For centuries historians have looked at Alexander of Macedon as a profound leader. However, without the insight from his childhood tutor, Alexander might not be so great. Alexander the Great's military leadership and political rulings were influenced by having Aristotle as his childhood tutor. Not only because of the original teacher student relationship they shared, but also because of the advisor relationship they held later on in Alexander's empire. Evidence of the impact of Aristotle's mentorship can be found by comparing the decisions made during Alexander's time as king and Aristotle's ideas found in the books that he left behind.
Even though Aristotle was only Alexander's tutor for a short amount of time, Aristotle became a large influence in Alexander's life. As a teacher Aristotle was able to project his personal views onto his pupils as well as educational information. Alexander was a captivated student. He had special interests in lessons such as medicine and scievnce, however he also enjoyed the arts, particularly literature. (Quote about Aristotle having a copy of the Odyssey made for Alexander.) Alexander also kept in touch with Aristotle while he was on expeditions for new land. He wrote to Aristotle for advisement during times where the correct decision was not clear. Alexander valued the wisdom that
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Although Aristotle did not practice medicine, he did teach Alexander, who did take his knowledge into the field. “Alexander was extremely interested in the secrets of medicine and considered it an art. When he was a boy, he must have divined that the medical knowledge he acquired from his teacher, Aristotle, would in the future save his life and the lives of his troops on many occasions.” (MBIJ 277) Additionally, The American Surgeon article indicates that Alexander brought a team of physicians with him on his expeditions in case there was a problem he was not able to