Alexander was highly educated and literate, and Plutarch provides several proofs for this fact. First of all, his father paid much attention to his training. Philip understood that his son’s education “was too important to be entrusted to the ordinary run of teachers”. Instead of limiting Alexander’s training to general knowledge with a focus on poetry and music, he recruited Aristotle, the most prominent and educated philosopher of their time, to teach his son.
Furthermore, Plutarch is confident that Aristotle provided Alexander with a broader extent of knowledge than other ordinary students. The writer briefly mentions “secret and more esoteric studies,” which philosophers usually share only with the chosen ones. Thus, thanks to his father, Alexander was provided with a remarkable teacher who gave him extraordinary knowledge.
Moreover, Alexander was a very motivated and capable student, displaying a sincere commitment to philosophy throughout his life. Apart from Aristotle’s wise guidance, the biographer also describes Alexander’s love of “all kinds of learning” and admiration for books. For instance, Alexander considered Iliad to be a universal warcraft manual and used its text, annotated by Aristotle, during his campaigns.
Another evidence for Alexander’s scholarship and comprehensive knowledge is observed in the scene when he received the Persian ambassadors instead of his father. Indeed, the young Alexander demonstrated a brilliant awareness of the external situation outside Macedon, as well as a high level of intellectual curiosity. He asked the ambassadors very specific and relevant questions about the art of war, the personality of the Persian king, the geographical features of Persia, and the like. This conversation revealed Alexander’s broad outlook and strategically oriented education.