Alexander the Great part due to Aristotle's tutelage; Alexander was intelligent and quick to learn. His intelligent and rational side was amply demonstrated by his ability and success as a general. He had great self-restraint in "pleasures of the body", in contrast with his lack of self-control with alcohol. Alexander was erudite and patronized both arts and sciences. However, he had little interest in sports or the Olympic games (unlike his father), seeking only the Homeric ideals of honour ("timê") and glory ("kudos"). He had great charisma and force of personality, characteristics which made him a great leader. His unique abilities were further
Histories of Alexander the Great been an admirer before the book: he said that Curtius Rufus was his own ancestor; i.e., a self-made man. Tacitus hints that Curtius was of low birth, possibly the son of a gladiator. The story is only compatible with the name if one assumes adoption, which Tiberius could easily have arranged. Histories of Alexander the Great Histories of Alexander the Great () is a biography of Alexander the Great written by Roman historian Quintus Curtius Rufus, dating to the 1st century. More fully title is "Historiarum Alexandri Magni Macedonis Libri Qui Supersunt", "All the Books That Survive of the Histories