Regum et imperatorum apophthegmata

On a time when many prisoners had been taken, Philip was overseeing their sale, sitting with his tunic pulled up in an unseemly way. So one of the men who were being sold cried out, Spare me, Philip, for I am a friend of your father’s. And when Philip askeds Where, sirrah, and how carne you to be such ? the man said, I wish to tell you privately, if I may come near you. And when he

Once when he was on the march, and was invited to dinner by a man of the land, he took a good many persons with him; and when he saw that his host was much perturbed, since the preparations that had been made were inadequate, he sent word in advance to each of his friends , and told them to leave room for cake. They took his advice and, expecting more to follow, did not eat much, and thus there was enough for all. [*](The story is repeated in Moralia, 123 D and 707 B.)

When Hipparchus of Euboea died, [*](Hipparchus, with two others, was set up by Philip as tyrant in Eretria about 343 B.C. See Demosthenes, Oration, ix. 58 (p. 125), and Oration xviii. 295 (p. 324).) it was plain that Philip took it much to heart; and when somebody remarked, But, as a matter of fact, his death has come in fullness of time, Philip said, Yes, in fullness of time for him, it is true, but swiftly for me, for he came to his end too soon to receive from me, as he ought, favours worthy of our friendship.

Learning that Alexander complained against him because he was having children by other women besides his wife, he said, Well then, if you have many competitors for the kingdom, prove yourself honourable and good, so that you may obtain the kingdom not because of me, but because of yourself. He bade Alexander give heed to Aristotle, and study philosophy, so that, as he said, you may not do a great many things of the sort that I am sorry to have done. [*](Cf. Plutarch’s Life of Alexander, chap. ix. (669 A).)

He appointed one of Antipater’s friends to the position of judge, but later, on learning that the man dyed his beard and hair, he removed him, at the same [*]( )

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. )