From the Introduction […] Plutarch wrote more than three centuries after Alexander’s reign and mentioned previous historians as his sources. In his narrative he made it clear that he was writing not history but biography, and that his interest lay in Alexander’s character and revealing details, rather than epic historical events, to which he thus does not devote much space. His work is replete with anecdotes, views and opinions, and relates minor incidents: to quote directly from the text: ‘… a slight thing like a phrase or a jest often makes a greater revelation of character than battles when thousands fall, or the greatest armaments, or sieges of cities.’ Alexander’s profile emerges vividly thanks to writing that is engaging, and to the finely wrought dialogue between him and his associates, whether friend or enemy. The narrative brings to life the era of Macedonian rule and expansion, as the foundations were laid of the Hellenistic and, subsequently, the Roman world.
