Plutarch repeatedly emphasizes Alexander’s self-restraint to demonstrate his exceptional moral virtue. Indeed, Alexander never associated with any of the women from his conquered territories. What is more, he tended to ignore his female prisoners, eager to demonstrate “has chastity and self-control”. In such a manner, Alexander aspired to display his superiority over mundane human desires and needs. Alexander asserted that coitus and sleep “reminded him that he was mortal”. In other words, Alexander’s self-discipline was a means of subduing his mortal body and thus approaching the divine nature of a human being. Through conquering his passions, Alexander managed to retain sound judgment and rational reasoning.
Another reason to emphasize Alexander’s self-discipline is to reveal his exceptional determination and commitment to achieve brilliant results as a king. That is to say, Alexander’s self-control was essential for pursuing his “lofty ambitions”. When Alexander had an urgent task to attend to, he was totally focused and highly goal-oriented. Alexander’s self-discipline was also vividly represented in his dietary habits. Instead of enjoying delicacies, which Queen Ada sent him, Alexander preferred to have a night march to get ready for breakfast and a light meal in the morning to fuel his appetite for supper.
In Plutarch’s opinion, such self-restraint assured Alexander’s remarkable success. Yet one more evidence for Alexander’s temperate nature is observed during his visit to Darius’s bath. Indeed, Alexander was deeply impressed by its luxurious and magnificent adornments, which means that he had nothing similar in his palace. Furthermore, for the sake of his military campaigns, Alexander shared out virtually the entire property of his crown. Hence, self-control, modesty, and unpretentiousness prevented Alexander from being distracted from things, which were essential for him, such as winning glory and going down in history.