Although no other human being has attracted so much speculation, Alexander has remained an enigma. This history of his life provides by far the most plausible and haunting portrait of Alexander: a brilliantly realized image of a man ruined by constant good fortune in his youth.

An ideal text for those who have completed two years of high school Latin, this volume makes extensive use of parallels, contrasts, and comparison in its depiction of Alexander the Great's life.

Originally published as a Cambridge Elementary Classic, this concise book includes an introduction providing a sketch of Alexander's career, along with notes on the text, maps, extensive vocabulary, and illustrations. But aside from its value as a textbook, this is a highly entertaining look at a historic figure who truly deserved the title of "Great." Quintus Curtius Rufus created a stylistic gem in this colorful biography, offering a vibrant portrait that captures both the heroic and the tyrannical Alexander.

Q. Curtius Rufus (1st century CE) is one of the most important historians of Alexander the Great. However, existing editions in use today are philologically unsatisfactory for a number of reasons, and the aim of this work is to present a sounder text. This edition is the first to pay adequate attention to the second family of manuscripts, as well as placing the conjectures of the respective philologists in their correct context.