Henry David Thoreau refers to Alexander carrying the Iliad with him in the third chapter of Walden, which is called "Reading." In this chapter, Thoreau emphasizes the importance of reading the classics of literature. He writes that when he was finishing his house and preparing his crops by the shore of Walden Pond, he "kept Homer's Iliad on my table through the summer." He then goes on to explain the importance of great works of literature. He writes, "For what are the classics but the noblest recorded thoughts of man" He adds, "To read well, that is, to read true books in a true spirit, is a noble exercise..." The passage about Alexander states:

No wonder that Alexander carried the Iliad with him on his expeditions in a precious casket. A written word is the choicest of relics.

Here, Thoreau is referring to Alexander the Great, and the phrase "his expeditions" refers to his military campaigns of conquest that created an empire stretching from Greece all the way to India. Thoreau uses Alexander's reverential attitude towards the Iliad as an example of the importance of literature. Along with whatever spoils of war Alexander brought with him, he chose to carry a book of classic literature in a protective casket, realizing that it represented riches of inestimable value. As Thoreau goes on to state, "Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations."