--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Alexander the Great slept with 'The…" description: "\"“Alexander the Great slept with 'The Iliad' beneath his pillow. Though I’ve never led an army, I am a wanderer. I cradle 'The Odyssey' nights while the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b53/roman-payne-1959_alexander-the-great_alexander-the-great-slept-with-the-iliad_1765373.jpg" --- # Alexander the Great slept with 'The Iliad' beneath his… ![“Alexander the Great slept with 'The Iliad' beneath his pillow. Though I’ve never led an army, I am a wanderer. I cradle 'The Odyssey' nights while the moon is waning, as if it were the sweet body of a woman.” quote by Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b53/roman-payne-1959_alexander-the-great_alexander-the-great-slept-with-the-iliad_1765373.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b53/roman-payne-1959_alexander-the-great_alexander-the-great-slept-with-the-iliad_1765373.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b53/roman-payne-1959_alexander-the-great_alexander-the-great-slept-with-the-iliad_1765373.jpg) > ““Alexander the Great slept with 'The Iliad' beneath his pillow. Though I’ve never led an army, I am a wanderer. I cradle 'The Odyssey' nights while the moon is waning, as if it were the sweet body of a woman.”” [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) ## 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 likens his love for epic poetry to an intimate companion, suggesting that stories shape his nocturnal thoughts. **In simple terms:** Epic poems are his nightly companions. Key Takeaway Embrace literature as a personal guide. Themes literature identity night companionship Mood reflective intimate Type literary personal When to use this quote - reading before bed - creative writing - personal reflection - nighttime meditation Key Concepts mythology personal narrative Questions to Reflect On - What role do stories play in your daily life? - How does night influence your imagination? A Different Perspective The metaphor may romanticize reading, ignoring practical constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alexander Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alexander-great/) [Alexander-the-great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alexander-the-great/) [Iliad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iliad/) [Iliad Beneath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iliad-beneath-1730666/) [Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/payne/) [Sleeping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleeping/) [Slept](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slept/) [Slept Iliad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slept-iliad-1730665/) [The-iliad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/the-iliad-187096/) [The-odyssey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/the-odyssey/) [Travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travel/) [Wandering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wandering/) [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/) ## Related quotes > [“They say Alexander the Great slept with 'The Iliad' beneath his pillow. 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True, I’d seen hundreds of full moons in my life, but they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/i-fancied-my-luck-to-be-witnessing-yet-another-full-moon-true-i-d/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [“Homer, in the second book of the Iliad says with fine enthusiasm, "Give me masturbation or give me death." Caesar, in his Commentaries, says,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/homer-in-the-second-book-of-the-iliad-says-with-fine-enthusiasm-give/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“Odysseus, son of Laertes, the great traveller, prince of wiles and tricks and a thousand ways. 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We are the source of evil, so they say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/upon-my-word-just-see-how-mortal-men-always-put-the-blame-on-us-gods/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [“And what if one of the gods does wreck me out on the wine-dark sea? I have a heart that is inured to suffering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/and-what-if-one-of-the-gods-does-wreck-me-out-on-the-wine-dark-sea-i/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [“The gods granted us misery, in jealousy over the thought that we two, always together, should enjoy our youth, and then come to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/the-gods-granted-us-misery-in-jealousy-over-the-thought-that-we-two/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, as it pleases him, for he can do all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/the-lord-gives-and-the-lord-takes-away-as-it-pleases-him-for-he-can/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) ## More by Roman Payne > [“She is my morning, she is my evening; we have a love that blooms over and again, more beautifully each time than the last.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/she-is-my-morning-she-is-my-evening-we-have-a-love-that-blooms-over/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [“Ô, Wanderess, Wanderess When did you feel your most euphoric kiss? 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We kissed and caressed, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/the-green-eyed-angel-came-in-less-than-a-half-hour-and-fell-docile-as/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [“When a Wanderess has been caged, Or perched with her wings clipped, She lives like a Stoic, and lives most heroic, When she smiles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/when-a-wanderess-has-been-caged-or-perched-with-her-wings-clipped-she/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [“Never did the world make a queen of a girl who hides in houses and dreams without traveling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/never-did-the-world-make-a-queen-of-a-girl-who-hides-in-houses-and/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [“Champagne arrived in flûtes on trays, and we emptied them with gladness in our hearts... for when feasts are laid and classical music is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/champagne-arrived-in-fl-tes-on-trays-and-we-emptied-them-with/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [“We look up to see if it is day or night. If stars burn cool and moon does shine, we take to smoke divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/we-look-up-to-see-if-it-is-day-or-night-if-stars-burn-cool-and-moon/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [“We were hooked when we woke. We had arms for each other. But I yearned to resume My dreams of another.