Author: Plutarch lived from 48 AD to 120 AD. Plutarch mostly wrote biographies for different people of great importance
Summary: In this document Plutarch tells the events of Alexander the Great Killing his childhood friend Cleitus. Someone began singing a song that was written to make fun of some Macedonian commanders that recently lost to some barbarians. Cleitus gets angered at the men who are singing it. Alexander tells the men to continue singing, but Cleitus does not agree with this and starts arguing with Alexander and the men singing it. Cleitus said the wrong thing to Alexander and he throws an apple at him then looks for his dagger but one of his bodyguards took it when the argument broke out. He then took a spear from one of his guards and when Cleitus tried escaping Alexander ran the spear through him. After Alexander calmed down he realized what he had done and got very up set and tried killing himself but the men in the room hold him back and take him back to his chambers where he cried for the night and the next day. A group of men became worried and stormed into his room and he ignored all of them except Aristander the diviner who told him this event was determined long ago.
Quotes: "He paid no attention to what any of them said, except that when Aristander the diviner reminded him … that these events had long ago been ordained by fate, he seemed to accept this assurance."
Its important to acknowledge that Plutarch is writing as a historian and did not actually live during the time in which he chronicles. This document speaks to the volatility of Alexander - which may be attributed to his youth.
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