said herself, "Universals of human feeling ... thread their way among accidents of custom and belief which, like rocks and shallows, direct their course but do not change their essence" ("Critical Essays"). By this she means that even customs and beliefs specific to one culture or one time period are based on universal human feelings, and if we understand these universals, we see how these universals directed history. Shespecifically wroteThe Persian Boy with the view of analyzing Alexander III to explain the reasons behind his greatness and the reasons for his army's loyalty. More importantly, she offers her own view, or perspective, concerning why Alexander invaded Persia. It has been argued that Renault presents the idea that Alexander wanted to conquer Persia with the object of uniting the Greeks and the Persians; he wanted to unite them due to his love for his vizier Bagoas, a former Persian slave ("The Persian Boy").

Throughout the novel, Renault builds and captures the relationship between Bagoas and Alexander. While Bagoas was given to Alexander as a slave by the Persian court as a peace offering, their relationship soon buds into the type of friendship Greeks valued between equals and even the sexual relationship between mentors and mentees that Greeks also valued, the what the Greeks saw as the highest form of love, showing us Renault's viewpoint that Bagoas influenced Alexander's drive to conquer Persia. More specific evidence of Bagoas' influence on Alexander is the fact that Alexander makes it clear he is not just interested in conquering the Persians but in creating a Greek-Persian dynasty. Alexander makes his intentions of a Greek-Persian dynasty clear by marrying King Darius's daughter, as King Darius was king of Persia. He also gave her younger sister as a bride to Hephaistion, his devoted friend and lover, and married "eighty Greek nobles to Persian ladies" (eNotes, "Characters"). Hence, according to Renault's perspective, all of these marriages indicate that Alexander wasn't simply interested in conquering Persia to gain new wealth and territory; he wanted to see the Greek and Persian cultures merged rather than at constant war with each other.

Of course, Renault's story concerns Alexander the Great and his acquisition of Persia (hence the title), and she believes it very important to state the truth even within the confines of historical fiction.  She focuses on both Greek and Persian customs and focuses mostly on the concept of love as one of the universal human feelings.  Further, she believes the Greek concept that the agape love between males (as well as agape love between females) to be the higher form of love as opposed to the sexual eros (and even the filial brotherly love).  Therefore, a certain sort of "bisexuality" was the ideal. 

Alexander, of whom men tell many legends, lived by his own. Achilles must have Patroklos. He might love his Briseis; but Patroklos was the friend till death. At their tombs in Troy, Alexander and Hephaistion had sacrificed together. Wound Patroklos, and Achilles will have your blood.

Further, through her work, Renault talks extensively about the reasoning behind the Greeks loyalty to Alexander and the fact that he most likely wanted to unite the Greeks and Persians (and not actually take over Persia).  The reason for this goes back to Alexander's (and Renault's) idyllic love:  Alexander had a great love for one of his former, male, Persian slaves named Bagoas.

Renault wishes to make clear Alexander's desire for the united Greek/Persia (in the form of the "Greek-Persian Dynasty") by showing that Alexander did marry Darius' daughter.