The History of Alexander (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

Quintus Curtius Rufus (Author), John Yardley (Translator), Waldemar Heckel (Introduction)

Book Description

Series: Penguin Classics | Publication Date: November 6, 1984

Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), who led the Macedonian army to victory in Egypt, Syria, Persia and India, was perhaps the most successful conqueror the world has ever seen. Yet although no other individual has attracted so much speculation across the centuries, Alexander himself remains an enigma. Curtius' History offers a great deal of information unobtainable from other sources of the time. A compelling narrative of a turbulent era, the work recounts events on a heroic scale, detailing court intrigue, stirring speeches and brutal battles - among them, those of Macedonia's great war with Persia, which was to culminate in Alexander's final triumph over King Darius and the defeat of an ancient and mighty empire. It also provides by far the most plausible and haunting portrait of Alexander we possess: a brilliantly realized image of a man ruined by constant good fortune in his youth.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Latin (translation)

About the Author

Quintus Curtius Rufus, the Roman historian, wrote the only life in Latin of Alexander the Great. The author's identity and the date of composition of the work have been the subject of great debate. However, the evidence of recent years suggests he was a soldier and politician who rose from obscurity to a senatorial role under Tiberius (AD 14-37). However, the fall of the emperor's chief minister, Sejanus, brought his political career temporarily to an end and he turned to writing. John Yardley was born in 1942 and educated at St Andrews and Oxford Universities. He is now Professor of Classics at the University of Ottawa, Canada. Waldemar Heckel is now a Professor at the University of Calgary, Canada. His books include The Last Days and Testament of Alexander the Great: A Prosopographic Study and The Marshals of Alexander's Empire.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (November 6, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140444122
• ISBN-13: 978-0140444124
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #59,856 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > History > Europe > Macedonia
  • #3 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( A ) > Alexander the Great
  • #14 in Books > History > Europe > Greece

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Three Major Sources for Alexander's Life, July 18, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The History of Alexander (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

The most interesting and controversial, but not necessarily the most accurate, ancient biography of Alexander the Great. In addition to Arrian and Plutarch, you can't say you know all about Alexander until you read this book. Full of information not found in the other two biographies. Though it is often touted as not reliable, contemporary scholarship owes much of their increasingly negative opinion of Alexander the Great to this book.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Source, July 15, 2001

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Issus (Mesa, Az United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The History of Alexander (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

Though not the definitive work on Alexander, Curtius provides detail not included by other sources. Sometimes hypocritical and biased, Curtius details the campaigns of Alexander with heavy focus on Alexander the person. To read this book is a must for anyone interested in Alexander. It is one of the primary sources and the fact that he is not as nice about Alexander (such as Plutarch or Arrian) may indeed do justice to the reader. This book can best be understood with the addition of Fuller's "The Generalship of Alexander The Great".

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The "GREATEST" OF THE "GREAT", February 9, 2006

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Michael A Neulander "Political Philosophy" (VA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The History of Alexander (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

Alexander the Great, was born on or around July 20, 356 B.C.E., and is my favorite personality to read about in history. To me he is the whole package general, statesman, conqueror, and philosopher. The smartest man who ever lived, Aristotle, tutored him. Alexander conquered more of the known world than any other figure in history, accomplishing all this before he dies at the ripe old age of 33. Some people called him conqueror and violent overlord. Some other called him civilizer and even God! All of them yet, called him "The Great". He was the first man in modern history that took this name, "The Great"! Even as a young boy, he shows great promise.
Curtius' work is the oldest extant work available and based on eyewitness accounts. He does a better job than most in explaining the battle scenes, and seems to be more balanced in his admiration and criticism of Alexander then any of the other early biographers. I love his Bucephalus Story, and I recount it here so you get a flavor of the promise this young Alexander shows.

The legend begins with Philoneicus, a Thessalian, bringing a wild horse to Philip for him to buy. None of the hands was able to handle it, and Philip grew upset at Philoneicus for bringing such an unstable horse to him. Alexander, however, publicly defied his father and claimed that he could handle the horse. The bet between Philip and Alexander was that if Alexander could ride the horse, Philip would buy it, if not, Alexander would have to pay the price of the horse, which was 13 talents, an enormous sum for a boy of Alexander's age to have.

Alexander apparently noticed that the horse had been shying away from its own shadow, and so he led it gently into the sun, so that its shadow was behind it, all the while stroking it gently and whispering into its ear, (Alexander seems to be the original horse whisperer). Eventually the horse let Alexander mount him, and Alexander was able to show his equestrian skill to his father and all who were watching. The incident so impressed Alexander's father, King Philip that he told the boy "Look thee out a kingdom equal to and worthy of you, for Macedonia is too little for thee". He named the horse Bucephalus, which means Ox head, and rode it across Asia, founding a city in its honor in India after its death. This story gives you an inkling about the man.

This book is a must read for students of Alexander, I also recommend Plutarch's and Arrian's work. Contemporary writers, J.F. C. Fuller and Tarn. Most of Alexander's greatest military traits are in the area of military logistics and to understand his genius in this area I highly recommend reading, "Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army," by Donald W. Engels.

As a retired U. S. Army Major, I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in ancient warfare, and history.