IX.  When Philip was besieging Byzantium he left to Alexander, who was then only sixteen years old, the sole charge of the administration of the kingdom of Macedonia, confirming his authority by entrusting to him his own signet.[401] He defeated and subdued the Maedian[402] rebels, took their city, ejected its barbarian inhabitants, and reconstituted it as a Grecian colony, to which he gave the name of Alexandropolis.

He was present at the battle against the Greeks at Chaeronea, and it is said to have been the first to charge the Sacred Band of the Thebans.  Even in my own time, an old oak tree used to be pointed out, near the river Kephissus,[403] which was called Alexander’s oak, because his tent was pitched beside it.  It stands not far from the place where the Macedonian corpses were buried after the battle.  Philip, as we may imagine, was overjoyed at these proofs of his son’s courage and skill, and nothing pleased him more than to hear the Macedonians call Alexander their king, and himself their general.  Soon, however, the domestic dissensions produced by Philip’s amours and marriages caused an estrangement between them, and the breach was widened by Olympias, a jealous and revengeful woman, who incensed Alexander against his father.  But what especially moved Alexander was the conduct of Attalus at the marriage feast of his niece Kleopatra.  Philip, who was now too old for marriage, had become enamoured of this girl, and after the wedding, Attalus in his cups called upon the Macedonians to pray to the gods that from the union of Philip and Kleopatra might be born a legitimate heir to the throne.

Enraged at these words, Alexander exclaimed, “You villain, am I then a bastard?” and threw a drinking cup at him.  Philip, seeing this, rose and drew his sword to attack Alexander; but fortunately for both he was so excited by drink and rage that he missed his footing and fell headlong to the ground.  Hereupon Alexander mocking him observed, “This is the man who was preparing to cross from Europe to Asia, and has been overthrown in passing from one couch[404] to another.”

After this disgraceful scene, Alexander, with his mother Olympias, retired into Epirus, where he left her, and proceeded to the country of the Illyrians.  About the same time Demaratus of Corinth, an old friend of the family, and privileged to speak his mind freely, came on a visit to Philip.  After the first greetings were over, Philip enquired whether the states of Greece agreed well together.  “Truly, King Philip,” answered Demaratus, “it well becomes you to show an interest in the agreement of the Greeks, after you have raised such violent quarrels in your own family.”

These words had such an effect upon Philip that Demaratus was able to prevail upon him to make his peace with Alexander and to induce him to return.