The tale tells that as he entered Macedon he found the town at feast, and his father at his high table; but another woman sat in the seat of the queen, for Philip had put away Olympias, as the seers had told her years before. So Alexander bowed him down meekly in seeming, and said, “Father, I pray thee receive the fruits of my first victory ere I go hence to the wedding.” “And whose wedding dost thou go to?” said the king. “To my mother’s,” said he, “for I will marry her to some noble king, and I will make him the greatest king on earth, for it likes me not to stay here while she is in disgrace, and I know not for what.” Then Philip grew white with wrath, but one Lysias, a knight at the table, said, “O king, heed not his talk, for this fair queen shall bring thee a son greater than him.” Turning to him, Alexander with his truncheon struck him a blow so that he fell dead to the ground, and men said that in truth he had deserved it; but Philip started up at the deed, and snatching a blade rushed on Alexander, aiming a fierce blow at him, for the gods had blinded his eyes so that he knew not wisdom from folly, or right-doing from wrong. But as he came on, his feet failed him, and ere he reached Alexander the king staggered, stumbled, and fell to the ground, though no man saw cause for it. Then Alexander laughed out loud, and said, “Does the Governor of Greece fear one youth? What ails thee to fall?” and he struck over the tables of the feast, and dragging the bride out of the hall by her hair he brought her to his mother, for his heart was full of wrath at the wrong done to her, while Philip was carried away stricken with sore sickness. Thus was his mother avenged, and the marriage feast disturbed.
But when Alexander’s wrath cooled it came into his heart to make peace between Philip and his mother, and rising up he went to the bed of Philip, and there he spoke words as a friend might speak, and the gods put in the king’s heart to forgive the death of Lysias, and to reconcile him to his wife; and so the king rose up, and leaning on Alexander’s shoulder, went with him to Olympias, and there he took her in his arms and kissed her, and forgave all her faults, and she was made queen again, and reigned in Macedon to her life’s end.
CHAPTER IV. TELLS OF THE EMBASSY OF DARIUS, OF THE DEATH OF PHILIP, AND THE CROWNING OF ALEXANDER.
The tale tells that on a day men told in Macedon that an embassy from the Emperor of the World, Darius of Persia, was drawing near; and the whole city came out, men, women, and children, to see them enter. But there was doubt and fear in the court of Philip, for they were coming to demand from him the tribute which he had not paid for the last three years, and the king had made up his mind to be no more subject to the Persians, and Alexander had sworn to conquer them in war if his father would raise an army against them, but Philip would not, for he knew that no man could count the armies of Darius, spent he his whole life to that end.
And so the heralds came riding up to the gate of the town mounted on their high steeds, and there were three of them, and each of them was a king, and wore armour of proof. On each man’s head was a golden crown, and their pages bore before them their helmets. The herald who was on the right wore bright silver armour; his surcoat was dark green, and on it was worked a fierce tiger rushing on his prey, and he was the herald of Media. The herald riding on the left wore black armour from head to foot, and his surcoat was of scarlet, and on it was a wild boar turning to face his foe, and this was the herald of Persia. But the herald in the middle was clad from head to foot in bright gold, and his surcoat was of a deep clear blue, and on it shone the sun high over all the world, and all men shouted when they saw him, for he was a head taller than common men, and he was the herald of the Emperor of the World.
When they reached the gate the trumpeters blew three long calls on their trumpets with a silence between each, and the drawbridge, which had been raised, slowly fell, and the great gate of the city opened, and the herald of the King of Macedon came forth and greeted them fair, and offered them rest and hostage till such time as they should see the king. But they said, “O dear brother and friend, it is not fitting that we eat or drink in this town till we have done the errand of our lord, or till we know whether we harbour with friends and servants, or with foes and traitors of the Master of the World. Wherefore we pray you, dear brother, that you will lead us to the hall of your prince that we may do our errand, not doubting that after it we shall be beholden to your love for rest and comfort.” So the heralds dismounted, and their men remained without with their horses, while they went into the town and through the streets up to the palace hall of Philip.
Now the king was sitting on his throne under the daïs at the upper end of the hall, and on his right hand sat the noble Alexander, and round the king on his right and his left were the nobles of the land, greybeards and youth. And when the coming of the heralds was told them the king rose from his seat, and as they stepped forward so did he, and he came to the middle of the hall and three steps further, for all men did reverence in those days to the herald. And he greeted them, and on the neck of each man he threw a chain of gold, and much he praised them for their fame. But the heralds spoke and said, “O king, we have a message for thee, nor may we delay.” And he said, “Speak on.”