Tracking down a quote

[marcus]

I am a busy boy at the moment, aren't I? As I'm going away for a week tomorrow (not holiday, unfortunately), and won't have Internet access, I'm trying to tie up as many loose ends as possible.Anyway, on Wednesday I got a lovely "History of Greece", published in 1845. Under the birth of Alexander it has a quote, supposedly of a letter of Philip to Aristotle: "Know that a son is born to us. We thank the gods not so much for their gift, as for bestowing it at a time when Aristotle lives. We assure ourselves that you will form him a prince worthy of his father, and worthy of Macedon." Anyone know where that (surely apocryphal) quote comes from? In typical 19th century style, citations aren't given, because it was probably understood that every educated person had read the entire corpus of Classical literature, in the original Latin or Greek, by the age of 3! :-)All the bestMarcus

[azara]

Dear Marcus, I have a faint recollection of having read that quote in Droysen's "Alexander the Great", which I read when I was fifteen and was developing a big crush on Alexander. That book has gone who knows where; I could look for it in a library, hoping I remember right and (more important)
old Droysen has bothered to indicate the source. With my best regards Alessandra

[azara]

Eureka! It is Aulus Gellius, the Attic Nights, IX. I found this information in "Alexandre le Grand" by Roger Caratini (Hachette, Paris 1999). All the best Azara

[marcus]

Thanks, Azara. I've just seen your reply, now that I'm back online! I've found the quote in Gellius now.All the bestMarcus