ThequarrelbetweenAlexandertheGreatandDarius,thePersianking,originatedinAlexander'srefusingtopaythetributeofgoldeneggstowhichhisfatherhadagreed.DariussenttoAlexander'scourtanambassador,whodeliveredtoAlexanderabat,aball,andabagofverysmallseed.ThebatandballweremeanttothrowaridiculeonAlexander'syouth,beingfitamusementforhisage,thebagofseedwasanemblemofthePersianarmy,beinginnumerable.
Alexanderorderedafowltobebrought.Hetookthebatandballintohishands,andsaid,"Thisistheemblemofmypower,withwhichIstriketheballofyourmonarch'sdominion,andthisfowlwillshowyouwhatamorselyourarmywillprovetomine."Theseedwasinstantlyeatenup;andAlexandergaveawildmelontotheambassador,thetasteofwhich,hesaid,wouldenableDariustojudgeofthebitterfarewhichawaitedhim.
亞歷山大大帝和波斯王大流士不睦的原因，是亞歷山大不肯遵守父親的諾言，向大流士貢獻金蛋。大流士遣使到亞歷山大殿上，送他一根球棒、一個球、一袋微小種子。送球和球棒，是諷刺亞歷山大年輕，正好拿這兩件東西玩耍；而那袋種子，則象徵不可勝數的波斯軍隊。
亞歷山大叫人拿一隻雞來。他把球和球棒拿在手中，說：「這是我權力的象徵。我會和打球一樣，打擊貴國君主的版圖；而這隻雞，會教你看到貴國軍隊和我軍相比，微不足道。」那隻雞片刻就把種子啄盡。亞歷山大還給那使者一個野瓜，說大流士可憑這野瓜的滋味，領略將要嘗到的苦頭。