(MENAFN) Greece's Culture Minister, Lina Mendoni, has dismissed a Netflix drama-documentary series portraying Alexander the Great in a gay relationship as "extremely poor-quality fiction." The six-part series, titled 'Alexander: The Making of a God,' has sparked controversy by suggesting that the ancient Macedonian ruler had a romantic involvement with his general Hephaestion. Mendoni criticized the show in parliament, citing historical inaccuracies and accusing the director of sloppiness.
Mendoni emphasized that historical sources make no mention of Alexander's alleged affair with Hephaestion going beyond the limits of friendship. She described the series as a demonstration of the director's "poverty of scenario" and overall historical inaccuracies. The comments come in the midst of a growing scandal surrounding the representation of Alexander the Great in the Netflix production.
The Greek daily Eleftheros Typos published an opinion piece earlier this month, condemning the Netflix portrayal as a "distortion of the truth." The article also pointed fingers at the 2004 Oliver Stone film 'Alexander,' accusing it of initiating a "propaganda campaign about Alexander's homosexuality."
Dimitris Natsiou, president of the far-right Christian Orthodox political party Niki, criticized the series, claiming it seeks to "subliminally convey the notion that homosexuality was acceptable in ancient times, an element that has no basis." The controversy reflects differing views on the historical accuracy of depicting same-sex relationships in ancient Greece.
In contrast, Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, a professor at Cardiff University in Wales, has pointed out that homosexual encounters were prevalent in ancient Greek society. The conflicting opinions underscore the broader debate on the interpretation of historical events and figures, especially in the context of modern storytelling and cultural representations. As discussions continue, the controversy surrounding the Netflix series raises questions about the delicate balance between creative interpretation and historical authenticity.
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