His mother Olympias was of a haughty and imperious
temper, and she quarreled with her husband, King Philip; or, perhaps,
it ought rather to be said that he quarreled with her. Each is said
to have been unfaithful to the other, and, after a bitter contention,
Philip repudiated his wife and married another lady. Among the
festivities held on the occasion of this marriage, there was a great
banquet, at which Alexander was present, and an incident occurred
which strikingly illustrates the impetuosity of his character.

One of the guests at this banquet, in saying something complimentary
to the new queen, made use of expressions which Alexander considered
as in disparagement of the character of his mother and of his own
birth. His anger was immediately aroused. He threw the cup from which
he had been drinking at the offender's head. Attalus, for this was his
name, threw his cup at Alexander in return; the guests at the table
where they were sitting rose, and a scene of uproar and confusion
ensued.

Philip, incensed at such an interruption of the order and harmony of
the wedding feast, drew his sword and rushed toward Alexander but by
some accident he stumbled and fell upon the floor. Alexander looked
upon his fallen father with contempt and scorn, and exclaimed, "What a
fine hero the states of Greece have to lead their armies--a man that
can not get across the floor without tumbling down." He then turned
away and left the palace. Immediately afterward he joined his mother
Olympias, and went away with her to her native country, Epirus, where
the mother and son remained for a time in a state of open quarrel with
the husband and father.

In the mean time Philip had been planning a great expedition into
Asia. He had arranged the affairs of his own kingdom, and had formed a
strong combination among the states of Greece, by which powerful
armies had been raised, and he had been designated to command them.
His mind was very intently engaged in this vast enterprise. He was in
the flower of his years, and at the height of his power. His own
kingdom was in a very prosperous and thriving condition, and his
ascendency over the other kingdoms and states on the European side had
been fully established. He was excited with ambition, and full of
hope. He was proud of his son Alexander, and was relying upon his
efficient aid in his schemes of conquest and aggrandizement. He had
married a youthful and beautiful bride, and was surrounded by