Alexander the Great was already a legendary historical figure in the time of Plutarch, and through his work, his writings wonderfully depict his impulsive character and his ability to unite the Greeks and lead them to the downfall of the vast Persian Empire, with three victorious battles (Granicus, Issus, and Gaugamela). Continuing his campaign, he managed to reach the North to the Caucasus and to the East to the Indus River, at which point his tireless soldiers begged him to stop, as they no longer had any human strength left.
Alexander was born in 356 BC and died in 323 BC in Babylon. He lived for only 32 years, and from the thirty-third year, he passed only eight months, as narrated by the historian Aristobulus, who followed him throughout his campaign. Within eight years, from 334 BC when he started his campaign until 326 BC when he reached the Indus River, he had created and consolidated his enormous empire. Plutarch, with his skillful pen, portrays Alexander in his grand moments as well as in his smaller, more human moments. He left us his biography of the Great Macedonian, which is easy and enjoyable to read.