--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I perceive your lovers purely as the…" description: "\"“I perceive your lovers purely as the successors of Alexander the Great, incompetent joint rulers of an empire where I once ruled supreme.”\" — Pierre C..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ec/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos-195_alexander_i-perceive-your-lovers-purely-as-the-suc_338190.png" --- # I perceive your lovers purely as the successors of… ![“I perceive your lovers purely as the successors of Alexander the Great, incompetent joint rulers of an empire where I once ruled supreme.” quote by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ec/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos-195_alexander_i-perceive-your-lovers-purely-as-the-suc_338190.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ec/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos-195_alexander_i-perceive-your-lovers-purely-as-the-suc_338190.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ec/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos-195_alexander_i-perceive-your-lovers-purely-as-the-suc_338190.png) > ““I perceive your lovers purely as the successors of Alexander the Great, incompetent joint rulers of an empire where I once ruled supreme.”” [Pierre Choderlos de Laclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker sees his rivals as incompetent heirs to a once-mighty empire, mocking their authority. **In simple terms:** He calls them weak successors of a great empire. Key Takeaway Recognize the emptiness of power without merit. Themes politics ego legacy authority mockery Mood cynical satirical Type literary political When to use this quote - court intrigue - political maneuvering - personal rivalry Key Concepts historical analogy power dynamics arrogance Questions to Reflect On - How does power affect self‑perception? - What defines a worthy ruler? A Different Perspective The comparison may exaggerate and ignore nuanced realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alexander/) [Alexander Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alexander-great/) [Great Incompetent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-incompetent-3149476/) [Purely Successors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purely-successors-3149477/) [Successors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successors/) [Successors Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successors-alexander-3149475/) ## Related quotes > [Alexander III of Macedon is known as Alexander the Great because he killed more people of more different kinds than any other man of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-cuppy/alexander-iii-of-macedon-is-known-as-alexander-the-great-because-he/) [Will Cuppy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-cuppy/) > [ “...no one should marvel at the ease with which Alexander \[the Great\] kept possession of Asia, or at the difficulties which others, like Pyrrhus… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/machiavelli-niccolo/no-one-should-marvel-at-the-ease-with-which-alexander-the-great-kept/) [Machiavelli Niccolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/machiavelli-niccolo/) > [“When Alexander The Great was alive the world was not big enough to contain his ambition but while Alexander chafed at the confines of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juvenal/when-alexander-the-great-was-alive-the-world-was-not-big-enough-to/) [Juvenal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juvenal/) > [Of course, Alexander the Great was a hero, but why smash the chairs?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/of-course-alexander-the-great-was-a-hero-but-why-smash-the-chairs/) [Nikolai Gogol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-gogol/) > [I like to think I am the best there is at what I do, and so I have conquered the world like Alexander. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-spanos/i-like-to-think-i-am-the-best-there-is-at-what-i-do-and-so-i-have/) [Alex Spanos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-spanos/) > [You're like, both like, Alexander the Great.' We can't both be Alexander.' Well sometimes I think you're two side of the same coin, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/you-re-like-both-like-alexander-the-great-we-can-t-both-be-alexander/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Alexander the Great and his mule driver both died and the same thing happened to both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/alexander-the-great-and-his-mule-driver-both-died-and-the-same-thing/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [My ego is nothing - look what Alexander the Great achieved. And I felt he was a figure outside time, a figure we don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/my-ego-is-nothing-look-what-alexander-the-great-achieved-and-i-felt/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [“Don Quixote is not an imaginary person; he is as real as Alexander the Great.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/don-quixote-is-not-an-imaginary-person-he-is-as-real-as-alexander-the/) [Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/) > [No history of the world can be complete which does not mention Mary Helen Keller... whose overcoming of her blindness and deafness were arguably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-zeldin/no-history-of-the-world-can-be-complete-which-does-not-mention-mary/) [Theodore Zeldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-zeldin/) > [Not all gays respond to the same stuff. Would Alexander the Great have loved Auntie Mame?