“My father will anticipate everything. He will leave you and me no chance to do a great and brilliant deed.”
Alexander the Great
AmbitionYouth
Alexander the Great Quotes
Macedonian - King|356 BC - 323 BC
50 FAMOUS QUOTES · KING
Alexander the Great Quotes
Read 50 of the best Alexander the Great quotes on courage, leadership, friendship and glory from the Macedonian king who built one of history's greatest empires.
“What an excellent horse do they lose, for want of address and boldness to manage him! I could manage this horse better than others do.”
Alexander the Great
BucephalusConfidence
“Is it not worthy of tears that, when the number of worlds is infinite, we have not yet become lords of a single one?”
Alexander the Great
AmbitionHumility
“If I were not Alexander, I would be Diogenes.”
Alexander the Great
PhilosophyRespect
“I will not steal the victory.”
Alexander the Great
HonourCourage
“I am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well.”
Alexander the Great
TeachersGratitude
“I had rather excel others in the knowledge of what is excellent, than in the extent of my power and dominion.”
Alexander the Great
KnowledgeExcellence
“I consider not what Parmenion should receive, but what Alexander should give.”
Alexander the Great
GenerosityLeadership
“So would I, if I were Parmenion.”
Alexander the Great
AmbitionWit
“O Athenians, would you believe what dangers I am incurring to win good repute with you?”
Alexander the Great
ReputationCourage
“Remember, upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all.”
Alexander the Great
TeamworkResponsibility
“Whatever possession we gain by our sword cannot be sure or lasting, but the love gained by kindness and moderation is certain and durable.”
Alexander the Great
KindnessLeadership
“You shall, I question not, find a way to the top if you diligently seek for it; for nature hath placed nothing so high that it is out of the reach of industry and valour.”
Alexander the Great
PerseveranceCourage
“Are you still to learn that the end and perfection of our victories is to avoid the vices and infirmities of those whom we subdue?”
Alexander the Great
CharacterSelf Discipline
“How should a man be capable of grooming his own horse, or of furbishing his own spear and helmet, if he allows himself to become unaccustomed to tending even his own person, which is his most treasured belonging?”
Alexander the Great
Self RelianceDiscipline
“Oh! Most miserable wretch that I am! Why have I not learnt how to swim?”
Alexander the Great
LearningHumour
“Upon the report of an enemy's valour oftentimes depends the success of a battle, and false reports have many times done as great things as true courage and resolution.”
Alexander the Great
StrategyReputation
“Shall I pass by and leave you lying there because of the expedition you led against Greece, or shall I set you up again because of your magnanimity and your virtues in other respects?”
Alexander the Great
RespectMagnanimity
“Dinocrates, I appreciate your design as excellent in composition, and I am delighted with it, but I apprehend that anybody who should found a city in that spot would be censured for bad judgement.”
Alexander the Great
JudgementPlanning
“Heaven cannot brook two suns, nor earth two masters.”
Alexander the Great
PowerLeadership
“Toil and risk are the price of glory, but it is a lovely thing to live with courage and to die leaving an everlasting fame.”
Alexander the Great
CourageGlory
“I, for my part, think there is no other limit to labours for a man of noble spirit, except the labours themselves, provided they lead to glorious achievements.”
Alexander the Great
Hard WorkAchievement
“I use the same food as you use, and I take only the same amount of sleep.”
Alexander the Great
LeadershipEquality
“Come now, whoever of you has wounds, let him strip and show them, and I will show mine in turn.”
Alexander the Great
LeadershipSacrifice
“There is no part of my body, in front at any rate, remaining free from wounds.”
Alexander the Great
CourageSacrifice
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About Alexander the Great
Macedonian - King | 356 BC - 323 BC
Alexander the Great (356 BC – 323 BC) was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon, born in Pella to King Philip II and Queen Olympias. As a teenager he was taught by the philosopher Aristotle, and he became king at just 20 after his father's assassination in 336 BC.
In little more than a decade, Alexander led his army from Greece across Persia and Egypt to the borders of India, never losing a major battle and founding more than a dozen cities, including Alexandria in Egypt. He died in Babylon in 323 BC, aged only 32. Alexander left no writings of his own, so his words come down to us through ancient historians such as Plutarch, Arrian and Quintus Curtius. Here are 50 of the best Alexander the Great quotes as they recorded them.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Alexander the Great and these famous quotes.
Who was Alexander the Great?
Alexander the Great was a king of Macedon (336–323 BC) who created one of the largest empires of the ancient world, stretching from Greece to Egypt and northwest India, before his death at age 32.
Who was Alexander the Great's teacher?
The Greek philosopher Aristotle tutored Alexander from about age 13. Plutarch writes that Alexander loved Aristotle "no less than his father," saying he owed life to one and the art of living well to the other.
Did Alexander weep because there were no more worlds to conquer?
This is a popular myth. In Plutarch's account, Alexander wept on hearing that there were countless worlds, because he had not yet conquered even one.
Did Alexander say "I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep"?
There's no record of this line in the ancient sources, so we haven't included it. It's a modern saying attached to his name.
What is the story of the Gordian knot?
At Gordium, legend said whoever untied a famously complex knot would rule Asia. Alexander reportedly declared "it makes no difference how it is loosed" and cut through it with his sword.
How did Alexander the Great die?
He died in Babylon in June 323 BC after a sudden fever lasting about two weeks. The exact cause is still debated, with theories ranging from illness to poisoning.