Hi, I just found this site, and I have just started researching Alexander's life. I know he was tutored by Aristotle, and he has a reputation for being smart and educated, so I'm surprised that I haven't come across any writings by Alexander himself. Have I missed something? Julius Caesar has his writings, and Marcus Aurelius, also.
Thanks for the top 10 books on Alexander, those should be helpful.
- Brian
Alexander's writings?
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Re: Alexander's writings?
No writings by Alexander have survived; there was a corpus, or more of alleged letters some of which appear in the sources, generally Plutarch, but they are of dubious authorship, nothing else is mentioned; Alexander clearly did not have the time for meditating and he had Kallisthenes to write his Commentaries
When you think about, it free-choice is the only possible option.
Re: Alexander's writings?
There is, however, a hint to Alexander as an author in Athenaeus, Deipn.13, 586 d. He wrote:
"The author of Agen, the little satyric drama, whether it be Python of Catana or King Alexander himself, says, etc."
And again Athenaeus, ibid. 13, 595 e: "All this is confirmed by the testimony of the writer who made the little satyric play Agen, which was produced when the Dionysia were celebrated at the Hydaspes river, whether the author was Python of Catana (or Byzantium) or the king himself".(Transl.by C.B.Gulick).
Nowadays the leading students of Alexander don't believe to Athenaeus' allusion of an authorship of this sayric play (only fragments are preserved) by Alexander himself, but, after all, who knows?
"The author of Agen, the little satyric drama, whether it be Python of Catana or King Alexander himself, says, etc."
And again Athenaeus, ibid. 13, 595 e: "All this is confirmed by the testimony of the writer who made the little satyric play Agen, which was produced when the Dionysia were celebrated at the Hydaspes river, whether the author was Python of Catana (or Byzantium) or the king himself".(Transl.by C.B.Gulick).
Nowadays the leading students of Alexander don't believe to Athenaeus' allusion of an authorship of this sayric play (only fragments are preserved) by Alexander himself, but, after all, who knows?
Re: Alexander's writings?
Interesting. Thanks, fellas : )