Regum et imperatorum apophthegmata

While he was hearing the case of Machaetas, he was near falling asleep, and did not give full attention to the rights of the case, but decided against Machaetas. And when Machaetas exclaimed that he appealed from the decision, Philip, thoroughly enraged, said, To whom ? And Machaetas replied, To you yourself, Your Majesty, if you will listen awake and attentive. At the time Philip merely ended the sitting, but when he had gained more control of himself and realized that Machaetas was treated unfairly, he did not reverse his decision, but satisfied the judgement with his own money. [*](Of an old woman in Stobaeus, Florilegium, xiii. 29 (quoted from Serenus) and Valerius Maximus, vi. 2, ext. 1; in the latter place is the more familiar appeal from Philip drunk to Philip sober. )

When Harpalus, acting in behalf of his kinsman and intimate friend Crates, who was under condemnation for wrongdoing, proposed as a fair solution that Crates should pay the fine, but be absolved from the adverse judgement so that he should not be subject to reproach, Philip said, It is better that the man himself, rather than that we because of him, should be ill spoken of.

When his friends were indignant because the people of the Peloponnesus hissed him at the Olympic games, although they had been treated well, he said, Well, what if they should be treated ill! [*](Cf. Moralia, 143 F and 457 F. A similar remark of Pausanias is quoted in Moralia, 230 D.)

Once on a campaign he slept for an unusually long time, and later, when he arose, he said, I slept safely, for Antipater was awake. [*](Cf. Athenaeus, p. 435 D.)

On another occasion when he was asleep in the

When he desired to correct a harp-player at dinner, and to discuss the playing of this instrument, the harp-player said, God forbid, Your Majesty, that you should ever fall so low as to have a better knowledge of these matters than I. [*](The story is found also in Moralia, 67 F, 334 D, and 634 D.)

At a time when he was at odds with Olympias, his wife, and with his son, Demaratus of Corinth arrived, and Philip inquired of him how the Greeks were feeling towards one another. And Demaratus said, Much right have you to talk about the harmony of the Greeks when the dearest of your own household feel so towards you ! Philip, taking the thought to heart, ceased from his anger, and became reconciled with them. [*](Cf. Moralia, 70 B (which omits the conclusion) and Plutarch’s Life of Alexander, chap. ix. (669 C).)

When a poor old woman insisted that her case should be heard before him, and often caused him annoyance, he said he had no time to spare, whereupon she burst out, Then give up being king. Philip, amazed at her words, proceeded at once to hear not only her case but those of the others. [*](The story is told also in Plutarch’s Life of Demetrius, chap. xlii. (909 C). Stobaeus, Florilegium, xiii. 28, quotes Serenus, who states that a peasant made this remark to Antipater.)

While Alexander was still a boy and Philip was winning many successes, he was not glad, but said to [*]( d The story is told also in Plutarch’s Life of Demetrius, chap. xiii. (909 c). Stobaeus, Florilegium, xiii. 28, quotes Serenus, who states that a peasant made this remark to Anitpater. e Alexander the Great, born 356, king of Macedon 336323 B.C. )

Being nimble and swift of foot, he was urged by his father to run in the foot-race at the Olympic games. Yes, I would run, said he, if I were to have kings as competitors. [*](Cf. Moralia, 331 B, and Plutarch’s Life of Alexander, chap. iv. (666 D).)

A girl was brought to him late in the evening with the intent that she should spend the night with him, and he asked her, Why at this time ? She replied, I had to wait to get my husband to go to bed ; whereupon Alexander bitterly rebuked his servants, since, owing to them, he had so narrowly escaped becoming an adulterer.

On a time when he was offering incense to the gods with lavish hand, and often taking up handfuls of the frankincense, Leonidas, who had been his attendant in boyhood, happening to be present, said, My boy, you may offer incense thus lavishly when you have made yourself master of the land that bears it. And so, when Alexander had become master of it, he sent a letter to Leonidas: I have sent to you a half-ton of frankincense and cassia, so that you may never again count any petty cost in dealing with the gods, since you know that we are now masters of the land that bears these fragrant things. [*](Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Alexander, chap. xxv. (679 C); Pliny, Natural History, xii. 32 (62). )

Just before he fought the battle at Granicus he urged the Macedonians to eat without stint, and to bring out all they had, since on the morrow they should dine from the enemy’s stores.

When Perillus, one of his friends, asked him for dowry for his girls, Alexander bade him accept ten thousand pounds. He said that two thousand would be enough; but Alexander said, Enough for you to accept, but not enough for me to give. [*](Stories of this type about kings have long been popular and often repeated.)