quote that doesn't fit

[Franx]

"My son,look for yourself another kingdom, Macedonia is too small for you!" That's quote from your archive of articles sounds quite strange, for that Philip could say it to his son only before 337, when he decided to marry Attalus's daughter (or niece) Cleopatra, so that his heir shall not be Alexander anymore, and force Alexander, who was 19/20, and Olympias upset to take refuge to Alexander king of Epirus!The only great exploit of Alexander till now (337) was the Cheronea's battle. So why should Philip have sayed such a sentence to a son who was too young, who fight just once in a battle, and who never express his POTHOS before!?

[susan]

I beleive it was said when Alexander was about 12, when he tamed Bucephalos. But I think that Philip was probably very proud of Alexander even if they annoyed each other - it was unlikely that he would produce a better heir. Philip was the big man of his day - to acknowledge that Alexander might be a bigger man was no doubt a difficult thing to say, and as such must show immense paternal pride evem if their relationship got harder later. I don't think that Philip really saw a son by Cleopatra as supplanting Alexander even if her relatives did, it was just a way of keeping Alexander on his toes and stopping him taking too much for granted.

[Nicator]

The interesting thing here is that Alexander was surrounded by so many illegitimate heirs to the throne already. The danger now was that Cleopatra was full blooded Macedonian, and of a high ranking family. Any son produced by this coupling would certainly be a rival for Alexander, himself only a half-breed.Another interesting sideline to this storyline is the psychology of Alexander later on in life. His father's many bastards may have been in the back of his mind when the decision to forego taking a wife and producing his own heirs came up.later Nicator

[davej]

Ciao Franco,The quote you have raise as far as I am aware was only recorded by Plt. Life of Alexander Ch8. In English "My boy, you must find a kingdom big enough for you ambitions. Macedonia is too small for you". Sorry to be snotty but it makes more sense this way. I respect anybody who speaks several languages, I excausted my Italian in my greeting. I do not believe that Philip ever said it, it is supposed to have occured when Alexander was under 13 years old pre Aristotle. Plutarch I think is guilty of a little Post hoc ergo proctor hoc reasoning. He admits fairly freely that in recording Biographies that he is trying to sum up the persons character. This event fits nicely with the quote about Caeser weeping in spain when he saw Alesandro's statue and consider that up to that point he had done nothing. I am sure some will disagree. PS. For the record in my opinion it may not fit but it does work. It seems the kind of thing Philip may say.

[marcus]

In general I agree with you, Dave. I'm not so sure that Philip *actually* said it... but it is a good story for Plutarch to use.Medieval hagiographers used to do exactly the same thing as Plutarch (which makes sense as they were writing Plutarchian biography). It was less important that the stories they told about the saints were true, than that they provided an example of the subject's piety - preferably including miracles during their childhood that would presage those of their later lives.All the bestMarcus

[Franx]

Hi guys!
I think that the trouble about who was the heir of the Macedonian throne, had as involved Alexander to sways him in the killing of the little sister Europa still in cradle! Yet i donGÇÖt remember, and i didnGÇÖt find the information i was looking for, what PhilipGÇÖs wife was Europa daughter of! However if Alexander killed him, several problems for the succession began to occur after PhilipGÇÖs assasination!(so that i canGÇÖt help thinking that we should look at him as an acomplice of his own fatherGÇÖs death, but thatGÇÖs another problem).
Back to the quote...to tell the truth, Dave,i agree perfectly with you! I think that a sentence like this could never be told by Philip when Alexander was just 12/13, indeed it has all the GÇ£flavourGÇ¥ of propaganda, or rather it seems one of that many legends what gravitate around a legendary figure, a myth, as Alexander became immediatly after his death (like other tales on the Macedon as the green and the dark eyes, or the Gordian knot, too)...as you told, post-hoc events!
Ciao ragazzi!