The Macedonians believed snakes had magical powers relating to fertility and had a rich mythology on this subject, for example the story of Olympias's impregnation by Zeus disguised as a serpent.

When the people gathered in the marketplace of Abonutichus at noon, when the incarnation was supposed to occur, Alexander produced a goose egg and sliced it open, revealing the god within.

According to Lucian, another Roman governor, of Cappadocia, was led by Glycon's oracle to his death in Armenia, and even the Emperor himself was not immune to the cult: Marcus Aurelius sought prophesies from Alexander and his snake god.

As the cult had an established popularity with the lower social strata,[2] and later several important Roman functionaries and officials were counted among the believers in Glycon and the prophecies of Alexander,[3] including the Emperor at the time, Marcus Aurelius.

[4] Such endorsement by the ruling classes coupled with pre existing superstitions of serpents as possessing healing powers, the cult of Glycon likely found no shortage of converts and adherents in new areas of the Roman world.

Beginning late in the reign of Antoninus Pius and continuing into the 3rd century, official Roman coins were struck in honor of Glycon, attesting his popularity.

Moore states he prefers the belief in a probable hoax deity "because [he is] not likely to start believing that glove puppet created the universe or anything dangerous like that.