Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/539

KLEOPATRA AND OLYMPiAS. 513 whom was Kleopatra, niece of the Macedonian Attalus. It was at her instance that he is said to have repudiated Olympian ; who retired to her brother Alexander of Epirus. 1 This step provoked violent dissensions among the partisans of the two queens, and even between Philip and his son Alexander, who expressed a strong resentment at the repudiation of his mother. Amidst the intoxication of the marriage banquet, Attalus proposed a toast and prayer, that there might speedily appear a legitimate son, from Philip and Kleopatra, to succeed to the Macedonian throne. Upon which Alexander exclaimed in wrath " Do you then pro- claim me as a bastard ? " at the same time hurling a goblet at him. Incensed at this proceeding, Philip started up, drew his sword, and made furiously at his son ; but fell to the ground from passion and intoxication. This accident alone preserved the life of Alexander ; who retorted " Here is a man, preparing to cross from Europe into Asia who yet cannot step surely from one couch to another.^" After this violent quarrel the father and son separated. Alexander conducted his mother into Epirus, and then went himself to the Illyrian king. Some months afterwards, at the instance of the Corinthian Demaratus, Philip sent for him back, and became reconciled to him ; but another cause of dis- pleasure soon arose, because Alexander had opened a negotiation tor marriage with the daughter of the satrap of Karia. Reject- ing such an alliance as unworthy, Philip sharply reproved his son, and banished from Macedonia several courtiers whom he suspect- ed as intimate with Alexander; 3 while the friends of Attalus stood high in favor. Such were the animosities distracting the court and family of Philip. A son had just been born to him from his new wife Kle- opatra. 4 His expedition against Persia, resolved and prepared 1 Athenseus, xiii. p. 557 ; Justin, ix. 7. 8 Plutarch, Alexand. c. 9 ; Justin, ix. 7 ; Diodor. xvi. 91-93. 3 Plutarch, Alexand. c. 10 ; Arrian, iii. 6, 5. .HJF/I 4 Pausanias (viii. 7, 5) mentions a son boriHo Philip by Kleopatra; Dio- dorus (xvii. 2) also notices a son. Justin in one place (ix. 7) mentions a daughter, and in another place (xi. 2) a son named Caranus. Satyrus (ap Athenaeum, xiii. p. 557 ) states that a daughter named Europe was born tc him by Kleopatra. It appears that the son was born only a short time before the last festive