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/we-were-hooked-when-we-woke-we-had-arms-for-each-other-but-i-yearned/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [“We made love outdoors Without a roof, I like most, Without stove, to make love, assuming the weather be fair and balmy, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/we-made-love-outdoors-without-a-roof-i-like-most-without-stove-to/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [“I was angry at myself for my inclination to vice. I longed for the day when a state of frenzy would lead my mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/i-was-angry-at-myself-for-my-inclination-to-vice-i-longed-for-the-day/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [“In my experience, when a woman's cruelty is combined with love and devotion, it is almost always without exception an act performed not out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/in-my-experience-when-a-woman-s-cruelty-is-combined-with-love-and/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [“With the need for the self in the time of another / I left my seaport grim and dear / knowing good work could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/with-the-need-for-the-self-in-the-time-of-another-i-left-my-seaport/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [“Coffee, my delight of the morning; yoga, my delight of the noon. Then before nightfall, I run along the pleasant paths of the Jardin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/coffee-my-delight-of-the-morning-yoga-my-delight-of-the-noon-then/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) [Explore all 192 Roman Payne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) ## More Alexander-the-great quotes > [“The mightiest kings have had their minions; Great Alexander loved Hephaestion, The conquering Hercules for Hylas wept; And for Patroclus, stern Achilles drooped. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/the-mightiest-kings-have-had-their-minions-great-alexander-loved/) [Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) > [“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/) > [“He stood between death and life as between night and morning, and thought with a soaring rapture, 'I am not afraid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-renault/he-stood-between-death-and-life-as-between-night-and-morning-and/) [Mary Renault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-renault/) > [“Alexander the Great slept with 'The Iliad' beneath his pillow. During the waning moon, I cradle Homer’s 'Odyssey' as if it were the sweet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/alexander-the-great-slept-with-the-iliad-beneath-his-pillow-during/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [“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/) > [“As to the ancient historians, from Herodotus to Tacitus , we credit them as far as they relate things probable and credible, and no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/as-to-the-ancient-historians-from-herodotus-to-tacitus-we-credit-them/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“Why does Alexander the Great never tell us about the exact location of his tomb, Fermat about his Last Theorem, John Wilkes Booth about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/why-does-alexander-the-great-never-tell-us-about-the-exact-location/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [As king, your desires must be stronger than any other. You must be more magnificent, more easily angered than everyone else! He should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-king-your-desires-must-be-stronger-than-any-other-you-must-be-more/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ “A tomb now suffices him for whom the world was not enough. \[ Alexander's tombstone epitaph \]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/a-tomb-now-suffices-him-for-whom-the-world-was-not-enough-alexander-s/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [“Where he (Alexander) came the inhabitants either accepted him with roses and wine, or fought and were beaten. He preferred the latter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bolitho/where-he-alexander-came-the-inhabitants-either-accepted-him-with/) [William Bolitho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bolitho/) > [“We were not told how Alexander the Great was the last person in history to successfully 'pacify' what would become Afghanistan, over 2,000 years ago.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-wood/we-were-not-told-how-alexander-the-great-was-the-last-person-in/) [Jake Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-wood/) > [“It would change everything, gentlemen. It would shift the entire balance of power in Europe-maybe the world. Alexander conquered half of it. Think what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/it-would-change-everything-gentlemen-it-would-shift-the-entire/) [Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/) > [“If he had wished, he could have annexed Denmark; and ended a thousand years of war and history. But Charles had no weaknesses; now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bolitho/if-he-had-wished-he-could-have-annexed-denmark-and-ended-a-thousand/) [William Bolitho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bolitho/) > [“Alexander could transmit imagination as some other could transmit lust.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-renault/alexander-could-transmit-imagination-as-some-other-could-transmit-lust/) [Mary Renault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-renault/) > [“They say Alexander the Great slept with 'The Iliad' beneath his pillow. Though I have never led an army, I am a wanderer. During…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/they-say-alexander-the-great-slept-with-the-iliad-beneath-his-pillow/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) [Browse all 18 Alexander-the-great quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alexander-the-great/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Alexander the Great slept with 'The Iliad' beneath his pillow. Though I’ve never led an army, I am a wanderer. 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