Finished Reading”Alexander” in Plutarch’s “Lives”

 

The opening paragraph of Plutarch’s 47th chapter on Alexander should be the opening paragraph of the entire work, for here he states his intent for writing: to capture the character of historic figures, leaving exploits to other historians. Plutarch wants to give us the men themselves, not accomplishments. 

Of all that could be said of Alexander, one letter Aristotle speaks volumes of his character. Alexander asks Aristotle to not publish his works because he wants to keep this knowledge to himself. “I would rather excel others in the knowledge of what is excellent,” writes Alexander. Aristotle tactfully responds (in so many words), “don’t worry. My writing style is useless for ordinary teaching anyway.” Alexander thought Homer’s “Iliad” was such “a portable treasury of military virtue and knowledge” that he kept a copy under his pillow with a dagger. 

On few occasions could someone close to Alexander speak against his arrogance with no recourse, but the greatest and perhaps most humbling moment came when he killed his officer, Clitus the Black, in a drunken brawl. Clitus once saved Alexander’s life by spearing the enemy about to strike Alexander down. Now, during feasting, Clitus’s drunken insults toward Alexander were silenced by a spear thrust in drunken reply. Realizing what he had done, Alexander instantly broke down with inconsolable mourning. “Is this the Alexander whom the whole world looks to, lying here weeping like a slave, for fear of the censure and reproach of men, to whom he himself ought to be a law and measure of equity. . ?” asked one sent to comfort him. 

When Alexander’s General, Hephæstion, died of natural causes, “He ordered the manes of all the horses and mules to be cut off . . , struck off the battlements of all the neighbouring cities, crucified the unhappy physician, and would not permit the flute or any other musical instrument to be played throughout his camp . . . took to war, and found consolation in fighting and man-hunting.”

The cause of Alexander’s death remained a mystery until six years after his death when it was concluded that he was poisoned. “Aristobulus tells us that he became delirious through fever, and drank wine to quench his thirst, after which he became raving mad, and died on the thirtieth day of the month Daisius.”