a sober man looks at a crowd of tottering drunks and shook his head. He knew who they were
. They were the servants of Alexander, the conqueror of Greece, the Macedonian king, who w
as visiting his new realm.12 Only twenty, Alexander was far older and wiser than his years
. Like all Macedonians heloved drinking, but he could usually handle it; and toward women,
he was nobly restrained and chivalrous. Like all Macedonians he loved fighting; he was a
magnificent commander, but he was not merely a military automaton. He could think. At thir
teen, he had become a pupil of the greatest mind in Greece, Aristotle, who gave him the be
st of Greek culture. He taught Alexander poetry: the young prince slept with the Iliad und
er his pillow and longed to emulate Achilles, who brought the mighty power of Asia to ruin
. He taught him philosophy, in particular the shapes and uses of political power. And he t
aught him the principles of scientific research: during his invasion of Persia, Alexander
took with him a large corps of scientists, and shipped hundreds of zoological specimens ba
ck to Greece for study. Indeed, it was from Aristotle that Alexander learned to seek out e
verything strange which might be instructive.