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Alexander visits Diogenes

c. 336 BCE, Craneion, Corinth. As Plutarch tells it, centuries later.

Where and when

c. 336 BCECraneion, Corinth

about 2,361 years ago

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Alexander

, Craneion, CorinthAs Plutarch tells it, centuries later

In plain words, ours

Alexander came to see Diogenes, who was lying in the sun, greeted him, and asked if he wanted anything.

Alexander went in person to see him; and he found him lying in the sun. Diogenes raised himself up a little when he saw so many persons coming towards him, and fixed his eyes upon Alexander. And when that monarch addressed him with greetings, and asked if he wanted anything,

Plutarch, Life of Alexander 14.2Translated by Bernadotte Perrin (1919)Read the full passage (Plutarch, Life of Alexander 14.2, opens scaife.perseus.org)

Answered by Diogenes, c. 336 BCE

What was going on, our summary

As Plutarch tells it, centuries later, the Greeks had just met at the Isthmus and named Alexander leader of a war against Persia. Statesmen and philosophers came to congratulate him, but Diogenes, staying in Corinth, ignored him, so Alexander went to see him in person.

Checked claim by claim against: the passage around the quote.

Why it matters

Alexander's encounter with Diogenes, during his stay in Corinth, became famous.

Based on Wikipedia: Alexander the Great

The famous encounter between Alexander and Diogenes the Cynic occurred during Alexander's stay in Corinth.

Wikipedia, Alexander the Great (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-10-03. Text CC BY-SA 4.0. Our line is checked against these sentences only.

Related moments

In time order, with this one in its place. Each says why it is here.

  1. c. 350–336 BCEDuring it Young Alexander on his father's victories More from Alexander
  2. 338 BCEabout 2 years earlier Philip of Macedon defeats Athens and Thebes at Chaeronea Same years
  3. 336 BCEAbout the same year Alexander becomes king of Macedon at twenty Same years
  4. c. 336 BCEThis momentAlexander visits Diogenes
  5. c. 336 BCEAbout the same year Alexander on being Diogenes Same passageMore from Alexander
  6. c. 336 BCEAbout the same year Diogenes asks Alexander to step out of his sun Answered by DiogenesSame passageAlso in Corinth
  7. 335/334 BCE1 year later Aristotle opens his school at the Lyceum Same years
  8. 334–323 BCEabout 7 years later Alexander writes to Aristotle More from Alexander
  9. c. 324–321 BCEabout 13 years later Diogenes the Cynic dies in Corinth Also in Corinth

Just before and after

The text around the quote, word for word from the same translation.

Show the passageHide the passage

And there was not a Theban of those that survived who afterwards came to him with any request and did not get what he wanted from him. Thus much concerning Thebes. And now a general assembly of the Greeks was held at the Isthmus, where a vote was passed to make an expedition against Persia with Alexander, and he was proclaimed their leader. Thereupon many statesmen and philosophers came to him with their congratulations, and he expected that Diogenes of Sinope also, who was tarrying in Corinth, would do likewise. But since that philosopher took not the slightest notice of Alexander, and continued to enjoy his leisure in the suburb Craneion,

The quote: Alexander went in person to see him; and he found him lying in the sun. Diogenes raised himself up a little when he saw so many persons coming towards him, and fixed his eyes upon Alexander. And when that monarch addressed him with greetings, and asked if he wanted anything,

Yes, said Diogenes, stand a little out of my sun. It is said that Alexander was so struck by this, and admired so much the haughtiness and grandeur of the man who had nothing but scorn for him, that he said to his followers, who were laughing and jesting about the philosopher as they went away, But verily, if I were not Alexander, I would be Diogenes.

Plutarch, Life of Alexander 13.3–14.3Translated by Bernadotte Perrin (1919)Read the full passage (opens scaife.perseus.org)

When, and whose words

Date
c. 336 BCE. Plutarch places it at Corinth just after the Greeks chose Alexander as leader against Persia (336/335 BCE); he wrote about 400 years later.
Whose words
As Plutarch tells it, centuries later.
How this post was checked
  • The plain-words line was read against the quote alone by a second, independent pass, which found it adds no claim the quote does not make (2026-10-03).
  • Each claim in the summary was checked by an independent pass against only the material it cites.
  • The quote itself is checked by the build: word for word, once, at the cited section of the stored translation.

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