Alexander III of Macedonia , also known as Alexander the Great , was one of the greatest conquerors in history with dominions stretching from Greece to India.

His father Philip trained him in the art of war from his childhood and his education was received from none other than Aristotle himself. Alexander was thoroughly prepared and more than fulfilled the expectations placed on him.

Alexander the Great’s famous great phrases

For many of us this conqueror is almost a mythological being, but in the selection of phrases that you will see below you can discover much more about his person and his thoughts .

1. One of the things I learned when I was negotiating was that until I changed myself, I could not change others.

Our way of being largely determines our success in trying to achieve a purpose.

2. Who does not desire a victory in which he can unite the places of his kingdom, so divided by nature, and in which he can obtain trophies from other conquered worlds?

Alexander unified Ancient Greece under one command, his command.

3. How will a man be able to take care of his own horse, polish his lance and his hoof, if he has lost the habit of taking care of his own person, which is his most precious possession?

Taking care of yourself is something we should all take much more seriously, the Greeks were a people who took great care of their appearance and health.

4. Moreover, I have been wounded by the sword, hand to hand, with arrows, I have been wounded from a catapult and many times I have been beaten with stones and clubs.

No one is exempt from being injured in battle, even the highest ranking general is at great risk.

5. Oh, how fortunate the young Achilles, who found in Homer the herald of his glory.

Like Achilles, Alexander wanted to be remembered forever in the history books.

6. Just as a newborn baby can only be fed with mother’s milk and cannot grow without it, a city cannot exist without fields and fruits of various kinds surrounding its walls.

By cutting off the supplies that feed a city, it’s going to wither away sooner or later.

7. So don’t wait for any harm from me. A Greek king does not kill messengers.

In ancient times messengers of bad news were immediately executed, Alexander changed this bad habit during his reign.

8. Everything I have heard so far about Marakanda is true, except for the fact that she is more beautiful than I could ever imagine. That’s not true.

Alexander’s imagination was much sharper than many might have thought.

9. I do not consider what Parmenion should receive, but what Alexander should give. I have been appointed leader of the Greeks, and the desire to punish the Persians I have taken from you.

Greeks and Persians fought for a long period of time, but Alexander did not disappoint and managed to conquer his famous archenemy.

10. Internal differences are wisely resolved through peaceful negotiations. Ultimately, I shall be the arbiter between you.

This leader was a master of negotiation, something many of us should try to emulate in our own lives.

11. Our enemies are the Persians, men who for centuries have led lives of comfort and luxury. We, the people of Macedonia, have been trained for danger and for war. We are free and they are slaves.

Nothing could stop this Macedonian prince’s firm conviction, the world would bow down before him.

12. For my part, I consider that for men of spirit, there is no other goal or end to their labors than the labors themselves.

Living the now fully is something that many of us do not do in our daily lives, we must know how to stop and live the moment and reflect.

13. You have not done well to publish your books on oral education (About Aristotle). So how do we take advantage of others now, if the things in which we have been educated in a particular way are revealed to all other people?

Alexander was well aware of the power of education, in this quote we can see how he wished to jealously guard it for his own.

14. I do not distinguish men into Greeks and barbarians, as narrow-minded people do.

As a general he was able to integrate into his army troops from very different lands, and he knew perfectly the virtues and defects of his soldiers.

15. I don’t care about the descent of the citizens or their racial origins.

An example of integration from which many people should learn, racism only shows ignorance and ignorance.

16. Now that the wars are coming to an end, I wish that you will be able to prosper in peace.

Seeking prosperity is something that every great leader must always do, there is nothing better than being able to live in peace.

17. Let all mortal beings henceforth live as one people who are in agreement and who work for the common advancement.

By conquering a people, Alexander endowed them with resources and rights, bringing peace to what he conquered.

18. I’m planning a big funeral contest about me.

No doubt he left a void in the world that is very difficult to match, but he achieved historical immortality with his death.

19. To the strongest! [On his deathbed, this was the answer of the king of Macedonia as to who should be given up his place.]

The strongest can also be understood as the best prepared for the job.

