Reading history ethically: Plutarch on Alexander’s murder of Cleitus (Alex. 50-52.2)

Abstract

This paper offers a close reading of Plutarch’s treatment of Alexander’s murder of Cleitus in the Life of Alexander (50-52.2), analyzing the specific narrative techniques that Plutarch employs to draw his readers to reflect on several aspects of Alexander’s character and actively engage them with the complexities involved in the process of moral evaluation. Though Alexander’s murder of Cleitus constitutes a pure stain on Alexander’s moral record, I argue that Plutarch’s narrative offers a repertoire of thought-prompts that further readers’ understanding of Alexander’s character and morally disconcerting actions.