The homosexual aspect of Alexander's life was so public that it could not be obfuscated, even at times of extreme . Alexander was a model for other homosexual or bisexual soldier-kings, such as Julius Caesar, Hadrian, and Frederick the Great. His devotion to his lover serves as a counterpoint to the sexual follies and frenzies of other homosexual historical figures such as Nero or Elagabalus.

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The story of Alexander the Great has appealed to liberated gay men and lesbians, as evidenced by the phenomenal success of the historical fiction based on his life and exploits by lesbian author Mary Renault and gay male author Roger Peyrefitte.

Located on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, Alexandria has, by virtue of its decadent sensibility and the tributes of numerous writers, achieved a reputation for tolerance, but recently it has turned away from Europe and towards Mecca.

One of the most powerful men of the ancient world, Julius Caesar was frequently reminded, sometimes derisively, of his youthful sexual affair with the king of Bithynia.

The brief reign of the third-century Roman Emperor Elagabalus was legendary for its sexual excesses and he became emblematic of the debauched, sexually perverse ruler.

The homosexuality of Frederick the Great of Prussia was an open secret during his reign, yet some historians have attempted to deny it or to diminish its significance.

The love of the second-century Roman emperor Hadrian for the beautiful youth Antinous was exceptional not because the lovers were male, but because of its intensity.

As one of the most famous homosexuals in France in the latter half of the twentieth century, novelist Roger Peyrefitte helped shape the public perception of homosexuals in the days before gay liberation.

Philip of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, achieved the hegemony of all of Greece before being killed by a young favorite.

No ancient is more instructive about pederasty than the Greek biographer and essayist Plutarch.

After five novels which included suggested lesbianism, Mary Renault turned to open male homosexuality in the last nine, which included The Charioteer and eight celebrated historical novels set in ancient Greece.