20. Is it possible, my friends, that my father will anticipate taking everything and leave us nothing bright and glorious to be credited?

Looting was a vital part of warfare, usually a soldier had a token salary and looting was his real booty.

21. I don’t steal victories.

Honor in battle was extremely important to this famous leader.

22. God must love the Afghans, for he has made them beautiful.

Beauty was something that the Greeks admired, you only have to look at their works of art to realize that.

23. I don’t have a single part of my body, at least in front of me, that doesn’t have scars.

After a long life as a warrior, the scars are a reminder of what we have been through.

24. The aim and object of conquest is to avoid doing the same as the vanquished.

When we conquer a region we must prove to be better legislators than those we have beaten.

25. With the right attitude, self-imposed limitations disappear.

Attitude is essential in the practice of anything we do, with the right attitude we will do our work much more effectively.

26. As for the limits of one’s labours, I recognise none for a magnanimous man, except those that should lead to noble achievements.

We must look for an occupation in our lives with which we feel fully satisfied.

27. O Athenians, how hard I must work to please you and earn a good name in this land.

Alejandro knew that he had to work very hard to carve a niche in history.

28. Without knowledge, ability cannot be focused. Without skill, force cannot be exercised and without force, knowledge cannot be applied.

Knowledge, skill and strength. Three qualities that every great warrior must possess.

29. Soldiers, in the last days, desperate men have tried to take Me away from you, but by the grace of the providence of the gods, I am still among the living and will prevail.

Every general must have a good relationship with his troops if he wants to win, Alexander had a great devotion and deep respect for his soldiers.

30. Friends, there you have the man who was about to pass from Europe to Asia: passing from one bed to another he has ended up on the floor.

With this comical quote, Alexander rebuked his own father King Philip during a dispute between the two.

31. True love never has a happy ending, because there is no end to true love.

A real love can never end, it can accompany us throughout our lives.

32. There are so many worlds and I haven’t conquered even one yet.

Alexander put no limits to his conquests, if it were up to him, he would have conquered absolutely everything.

33. Those who have the courage to overcome fear are made free, and those who are conquered by it suffer until they have the courage to defeat it, or are taken away by death.

Even the great Julius Caesar learned this lesson from Alexander the Great; we must not let fear dominate our lives.

34. Sex and sleeping alone make me aware that I’m mortal.

The small pleasures allowed him to be more aware of the moment, to make contact with reality.

35. Oh! I’m so miserable! Why didn’t I learn to swim?

No one is perfect, we must know how to accept our weaknesses.

36. I classify men using only one criterion: virtue. To me, virtuous foreigners are Greeks, and evil Greeks are worse than barbarians.

We should be judged by our strengths and weaknesses, not by our nationality or any racial factor.

37. You have brought forth only one son, but everyone on this earth can be called Alexander.

No doubt Alexander the Great changed the ancient world and achieved the notoriety he so desired.

38. I wish the Indians believed me to be a god, for on the report of an enemy’s courage often depends the success of a battle.

The idea that our rival has about us can help us defeat him easily, our fame can help us achieve success.

39. I am involved in the land of a courageous and brave people, where every piece of land is like a well of steel, confronting my soldiers.

Our roots create us as individuals, they provide us with certain values and principles.

40. If I wait, I will lose my audacity and my youth.

The ideal time to do something is now, we should not waste the valuable time we have.

41. There are no more worlds to conquer.

Alexander was determined to conquer everything in his power.

42. The sky cannot tolerate two suns, nor the earth two masters.

He fervently desired to be the greatest conqueror in history.

43. In Macedonia, over the past generations, we have been trained in the hard school of danger and war.

Young people were prepared from a very early age for battle, war was a big part of their lifestyle.

44. How happy I would have been to be killed in battle.

Like every great warrior, he wished to die in a glorious way, fighting.

45. Effort and risk are the price of glory, but it is a precious thing to live with courage and die leaving an eternal fame. I am indebted to my father for living, but to my master Aristotle for living well.

Alejandro was very lucky to have a great teacher by his side, thanks to whom he achieved everything he set out to do.

