Alexander the Great: Speeches and Quotes

[Soldier of Macedon]

Something about the father-son rivalry between Phillip and Alexander. Before Alexander became king, he had once remarked to his friends:

Boys, my father will forestall me in everything. There will be nothing great or spectacular for you and me to show the world.

Plutarch, Alexander, 5.


And in another instance some time afterwards, when Alexander managed to tame the horse he named Bucephalus, Phillip said:

My boy, you must find a kingdom big enough for your ambitions. Macedonia is too small for you.

Plutarch, Alexander, 6.

[Soldier of Macedon]

After the Macedonians reached Asia, Alexander learned that Aristotle had published some treatises dealing with esoteric matters which he considered to be secret and should have remained with a select circle of people. He wrote the following to his former teacher:

Alexander to Aristotle, greetings. You have not done well to write down and publish those doctrines you taught me by word of mouth. What advantage shall I have over other men if these theories in which I have been trained are to be made common property? I would rather excel the rest of mankind in my knowledge of what is best than in the extent of my power. Farewell.

Plutarch, Alexander, 7.

[Soldier of Macedon]

Alexander on the beauty of Persian female captives:

These Persian women are a torment for our eyes.

Plutarch, Alexander, 21.

[EgejskaMakedonia]

Here's another one from Quintus Rufus' "The History of Alexander," who was an ancient Roman historian.

[Alexander speaks to his Macedonians] "Where is that shout of yours that shows your enthusiasm? Where that characteristic look of my Macedonians?"

Curtius Rufus, Book 9, 2, 30.

This thread is great too, has a fair few quotes from Alexander.

http://www.macedoniantruth.org/forum...read.php?t=173

[Soldier of Macedon]

Yep, I missed that one, that is a great quote. I have updated your post to include the citation number from the book.

[Soldier of Macedon]

Furious at the people of Tyre (modern Lebanon) for refusing to submit to the Macedonian army, Alexander said to them:

You think nothing of this land army, because of your confidence in your position, living as you do on an island, but I am soon going to show you that you are on the mainland. And you can be sure that I shall either enter your city or storm it.

Curtius Rufus, Book 4, 2, 5.

And storm it he did. The Macedonians built an artificial bridge from the mainland to the island and after several months managed to finally sack the city.