Alexander the Great, in Plutarch's Lives, as translated by John Langhorne and William Langhorne (1859), p. 469. Cf. Diogenes Laërtius, vi. 31
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If I were not Alexander, I should wish to be Diogenes.
— Alexander the Great on Diogenes of Sinope
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "If I were not Alexander, I should wish to be Diogenes." in the context of "Alexander the Great, in Plutarch's Lives, as translated by John Langhorne and William Langhorne (1859), p. 469. Cf. Diogenes Laërtius, vi. 31" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Diogenes of Sinope" (Quotes about Diogenes)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed February 05, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon (20/21 July 356 BC – 11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a Macedonian king who ruled the kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father King Philip II to the throne at the age of 20, and spent most of his ruling years conducting a lengthy military campaign throughout Western Asia and Northeastern Africa. By the age of thirty, he had created one of the largest empires in history, stretching from Greece to northwestern India. He was undefeated in battle and is widely considered to be one of history's greatest and most successful military commanders.
About Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon (20/21 July 356 BC – 11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a Macedonian king who ruled the kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father King Philip II to the throne at the age of 20, and spent most of his ruling years conducting a lengthy military campaign throughout Western Asia and Northeastern Africa. By the age of thirty, he had created one of the largest empires in history, stretching from Greece to northwestern India. He was undefeated in battle and is widely considered to be one of history's greatest and most successful military commanders.
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