I had rather excel others in the knowledge of what is excellent, than in the extent of my power and dominion.

The saying contrasts two kinds of “excellence”: external supremacy (power, dominion, conquest) versus internal supremacy (wisdom and discernment about what is truly good). Attributed to Alexander, it functions as a moralizing portrait of the ideal ruler—one who values philosophical understanding above mere expansion of empire. In quotation tradition, it is often used to suggest that genuine greatness lies in ethical and intellectual refinement rather than in coercive authority. Even if the attribution is uncertain, the sentiment aligns with a classical topos: the best leader is guided by knowledge of the good, not by appetite for rule.