I've heard in (of course) Dan Carlin's podcast that Alexander was a man who was "hated during his time." Dan goes on to mention that Alexander's mass appeal didn't really come about again until the Romans. Supposedly Romans were infatuated with the Legend and Myth of Alexander; Augustus supposedly even went to visit his tomb.
With that in mind, what was the general consensus by Romans about Alexander? Furthermore (and more important to me) who were some more famous Romans who had thoughts about Alexander, and what did they think about him?
Please feel free to add any additional information that you find interesting, as well as some good sources I should look into. Thanks so much!
Well, I am not so sure about the accuracy of that podcast or Dan Carlin's reliability, (as I have not watched it but I have a fairly low opinion of Carlin) while it is safe to assume that in his lifetime Alexander was hated by many (that tends to happen when you conquer a bunch of foreign peoples in various bloody wars and shake up long-standing traditions at home and abroad) that statement seems misleading as it implies that he was universally hated, which is obviously not true, he was very popular, a successful general and king, and regarded as being very fair to conquered peoples as well as respectful of foreign traditions, especially compared to many of his predecessors and successors.
As for how Romans felt about him, he was definitely admired by many and seen as an ideal commander and statesman. Around the 2nd century BC there was a surge in interest in Greek history, culture, and thought following Rome's Greek conquests which shaped Roman thought and impacted them even more than earlier Greek influences had, Alexander naturally was one of the figures who was popularized. Famous generals such as Pompey the Great who styled himself in a similar fashion to Alexander even going so far as to hunt for his 260 year old cloak, or Julius Caesar who supposedly upon stopping at a statue of Alexander was so overcome with the thought that at so young an age Alexander had accomplished so many great deeds whereas he who was older than him was still only a lieutenant and had done little of note. Both Julius Caesar and Augustus Caesar visited the tomb of Alexander and paid homage while they were in Alexandria and he was one of the main attractions to Roman tourists in Egypt. Many Roman Emperors also styled themselves after Alexander and greatly admired him, particularly in the Early Empire.
However, Alexander was also at times used as a negative example of when too much power was consolidated in one person's hands and how a republic could balance this by individuals with pro-Republic leanings, primarily in the Early Empire.
Sources:
Plutarch's Lives
Livy's History
Dio's Rome
Arian's The Campaigns of Alexander
Polybius' Histories