waited for crowds to arrive.
Sitting on a couch in a dimly lit room, he took the large, beautiful Pellaean Asclepius into his lap, looping it around his neck.
The tail of this snake would come over and drag on the floor, while the head would be hidden, but the linen head would be shown next to his beard.

With a dark room filled with excited people, the transformation of the tiny reptile to huge snake looked like a miracle only days before, having a docile, human-like face.
People were rushed in and out through separate doors, preventing close inspection.
This practice was said to be not unlike when Macedonians surround Alexander when he was sick in Babylon so that they may bid him farewell.
This demonstration was held more than once for any newcomers, particularly the wealthy.

Lucian notes that it is understandable that Paphlagonians and Pontians might be tricked by this act.
Between touching the snake and seeing the mouth open and close in dim lighting, one would require a Democritus, Epicurus, or Metrodorus to not believe, even if the method was unknown.

Bithynia, Galatia, and Thrace all contributed to the masses of people coming, spreading word of the miraculous occurrences.
Reports of the god having been born only briefly, then becoming large, and having a human-like face, and so forth, began circulating.
Paintings, statues, and cult images were created, in bronze and silver.
Glycon was assigned the name of the God with divine order, and Alexander claimed: "Glycon am I, the grandson of Zeus, bright beacon to mortals!"

Alexander sets up oracular practices, influenced by Amphilochus of Cilicia.
Visitors write their questions on sealed scrolls, which Alexander takes into the temple.
Replies are delivered by a herald and priest after the god supposedly communicates the answers, all sealed to prove non-tampering.

Lucian describes techniques for opening and resealing scrolls:
- A hot needle to melt wax under the seal.
- A type of plaster formed using many different materials.
- Marble dust used in the glue to create the seals.