The History of Alexander

Quintus Curtius Rufus, the Roman historian, wrote the only life in Latin of Alexander the Great. The author's identity and the date of composition of the work have been the subject of great debate. However, the evidence of recent years suggests he was a soldier and politician who rose from obscurity to a senatorial role under Tiberius (AD 14-37). However, the fall of the emperor's chief minister, Sejanus, brought his political career temporarily to an end and he turned to writing.


John Yardley was born in 1942 and educated at St Andrews and Oxford Universities. He is now Professor of Classics at the University of Ottawa, Canada.

Waldemar Heckel is now a Professor at the University of Calgary, Canada. His books include The Last Days and Testament of Alexander the Great: A Prosopographic Study and The Marshals of Alexander's Empire.