at
the plan of assassinating Philip was devised in Greece; that
Demosthenes was a party to it; that Pausanias was the agent for
carrying it into execution; and that Demosthenes was so confident of
the success of the plot, and exulted so much in this certainty, that
he could not resist the temptation of thus anticipating its
announcement.

There were other persons who thought that the _Persians_ had plotted
and accomplished this murder, having induced Pausanias to execute the
deed by the promise of great rewards. As Pausanias himself, however,
had been instantly killed, there was no opportunity of gaining any
information from him on the motives of his conduct, even if he would
have been disposed to impart any.

At all events, Alexander found himself suddenly elevated to one of the
most conspicuous positions in the whole political world. It was not
simply that he succeeded to the throne of Macedon; even this would
have been a lofty position for so young a man; but Macedon was a very
small part of the realm over which Philip had extended his power. The
ascendency which he had acquired over the whole Grecian empire, and
the vast arrangements he had made for an incursion into Asia, made
Alexander the object of universal interest and attention. The question
was, whether Alexander should attempt to take his father's place in
respect to all this general power, and undertake to sustain and carry
on his vast projects, or whether he should content himself with
ruling, in quiet, over his native country of Macedon.

Most prudent persons would have advised a young prince, under such
circumstances, to have decided upon the latter course. But Alexander
had no idea of bounding his ambition by any such limits. He resolved
to spring at once completely into his father's seat, and not only to
possess himself of the whole of the power which his father had
acquired, but to commence, immediately, the most energetic and
vigorous efforts for a great extension of it.

His first plan was to punish his father's murderers. He caused the
circumstances of the case to be investigated, and the persons
suspected of having been connected with Pausanias in the plot to be
tried. Although the designs and motives of the murderers could never
be fully ascertained, still several persons were found guilty of
participating in it, and were condemned to death and publicly
executed.

Alexander next decided not to make any change in his father's
appointments