Publisher's Synopsis
The briefness of Alexander's career.Alexander the Great died when he was quite young. He was but thirty-two years of age when heended his career, and as he was about twenty when he commenced it, it was only for a period oftwelve years that he was actually engaged in performing the work of his life. Napoleon was nearlythree times as long on the great field of human action.His brilliant exploits.Notwithstanding the briefness of Alexander's career, he ran through, during that short period, a verybrilliant series of exploits, which were so bold, so romantic, and which led him into such adventuresin scenes of the greatest magnificence and splendor, that all the world looked on with astonishmentthen, and mankind have continued to read the story since, from age to age, with the greatest interestand attention.Character of Alexander.Mental and physical qualities.The secret of Alexander's success was his character. He possessed a certain combination of mentaland personal attractions, which in every age gives to those who exhibit it a mysterious and almostunbounded ascendency over all within their influence. Alexander was characterized by these qualitiesin a very remarkable degree. He was finely formed in person, and very prepossessing in his manners.He was active, athletic, and full of ardor and enthusiasm in all that he did. At the same time, he wascalm, collected, and considerate in emergencies requiring caution, and thoughtful and far-seeing inrespect to the bearings and consequences of his acts. He formed strong attachments, was gratefulfor kindnesses shown to him, considerate in respect to the feelings of all who were connected withhim in any way, faithful to his friends, and generous toward his foes. In a word, he had a noblecharacter, though he devoted its energies unfortunately to conquest and war. He lived, in fact, in anage when great personal and mental powers had scarcely any other field for their exercise than this.He entered upon his career with great ardor, and the position in which he was placed gave him theopportunity to act in it with prodigious effect.