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bawer/not-all-gays-respond-to-the-same-stuff-would-alexander-the-great-have/) [Bruce Bawer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bawer/) > [“History has been so fascinated with Alexander the Great that it has overlooked the genius of his father. But by his supreme skill at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-freeman/history-has-been-so-fascinated-with-alexander-the-great-that-it-has/) [Philip Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-freeman/) > [“Alexander the Great was not worried about what other people would think if he made a deal with a woman. It helped that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-de-haas/alexander-the-great-was-not-worried-about-what-other-people-would/) [Ingrid de Haas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-de-haas/) > [Where did he go!” he bellowed, gloved hands clenching. “I had him in a snare that would take Alexander the Great a lifetime to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-harrison/where-did-he-go-he-bellowed-gloved-hands-clenching-i-had-him-in-a/) [Kim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-harrison/) > [I honestly never wanted to direct. It was only when I started to work on 'Alexander the Great' that I realized I had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/i-honestly-never-wanted-to-direct-it-was-only-when-i-started-to-work/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) ## More by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos > [Humanity is not perfect in any fashion; no more in the case of evil than in that of good. The criminal has his virtues,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/humanity-is-not-perfect-in-any-fashion-no-more-in-the-case-of-evil/) [Pierre Choderlos de Laclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/) > [I shall possess this woman; I shall steal her from the husband who profanes her: I will even dare ravish her from the God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/i-shall-possess-this-woman-i-shall-steal-her-from-the-husband-who/) [Pierre Choderlos de Laclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/) > [I assure you that the world is not so amusing as we imagined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/i-assure-you-that-the-world-is-not-so-amusing-as-we-imagined/) [Pierre Choderlos de Laclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/) > [Either you have a rival or you don't. If you have one, you must please in order to be preferred to him, and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/either-you-have-a-rival-or-you-don-t-if-you-have-one-you-must-please/) [Pierre Choderlos de Laclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/) > [I am astonished at the pleasure one experiences in doing good; and I should be tempted to believe that what we call virtuous people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/i-am-astonished-at-the-pleasure-one-experiences-in-doing-good-and-i/) [Pierre Choderlos de Laclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/) > [I can see that you're in love, but only in a very narrow sense. It's the love of someone that finds charms and qualities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/i-can-see-that-you-re-in-love-but-only-in-a-very-narrow-sense-it-s/) [Pierre Choderlos de Laclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/) > [One must not permit oneself excesses, except with persons whom one wishes soon to leave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/one-must-not-permit-oneself-excesses-except-with-persons-whom-one/) [Pierre Choderlos de Laclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/) > [“Like most intellectuals he is intensely stupid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/like-most-intellectuals-he-is-intensely-stupid/) [Pierre Choderlos de Laclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/) > [A man enjoys the happiness he feels, a woman the happiness she gives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/a-man-enjoys-the-happiness-he-feels-a-woman-the-happiness-she-gives/) [Pierre Choderlos de Laclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/) > [There is no woman in the world who does not abuse the power she has been able to acquire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/there-is-no-woman-in-the-world-who-does-not-abuse-the-power-she-has/) [Pierre Choderlos De Laclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/) > [“Will you, then, never grow weary of being unjust?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/will-you-then-never-grow-weary-of-being-unjust/) [Pierre Choderlos de Laclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/) > [Revenge is a dish that is best served cold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/revenge-is-a-dish-that-is-best-served-cold/) [Pierre Choderlos de Laclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/) > [All publicity is good publicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/all-publicity-is-good-publicity/) [Pierre Choderlos de Laclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/) > [Marquise de Merteuil: I've distilled every thing to one single principle: win or die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/marquise-de-merteuil-i-ve-distilled-every-thing-to-one-single/) [Pierre Choderlos de Laclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/) > [“Haven't you realized that pleasure, which is indeed certainly the one and only reason for the two sexes to come together, is nevertheless not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/haven-t-you-realized-that-pleasure-which-is-indeed-certainly-the-one/) [Pierre Choderlos de Laclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/) [Explore all 19 Pierre Choderlos de Laclos quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/) ## More Alexander quotes > [I actually sat down and started three Alexanders at the same time. Two of them went in the trash and got stomped on because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-viorst/i-actually-sat-down-and-started-three-alexanders-at-the-same-time-two/) [Judith Viorst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-viorst/) > [Homer, Hesiod, Pythagoras, Plato, and Cicero, just to name a few, all lived in pagan societies. Some of the greatest political and military