46. In the end, when it’s all over, all that matters is what you’ve done.

Our actions in life will be the memory we leave in the living when we die.

47. I would rather live a short life full of glory, than a long one immersed in darkness.

A philosophy of life that Alexander shared with the Greek myth Achilles. Do you think Achilles existed in the flesh?

48. There is nothing impossible for one who tries.

If we don’t try we will never achieve anything, every great achievement begins with a first attempt.

49. All swear that I am the son of Jupiter, but this wound is proclaiming that I am a man.

After all, Alexander was a man like any other, perhaps with many virtues but mortal at the end of the day.

50. May God keep you from the poison of the cobra, the teeth of the tiger, and the vengeance of the Afghans.

The Afghan people have never been conquered, without any doubt this is one of the toughest people in the world

51. I die because of the help of too many doctors.

Many of us are still trying to go to the doctor as little as possible.

52. I can imagine how ostentatious my funeral honours will be.

This famous emperor fantasized for a long time about his own funeral.

53. Let us behave in such a way that all men desire to be our friends and all fear to be our enemies.

Instilling fear in the opponent is an old tactic that has always been used in war.

54. If I wait I’ll lose the energy of youth.

He knew that time was slipping away from him, he had to act at that very moment.

55. For me, I have left the best: hope.

As they say, hope is the last thing you lose.

56. What an excellent horse they lose through lack of skill and daring to handle it!

Certain horses can only be ridden by expert riders, they cannot be dominated by just anyone.

57. If I weren’t Alexander, I’d want to be Diogenes.

In this quote we can see the taste that Alejandro felt for philosophy.

58. Remember that on the conduct of each one depends the destiny of all.

Our behavior and lifestyle define what our destination will be.

59. No fortress is so impregnable that a mule loaded with gold cannot enter it.

Gold always makes its way into state coffers, of that we can be absolutely sure.

60. Not all light comes from the Sun.

Things may, at times, not be what they seem.

61. I have come to Asia, not with the purpose of receiving what you give Me, but with the purpose of having what I leave.

Alexander believed that he brought the civilized world to those he conquered, that he improved the quality of life of all his subjects.

62. I am not afraid of a lion army led by a sheep. I am afraid of a lion-led sheep army.

A general’s talent for leading his troops can tell the outcome of any battle.

63. Glory crowns the actions of those who expose themselves to danger.

In order to achieve glory in ancient times, one had to go through sometimes very dangerous situations.

64. When we give someone our time, we are actually giving a part of our life that we will never get back.

Time is something that is never recovered, it is only spent during our whole life.

65. God is the common father of all men.

Faith in something higher can help us in our lives and allow us to live a little more peacefully.

66. How great are the dangers I face to make a good name for myself in Athens.

Throughout his life, Alexander fought to make a name for himself.

67. Throughout every generation of the human race, there has been a constant war, a war with fear.

War has always been something that has accompanied human beings since the beginning of civilization.

68. There’s something noble about listening to myself speak ill when I’m doing good.

We must listen to our own thoughts and act accordingly.

69. I would have preferred to surpass others in the knowledge of what is excellent, than in the measure of my power and mastery.

Knowledge was always something that Alexander sought and studied, having a master like Aristotle could not be otherwise.

70. I’d rather live a short life of glory than a long life of darkness.

Alexander was willing to live his life to the full, no matter what the consequences.

71. It would have been far more noble to have died a victim of the enemy than to sacrifice the wrath of my friends.

The best death a soldier can ever wish for will be on the battlefield, with his friends and comrades at his side.

72. My strategists lack a sense of humor… they know that if I fail in my campaign, they’re the first ones I’ll kill.

One wrong strategy can send hundreds or perhaps thousands of men to certain death.

73. We will fight for Greece and our hearts will remain in it.

Alexander had a great devotion to the land that saw him born and grow up.

74. I’m not happy about this victory. I would be glad, brother, if I were to obtain it while standing beside you, for we are united by the same blood, the same tongue, and the same desires.

In war, we sometimes have to fight against friends and family, which can be very hard to do.