Alexander Quotes

Cleitus: How can you, so young, compare yourself to Heracles?
Alexander: Why not? I've achieved more in my years. Traveled as far. Probably farther.
Cleitus: Heracles did it by himself! Did you conquer Asia by yourself, Alexander? I mean, who planned the Asian invasion when you were still being spanked on your bottom by my sister?

Was it not your father? Or is his blood no longer good enough?
Alexander: You insult me, Cleitus. You mock my family, be careful.
Cleitus: Never would your father take barbarians as friends or ask us to fight with them as equals in war. Are we not good enough any longer? I remember a time when we could talk as men, strait to the eye, none of this

scraping and groveling. I remember a time when we hunted, when we wrestled on the gymnasium floor. And now you kiss them? Take a barbarian, childless wife, and dare call her Queen?
Alexander: [deeply insulted] Go quickly, Cleitus, before you ruin your life.
Cleitus: Doesn't your great pride fear the gods any longer? This army's your blood, boy!

Without it you're nothing!
Alexander: You no longer serve the purpose of this march! Get him from my sight!
Cleitus: What was I serving but to save your puppy life at Gaugamela? What if I left you to die in the dust?
Hephaistion: [holding Alexander back] Alexander... Alexander!
Alexander: Arrest him for

treason! Who's with him? I call father Zeus to witness! I call you to trial before him! And we'll see how deep this conspiracy cuts!
Hephaistion: In the name of the gods, get him out of here!
Cleitus: Now look at you! Great Alexander! Hiding behind his guards! Are you too great to remember whose life was saved by me? I am more man than you'll ever

be!
[Cleitus is dragged out of the room]
Hephaistion: He's gone. He's gone, Alexander, gone! Alexander!
[Cleitus fights his way back into the room]
Cleitus: What a tyrant you are! Evil tyrant you've become, Alexander. You speak about plots against you? What about poor Parmenion? He served you well! Look how you repaid him! Have you no

shame?
Alexander: You ungrateful wretch! No one, not my finest enemy has spoken like you to me!
Hephaistion: Please, Alexander...
[Alexander stabs Cleitus]
Hephaistion: NO!

Hephaistion: [refuses to let Roxane see Alexander after the murder of Cleitus]
Roxane: Let me pass. I am the Queen! I want to see him! I've waited three days!
Hephaistion: He says none. Not even you.
Roxane: He needs me!
Hephaistion: No. He doesn't.
Roxane:

[mocking] And he needs you?

Hephaistion: [crying softly, he shows Alexander a ring] I found it in Egypt... the man who sold it to me said it came from a time when man worshiped sun, and stars. I'll always think of you as the sun, Alexander. And I pray your dream will shine on all men.
[puts the ring on Alexander's ring finger, then embraces him]
Hephaistion: I wish you a son.

You're a great man. Many will love you, Alexander, but none so pure and deep...
Roxane: [Roxane enters]
Hephaistion: [Hephaistion exits guiltily]
Roxane: You... love him?
Alexander: He is Hephaistion. There are many different ways to love.

Wrestling Trainer: You don't need much to fight. When you're in the front ranks of a battle, chasing some northern barbarian tribe. Courage won't be in the lining of your stomach Nearchus, is in the heart of a man. You don't need to eat everyday or until your full Ptolemy. You don't need to lay in bed in the morning when you can have some good bean soup,Cassander, after a forced

night's march. Come on Alexander. Come on. Who'll ever respect you as king? Do you think it's because of your father? The first rule of war is to do what you ask your men to do, no more, no less.

Young Nearchus: Master? Master?
Aristotle: Yes?
Young Nearchus: Master?
Aristotle: Yes, out with it, out with it.
Young Nearchus: Why are the Persians so cruel?
Aristotle: That is not the subject for today Nearchus. But it is true, the Oriental races are known

for their barbarity and slavish devotion to their senses. Excess in all things is the undoing of men. That is why we Greeks are superior, we practice control of our senses. Moderation.
[laughs]
Aristotle: We hope.

Attalus: To Philip and Eurydice and to their legitimate sons! To Philip...
[Alexander throws a wine cup at him]
Hephaistion: Alexander, don't...
Alexander: And what am I? You son of a dog. Come then.
[Attalus throws his cup at Alexander and soon a fight breaks out]
Philip: Shut up! Shut up all of

you! This is my wedding, not some public brawl!
[Looks at Alexander]
Philip: Apologize by Zeus, before you dishonor me.
Alexander: You defend the man that called my mother a whore and me a bastard? And I dishonor you?
Philip: Ah!You listen more like your mother. Attalus is my family now, the same as you.

Alexander: Then choose your relatives more carefully. Don't expect me to sit here and watch you shame yourself.
Philip: Shame?
Attalus: You insult me!
Alexander: I insult you? Am I not fit to lick the ground my mother walks on?
Philip: Shame?
Alexander: You dog,

questioning your Queen.
Philip: Shame? I have nothing to be ashamed of you arrogant brat. I'll marry the girl if I want, and I'll have as many sons as I want, and there's nothing that you or your harpy mother can do about it!
Alexander: Why, drunken man, must you think everything I do and say comes from my mother?
Philip:

Because I know her heart, by Hera. And I see her in your eyes. You covet this throne too much. Now we all know that she-wolf for a mother of yours wants me dead. Well, you can both dream boy.
[Grabs his genitalia in a mocking way]
Parmenion: Come Philip, it is the wine talking. Leave the boy, it can wait till the morning.
Philip: Now! I

command you, apologize to your kinsman.
[Alexander stands in silence looking at Attalus]
Philip: Apologize.
Alexander: His no kinsman to me. Good night old man, and when my mother remarries, I'll invite you to her wedding.
[Walks away]
Philip: You bastard! You'll obey me. Come here.
[Alexander looks at

Philip and continues to walk away, Philip grabs his sword and prepares to attack Alexander, but falls to the ground]
Alexander: [Alexander sees Philip fall] And this is the man who's going to take you from Greece to Persia? He can't even make it from one couch to the next.
Philip: Get out of my palace. Your exiled you bastard. Vanished from the

land.You're not welcomed here. You're no son of mine

[after Alexander's wedding to Roxane]
Philotas: But what's the point Alexander? She's your captive; just take her as your concubine!
Alexander: Because I want a son. Damn you, Philotas
Philotas: Half your nobles have sisters who would make fine Macedonian mothers.
Alexander: To take an Asian as my

queen, not a captive, is a sign of deep respect for our subjects. It will, more than anything, bring us together. Unify us. Which is not to say I won't take a Macedonian one day.
Philotas: As a second wife? And insult Macedonia?
Antigonus: Never will our people accept this girl's son as king. They'll be angry enough when they find out their husbands

all have second wives in Barbaria.
Alexander: [laughing] Then they'll learn!

Alexander: You birthed me in a sack of hate! Hate you have for those stronger than you!
Olympias: I taught you my heart! And by Zeus and Dionysus you grew beautiful!
Alexander: Damn your sorceress soul!
Olympias: Your soul is mine, Alexander.
Alexander: No! You've taken from me

everything I've ever loved! You've made me you!
Olympias: Stop it! Stop acting like a boy! You're a king, act like one!

Cassander: Would you say the love between Achilles and Patroclus is a corrupting one?
Aristotle: When men lie together in lust, it is a surrender to the passions and does nothing for the excellence in us. Nor does any other excess, Cassander, jealousy among them.But when men lie together, and knowledge and virtue are passed between them that is pure and

excellent. When they compete to bring out the good, the best in each other this is the love between men that can build a city-state and lift us from our frog pond.