Although this statement contains some truth, it is not entirely accurate. It's true that much of Alexander the Great's history was written long after his death, but that doesn't mean that "historians don't really know a lot" about him. It is often difficult to reconstruct the puzzle that makes up Alexander's life and times, but to a large extent it is possible to do so. Historians are able to piece together source material, stories, and archaeological data to paint a portrait of the warrior king. This does not mean that the task is easy, or that all scholars agree, but it certainly presents a wealth of information to consider. First we must consider the sources on the life and times of Alexander the Great. This material, like most historical information, must be carefully weighed and examined. There is evidence that there were many different sources of primary documents written during Alexander's lifetime and in subsequent decades; however, none of these sources have survived completely intact. Most surviving material from the period in which Alexander lived or from the decades following his death has only partially survived or is cited in other writings. We find that many later writers use the original sources in their own writings, but this in itself presents more questions about the reliability of the sources that we have today. The sources of the writings, primary source material or later stories must also be considered. . Much of Alexander's story has survived through Western writers, who tend to idolize and glorify his conquests. There are far fewer surviving non-Western accounts to rely on, and they present a completely different view of Alexander's exploits; that one might expect from a defeated people. It is often... in the center of the sheet... an image of Alexander's life and death. There are sites in Vergina, Greece; Samarkand, Uzbekistan; Nebuchadnezzar, Iraq; Pella, Greece; and Tyre, Lebanon; not to mention that archaeologists are finally discovering the remains of the legendary Alexandra. Ultimately, I mostly disagree with the statement provided. We have no lack of knowledge or information about Alexander; we simply don't know its full story. This is not a unique phenomenon in the study of history. Facts and evidence will never be presented in a purely impartial manner, so it is impossible to completely know a person's story. That said, an in-depth study of Alexander is possible, and we learn even more with each new discovery or technological advance that presents old evidence in a new way. Works Cited Worthington, Ian. Alexander the Great: a reader. New York: Routledge, 2012.