Historiae Alexandri Magni 9.6.25

9.6.25

Philippus in acie tutior quam in theatro fuit: hostium manus saepe evitavit, suorum effugere non valuit. Aliorum quoque regum exitus si reputaveritis, plures a suis quam ab hoste interemptos numerabitis.

"Philip was safer in the field of fight than in the theatre. He often escaped the hands of his enemies—he could not elude those of his subjects. And if you examine how other kings also came by their end, you can count more that were slain by their own people than by their enemies. But now lastly, since an opportunity has presented itself to me of disclosing a matter which I have for a long time been turning over and over in my mind, I give you to understand that to me the greatest rewards of all my toils and achievements will be this, that my mother Olympias shall be deified as soon as she departs this life. If I be spared, I shall myself discharge that duty, but if death anticipate me, bear in memory that I have entrusted this office to you." With these words he dismissed his friends; but for a good many days he remained in the same encampment.