Introduction

One of the most fascinating figures of antiquity, Alexander the Great (356–323 bc), crossed the Hellespont, conquered the East, and reached India, claiming in his path victory over the Persian army. Tutored by Aristotle, Alexander learned to love philosophy, literature, the arts, and natural history. Although it is not known exactly what Aristotle may have taught Alexander, it is likely to have included a wide range of topics that could be useful for a future king, given the ambition that his father, Philip II, had for him when he sought out Aristotle as a tutor. Some of the teachings in the Nicomachean Ethics were probably passed on to the young Macedonian. From Aristotle, Alexander received a copy of Homer’s Iliad, which the king kept with him throughout his campaigns. Alexander traveled with books and, when in the far reaches of India, he had works of Greek tragedy and dithyrambic poetry sent to him. Alexander was also tutored by the austere Leonidas, a kinsman of Alexander’s mother, Olympias. Leonidas is said to have had a distaste for luxury and preached frugality to the point where he scolded Alexander for his extravagant use of incense. ¹