[3] According to Suda, a later Byzantine source, Timotheus excited the young Alexander so much with a battle hymn to Athena that he jumped from his seat and grabbed his weapons ready to fight, declaring that the music was kingly.

Dio Chrysostom, in a speech on ideal kingship addressed to Trajan, refers to the story of how Timotheus' music inspired martial thoughts in Alexander.

For Chrysostom, Timotheus's skill was in "adapting his playing to the king's character by selecting a piece that was not languishing or slow nor of the kind that would cause relaxation or listlessness, but rather, I fancy, the ringing strain which bears Athena's name and none other."

Galilei suggests that Timotheus must have acted out the feelings he was conveying during his performance, When he roused the great Alexander with the difficult mode of Minerva [Athena] to combat with the armies of his foes, not only did the circumstances mentioned reveal themselves in the rhythms, the words and the conceptions in the entire song in conformity with his desire, but in my opinion at least, his habit, the aspect of his countenance and each particular gesture and member must have shown on this occasion that he was burning with desire to fight, to overcome and conquer the enemy.

He is also mentioned in Alexander Pope's poem An Essay on Criticism, in which "Timotheus' varied lays surprise", so that "the world's Victor stood subdued by sound."