---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We of Macedon for generations past have…"
description: "\"We of Macedon for generations past have been trained in the hard school of danger and war\" — Alexander the Great"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7b/alexander-the-great-8774_danger_we-of-macedon-for-generations-past-have_1229545.jpg"
---

#  We of Macedon for generations past have been trained in…

![“We of Macedon for generations past have been trained in the hard school of danger and war” quote by Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7b/alexander-the-great-8774_danger_we-of-macedon-for-generations-past-have_1229545.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7b/alexander-the-great-8774_danger_we-of-macedon-for-generations-past-have_1229545.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7b/alexander-the-great-8774_danger_we-of-macedon-for-generations-past-have_1229545.jpg)

> “We of Macedon for generations past have been trained in the hard school of danger and war”

[Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He emphasizes that Macedonians have long been conditioned by danger and warfare, shaping their identity.

**In simple terms:** Macedonians are shaped by war.

Key Takeaway

Acknowledge the impact of harsh training.

Themes

war heritage identity

Mood

historical reflective

Type

cultural philosophical

When to use this quote

- military training
- national identity
- historical analysis

Key Concepts

cultural conditioning military tradition

Questions to Reflect On

- How does a culture of danger affect peace?
- Is such training still relevant today?

A Different Perspective

It may glorify conflict.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Danger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/danger/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/)

## Related quotes

> [My boy, you must find a kingdom big enough for your ambitions. Macedon is too small for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-ii-of-macedon/my-boy-you-must-find-a-kingdom-big-enough-for-your-ambitions-macedon/)

Philip II of Macedon

> [“Sometimes she wondered if she was doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past, since she'd trained herself not to look back at it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cinda-williams-chima/sometimes-she-wondered-if-she-was-doomed-to-repeat-the-mistakes-of/)

[Cinda Williams Chima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cinda-williams-chima/)

> [It happened with me in the past that I was not well trained for a reason, like an injury, and I started talking a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabricio-werdum/it-happened-with-me-in-the-past-that-i-was-not-well-trained-for-a/)

[Fabricio Werdum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabricio-werdum/)

> [“It's not that parents love their children less than in generations past. It's that they no longer receive consistent societal support for the belief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-medved/it-s-not-that-parents-love-their-children-less-than-in-generations/)

[Diane Medved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-medved/)

> [In Iroquois society, leaders are encouraged to remember seven generations in the past and consider seven generations in the future when making decisions that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilma-mankiller/in-iroquois-society-leaders-are-encouraged-to-remember-seven/)

[Wilma Mankiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilma-mankiller/)

> [Since men do not really respect anything unless it was established long ago and has developed slowly over time, those who want tokeep on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/since-men-do-not-really-respect-anything-unless-it-was-established/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [“The Earth is not an inheritance received from our ancestors, nor a possession secured by ownership. It is a sacred trust held briefly within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shree-shambav/the-earth-is-not-an-inheritance-received-from-our-ancestors-nor-a/)

[Shree Shambav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shree-shambav/)

> [Every one expects to go further than his father went; every one expects to be better than he was born and every generation has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-allen-white/every-one-expects-to-go-further-than-his-father-went-every-one/)

[William Allen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-allen-white/)

> [We are a part of everything that is beneath us, above us, and around us. Our past is our present, our present is our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-laduke/we-are-a-part-of-everything-that-is-beneath-us-above-us-and-around-us/)

[Winona LaDuke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-laduke/)

> [There's a Dar Williams song about 'houses that are haunted, with the kids who lie awake and think about other generations past who used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-courtney-sullivan/there-s-a-dar-williams-song-about-houses-that-are-haunted-with-the/)

[J. Courtney Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-courtney-sullivan/)

> [“You hold the collective story of all women in your body. The muscle memory of generations past. This is your legacy, but it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-leblanc/you-hold-the-collective-story-of-all-women-in-your-body-the-muscle/)

[Jeanette LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-leblanc/)

> [I have trained so so hard to be where I am at - I train with Olympic athletes and if I'm struggling to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-long/i-have-trained-so-so-hard-to-be-where-i-am-at-i-train-with-olympic/)

[Jessica Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-long/)

> [I always felt that if I did the right thing, that if I trained hard and worked hard, I'd be rewarded somehow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micky-ward/i-always-felt-that-if-i-did-the-right-thing-that-if-i-trained-hard/)

[Micky Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/micky-ward/)

> [In the past five weeks I've trained hard, trying to get my ankle back to where I want it to be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-flintoff/in-the-past-five-weeks-i-ve-trained-hard-trying-to-get-my-ankle-back/)

[Andrew Flintoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-flintoff/)

> [I've always trained hard and I've never slacked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cub-swanson/i-ve-always-trained-hard-and-i-ve-never-slacked/)

[Cub Swanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cub-swanson/)

## More by Alexander the Great

> [There are no more worlds to conquer!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/there-are-no-more-worlds-to-conquer/)

[Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

> [I would rather excel others in the knowledge of what is excellent than in the extent of my powers and dominion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/i-would-rather-excel-others-in-the-knowledge-of-what-is-excellent/)

[Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

> [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/)

[Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

> [“I am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well. { His teacher was the legendary philosopher Aristotle }”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/i-am-indebted-to-my-father-for-living-but-to-my-teacher-for-living/)

[Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

> [There is something noble in hearing myself ill spoken of, when I am doing well;](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/there-is-something-noble-in-hearing-myself-ill-spoken-of-when-i-am/)

[Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

> [If we turn our backs of the Scythians who have provoked us, how shamefully shall we march against the revolted Bactrians; but if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/if-we-turn-our-backs-of-the-scythians-who-have-provoked-us-how/)

[Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

> [On their side more men are standing, on ours more will fight!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/on-their-side-more-men-are-standing-on-ours-more-will-fight/)

[Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

> [I am dying from the treatment of too many physicians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/i-am-dying-from-the-treatment-of-too-many-physicians/)

[Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

> [At Achilles tomb, O fortunate youth, to have found Homer as the herald of your glory!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/at-achilles-tomb-o-fortunate-youth-to-have-found-homer-as-the-herald/)

[Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

> [For my own part, I would rather excel in knowledge of the highest secrets of philosophy than in arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/for-my-own-part-i-would-rather-excel-in-knowledge-of-the-highest/)

[Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

> [So far as I am concerned, I could not be accused of having set eyes, or having wished to set eyes, upon Darius' wife:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/so-far-as-i-am-concerned-i-could-not-be-accused-of-having-set-eyes-or/)

[Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

> [Are you still to learn that the end and perfection of our victories is to avoid the vices and infirmities of those whom we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/are-you-still-to-learn-that-the-end-and-perfection-of-our-victories/)

[Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

> [“Upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/upon-the-conduct-of-each-depends-the-fate-of-all/)

[Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

> [There are so many worlds and I have not yet conquered even one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/there-are-so-many-worlds-and-i-have-not-yet-conquered-even-one/)

[Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

> [I consider not what Parmenio should receive, but what Alexander should give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/i-consider-not-what-parmenio-should-receive-but-what-alexander-should/)

[Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

[Explore all 78 Alexander the Great quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

## More Danger quotes

> [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/)

[Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/)

> [The danger that may really threaten (crime fiction) is that soon there will be more writers than readers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/the-danger-that-may-really-threaten-crime-fiction-is-that-soon-there/)

[Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/)

> [“Anything you fear is a shackle to ur soul. It is a phobia that tethers and blinds ur ability to see and comprehend your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/anything-you-fear-is-a-shackle-to-ur-soul-it-is-a-phobia-that-tethers/)

[Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/)

> [“The set of circumstances that justifies the use of deadly force is a situation of immediate danger of death or great bodily harm to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/massad-ayoob/the-set-of-circumstances-that-justifies-the-use-of-deadly-force-is-a/)

[Massad Ayoob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/massad-ayoob/)

> [These days grief seems like walking on a frozen river; most of the time he feels safe enough, but there is always that danger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/these-days-grief-seems-like-walking-on-a-frozen-river-most-of-the/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

> [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/)

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

> [The term 'Pre-Raphaelite' is in danger of becoming one of the most misused tags in art history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-wood/the-term-pre-raphaelite-is-in-danger-of-becoming-one-of-the-most/)

Christopher Wood

> [There are dangers in consensus: it could be an attempt to satisfy people holding no particular views about anything. ... No great party can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/there-are-dangers-in-consensus-it-could-be-an-attempt-to-satisfy/)

[Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/)

> [“I’ll always come back to you,” he said. “Always.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-grant/i-ll-always-come-back-to-you-he-said-always/)

[Donna Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-grant/)

> [All the dangers in our world are like a blessed wake up call. They tell us to live life NOW... not tomorrow, not when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/all-the-dangers-in-our-world-are-like-a-blessed-wake-up-call-they/)

[Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/)

> [Natural history is not taught in seminary. This is curious, as most people in pastoral ministry are about 567 times more likely to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-maitland/natural-history-is-not-taught-in-seminary-this-is-curious-as-most/)

[Sara Maitland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-maitland/)

> [A sea setting us upon the ice has brought us close to danger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hudson/a-sea-setting-us-upon-the-ice-has-brought-us-close-to-danger/)

[Henry Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hudson/)

> [“You are a lawmaker in your own right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/you-are-a-lawmaker-in-your-own-right/)

[Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/)

> [There's a danger in starting a fire, you'll never know how many bridges you'll burn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-s-a-danger-in-starting-a-fire-you-ll-never-know-how-many/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [This is the gift of your species and this is the danger, because you do not choose to control your imaginings. You imagine wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/this-is-the-gift-of-your-species-and-this-is-the-danger-because-you/)

[Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/)

[Browse all 5,463 Danger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/danger/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "We of Macedon for generations past have been trained in the hard school of danger and war",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Alexander the Great"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/we-of-macedon-for-generations-past-have-been-trained-in-the-hard/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Danger"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/we-of-macedon-for-generations-past-have-been-trained-in-the-hard/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7b/alexander-the-great-8774_danger_we-of-macedon-for-generations-past-have_1229545.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7b/alexander-the-great-8774_danger_we-of-macedon-for-generations-past-have_1229545.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7b/alexander-the-great-8774_danger_we-of-macedon-for-generations-past-have_1229545.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We of Macedon for generations past have been trained in the hard school of danger and war” — Alexander the Great",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Alexander the Great",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "We of Macedon for generations past...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/we-of-macedon-for-generations-past-have-been-trained-in-the-hard/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/we-of-macedon-for-generations-past-have-been-trained-in-the-hard/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
