Regum et imperatorum apophthegmata

While Alexander was still a boy and Philip was winning many successes, he was not glad, but said to [*]( d The story is told also in Plutarch’s Life of Demetrius, chap. xiii. (909 c). Stobaeus, Florilegium, xiii. 28, quotes Serenus, who states that a peasant made this remark to Anitpater. e Alexander the Great, born 356, king of Macedon 336323 B.C. )

Being nimble and swift of foot, he was urged by his father to run in the foot-race at the Olympic games. Yes, I would run, said he, if I were to have kings as competitors. [*](Cf. Moralia, 331 B, and Plutarch’s Life of Alexander, chap. iv. (666 D).)

A girl was brought to him late in the evening with the intent that she should spend the night with him, and he asked her, Why at this time ? She replied, I had to wait to get my husband to go to bed ; whereupon Alexander bitterly rebuked his servants, since, owing to them, he had so narrowly escaped becoming an adulterer.

On a time when he was offering incense to the gods with lavish hand, and often taking up handfuls of the frankincense, Leonidas, who had been his attendant in boyhood, happening to be present, said, My boy, you may offer incense thus lavishly when you have made yourself master of the land that bears it. And so, when Alexander had become master of it, he sent a letter to Leonidas: I have sent to you a half-ton of frankincense and cassia, so that you may never again count any petty cost in dealing with the gods, since you know that we are now masters of the land that bears these fragrant things. [*](Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Alexander, chap. xxv. (679 C); Pliny, Natural History, xii. 32 (62). )

Just before he fought the battle at Granicus he urged the Macedonians to eat without stint, and to bring out all they had, since on the morrow they should dine from the enemy’s stores.

When Perillus, one of his friends, asked him for dowry for his girls, Alexander bade him accept ten thousand pounds. He said that two thousand would be enough; but Alexander said, Enough for you to accept, but not enough for me to give. [*](Stories of this type about kings have long been popular and often repeated.)

He bade his manager give to Anaxarchus, the philosopher, as much as he asked for; and when the manager said that he asked for twenty thousand pounds, Alexander said, He does well, for he knows that he has a friend who is both able and willing to make such presents. [*](Xencrates seems to have been the lucky recipient, while Anaxarchus received high esteem, according to Moralia, 331 E, and Plutarch’s Life of Alexander, chap. viii. (668 E).)

When he saw in Miletus many statues of athletes who had won victories in the Olympic and the Pythian games, he said, Where were the men with bodies like these when the barbarians were besieging your city? [*](Cf. in Aristophanes, Plutus, 1003, and Athenaeus, 523 F, the proverb, Once were the Milesians stout and strong. )

Ada, queen of the Carians, made it a point of honour to be always sending to him fancy dishes and sweetmeats prepared in unusual ways by the hands of artists and chefs, but he said he had better fancy cooks--his night marches for his breakfast, and for his dinner his frugal breakfast. [*](The story with slight variations is found also in Moralia, 127 B, 1099 C, and the Life of Alexander, chap. xxii. (677 B).)

Once, when all preparations had been made for battle, his generals asked him whether there was anything else in addition to what they had done. Nothing, said he, except to shave the Macedonians’ beards. And as Parmenio expressed his surprise, Alexander said, Don’t you know that in battles there is nothing handier to grasp than a beard? [*](Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Theseus, chap. iii. (3 A); Athenaeus, 565 A.)

When Darius offered him two million pounds, and also offered to share Asia equally with him, Parmenio said, I would take it if I were Alexander. And so indeed would I, said Alexander, if I were Parmenio. But he made answer to Darius that the earth could not tolerate two suns, nor Asia two kings. [*](Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Alexander, chap. xxix. (681 F): Arrian, Anabasis, ii. 25; Diodorus, xvii. 54: Longinus, De sublimitate, ix. 4; Valerius Maximus, vi. 4, ext. 3.)

When he was about to risk everything at Arbela against a million men arrayed against him, his friends came to him and accused the soldiers of talking together and making agreements in their tents that they would hand over none of the spoil to the royal treasury, but would keep everything for themselves. And he smiling said, You bring good news; for I hear in this the talk of men prepared to conquer and not to flee. And many of the soldiers came to him and said, Be of good cheer, Sire, and do not fear the great numbers of the enemy; for they will not be able to stand the very smell of goat that clings to us.

As the army was being drawn up for battle, he saw one of the soldiers fitting the thong to his javelin, and he shoved him out of the line as a useless man who was making ready at this time when he ought to be using his weapons.

As he was reading a letter from his mother, which contained secret slanders against Antipater, Hephaestion, as usual, was reading it with him. Alexander did not prevent Hephaestion from reading it, but, when he had finished the reading, he took off his ring, and placed the seal on Hephaestion’s lips. [*](Cf. Moralia, 332 F and 240 A, and Plutarch’s Life of Alexander, chap. xxix. (688 A).)

In the shrine of Ammon he was hailed by the prophetic priest as the son of Zeus. That is nothing surprising, said he; for Zeus is by nature the father of all, and he makes the noblest his own. [*](Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Alexander, chap. xxvii. (680 F).)

When he was hit in the leg by an arrow, and many of those who were oftentimes wont to hail him as a god hurried up to him, he, relaxing his countenance, said, This is blood, as you see, and not

Ichor, like that which flows from the wounds of the blessed Immortals.

When some commended the frugality of Antipater, who, they said, lived a plain and simple life, he remarked, Outwardly Antipater is plain white, but within he is all purple. [*](Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Phocion, chap. xxix. (754 E).)

When one of his friends was entertaining him in the cold of winter, and brought in a small brazier with a little Are in it, Alexander bade him bring in either firewood or incense.

When Antipatrides brought to dinner a beautiful harp-player, Alexander, stirred to love at the sight of her, asked Antipatrides whether he happened to be at all in love with the girl; and when he admitted that he was, Alexander said, You abominable wretch ! Please take her away from here at once.

On another occasion Casander forced Python, beloved by Evius the flute-player, [*](Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Eumenes, chap. ii. (583 D).) to kiss him, and Alexander, seeing that Evius was vexed, leapt up in anger against Casander, exclaiming It isn’t allowable even to fall in love with anybody, because of you and people like you.