Beside the foundation of Alexandria, the visit to the oracle of Ammon is the second of the memorable acts accomplished by Alexander in Egypt. It was during the winter and spring 332-331 BCE that Alexander walked through the Egyptian Western desert. 1 According to ancient historians, he suffers from thirst, but a providential rain renews his water supply, a storm loses his army in the dunes, two ravens -or snakes-finally guide him through the sands. At the end, the conqueror reached an oasis fed by a marvelous spring with alternately boiling or icy waters and a mine of crystal-clear salt. e place was dominated by a temple of Ammon, assimilated to Zeus, where the will of the god would have been revealed to the future master of the World.

For at least two centuries, historiography came up against the same issue which can be summarized as follows: Why did Alexander run the dangers of such a journey through the desert away and leave Darius, at least, another month and a half of respite?

is question is partly related to what really happened when Alexander met the oracle of Ammon. However, as this took place far from any witness, we must, on the point, agree with the view of Ernst Badian: "We simply cannot tell exactly what happened." 2 Formulated by the one who could be said "to have found the real Alexander", this leaves 1 P. Hawara OI 2, a Demotic Annuity contract, provides the only date we have for the first year of Alexander the Great in Egypt: year 1, month of Mesore = October 10-November 8, 331 BCE (Georges R. Hughes and Richard Jasnow, Oriental Institute Hawara Papyri: Demotic and Greek Texts from an Egyptian Family Archive in the Fayum (Fourth to ird Century B.C.) (Chicago: Oriental Institute 1997), 16-18, pls. 8-13). is implies that Alexander the Great's first year as pharaoh begins in November 332 BCE which is perfectly consistent with Alexander's arrival in the fall of 332 BCE. A graffito at Luxor Temple dated to the fourth year of Philip Arrhidaios' reign, also mentions "Alexander year 1, first month of Akhet, (day) 1", being the New Year's Day of the first