A source contemporary with the life of Alexander.
Plutarch (46 – 120 AD) wasn’t exactly contemporary with Alexander (356 – 323 BC), but we don’t have a lot surviving from Alexander’s contemporaries. Plutarch did cite some of his sources, but those sources are no longer available.
If you read Plutarch’s
The Lives of the Nobel Grecians and Romans you will find that after Alexander defeated Darius, one of his lieutenants – Philoxenus – wrote to tell him that Theodorus, a Tarentine had two boys of great beauty to sell. Hagnon also sent word that he would buy a Corinthian youth named Crobylus as a present for him. Alexander was offended by the offer, but the reason for offense was not given. That two men close to Alexander would make the offer indicates that bisexuality was not uncommon and they must have thought that the offers would be appreciated. They would not have insulted their commander – who held the power of life or death over his subordinates. It has been several years since I’ve read the book, but I picked it up again last night. I have not yet finished, but intend to today.
The passage you refer to was from Plutarch's
Morals - About the Fortune or Virtue of Alexander the Great (
De Alexandri Magni Fortuna Aut Virtute). When The commander of his coast guard offers him up a young boy, Plutarch quotes Alexander to have said:
Horrible man, have you known me up to now guilty of such crimes? This is modernism's proof that Alexander was a homo?