leaders…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-myers/homer-hesiod-pythagoras-plato-and-cicero-just-to-name-a-few-all-lived/) [Brendan Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-myers/) > [Life is life, Girls are girls and boys are boys, they change here and there.. BUT ALEXANDER remains the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asking-alexander/life-is-life-girls-are-girls-and-boys-are-boys-they-change-here-and/) [Asking Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asking-alexander/) > [“I am acting, then," continued Alexander, "only on the defensive. The gods, who always favor the right, have given me the victory. I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-abbott/i-am-acting-then-continued-alexander-only-on-the-defensive-the-gods/) [Jacob Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-abbott/) > [Lucius Cassius ille quem populus Romanus verissimum et sapientissimum iudicem putabat identidem in causis quaerere solebat 'cui bono' fuisset. The famous Lucius Cassius, whom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/lucius-cassius-ille-quem-populus-romanus-verissimum-et-sapientissimum/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [“That valiant Macedonian supreme commander and emperor Alexander, in his thirties and the future Indian captain-general and emperor Chandragupta just on the threshold of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/savarkar/that-valiant-macedonian-supreme-commander-and-emperor-alexander-in/) [Savarkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/savarkar/) > [“Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/alexander-the-coppersmith-did-me-great-harm-the-lord-will-repay-him/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“When Alexander saw the depth of his empire he wept for there were no more worlds to concquer. Benefits of a classical education.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-gruber/when-alexander-saw-the-depth-of-his-empire-he-wept-for-there-were-no/) [Hans Gruber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-gruber/) > [“Annabeth nodded. "That's right.Alexander conquered Egypt.After he died, his general Ptolemy took over. He wanted the Egyptians to accept him as their pharaoh, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/annabeth-nodded-that-s-right-alexander-conquered-egypt-after-he-died/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [“As Alexander would confess years later, sex and sleep more than anything else reminded him that he was mortal. One”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-freeman/as-alexander-would-confess-years-later-sex-and-sleep-more-than/) [Philip Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-freeman/) > [I'm a London girl, so I grew up on Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood... Dior, Chanel, the usual suspects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-dormer/i-m-a-london-girl-so-i-grew-up-on-alexander-mcqueen-and-vivienne/) [Natalie Dormer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-dormer/) > [When I did 'Racing Demon' by David Hare, I worked with Paul Giamatti, who had stacks of books in his dressing room. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-o-hare/when-i-did-racing-demon-by-david-hare-i-worked-with-paul-giamatti-who/) [Denis O'Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-o-hare/) > [Alexander III of Macedon is known as Alexander the Great because he killed more people of more different kinds than any other man of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-cuppy/alexander-iii-of-macedon-is-known-as-alexander-the-great-because-he/) [Will Cuppy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-cuppy/) > [“Alexander's mere name and the fame of his feats raised rulers and realms across virtually the whole world. And those who kept control of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-chugg/alexander-s-mere-name-and-the-fame-of-his-feats-raised-rulers-and/) [Andrew Chugg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-chugg/) > [Where did he go!” he bellowed, gloved hands clenching. “I had him in a snare that would take Alexander the Great a lifetime to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-harrison/where-did-he-go-he-bellowed-gloved-hands-clenching-i-had-him-in-a/) [Kim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-harrison/) [Browse all 230 Alexander quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alexander/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I perceive your lovers purely as the successors of Alexander the Great, incompetent joint rulers of an empire where I once ruled supreme.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pierre Choderlos de Laclos" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/i-perceive-your-lovers-purely-as-the-successors-of-alexander-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alexander" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/i-perceive-your-lovers-purely-as-the-successors-of-alexander-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ec/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos-195_alexander_i-perceive-your-lovers-purely-as-the-suc_338190.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ec/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos-195_alexander_i-perceive-your-lovers-purely-as-the-suc_338190.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ec/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos-195_alexander_i-perceive-your-lovers-purely-as-the-suc_338190.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I perceive your lovers purely as the successors of Alexander the Great, incompetent joint rulers of an…” — Pierre Choderlos de Laclos", "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": "Pierre Choderlos de Laclos", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I perceive your lovers purely as...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/i-perceive-your-lovers-purely-as-the-successors-of-alexander-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/i-perceive-your-lovers-purely-as-the-successors-of-alexander-the/#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 } } ] } ```