Philip II of Macedonia

The 18th king of Macedonia, Philip II, was born in 382 BCE in Northern Macedonia. Many people know Philip as the father of Alexander the Great, however he was much more. His many achievements and strategic brilliance united Greece and lifted the Macedonian kingdom from obscurity to a dominant regional power . He was no ordinary ruler, as he inherited a weak, backward country with an ineffective, undisciplined army and molded them into a formidable, efficient military force, eventually subduing the territories around Macedonia as well as subjugating most of Greece (AHE). 

Philip was born to Amyntas III of Macedon and Eurydice I of Macedon. In his boyhood, Philip witnessed the disintegration of the Macedonian kingdom, and he even spent some time (probably 369–367) as hostage in Epaminondas' Thebes (OCD). His older brothers, Alexander II and Perdiccas III, each ruled for a brief period but were unable to suppress the rebellion of regional vassal princes, fend off interference from the powerful Greek city-state of Thebes, or stop invasions by the Illyrians along the northwest frontier (AHE). Philip unexpectedly came to the throne following the death of Perdiccas in an Illyrian invasion. Once he came to power he redefined what it meant to be a king. 

When Perdiccas was killed in 359, the Illyrians were on the brink of victory over Macedonia. Philip set his priorities and was able to defeat the Illyrians completely in 358 (Ellis pg. 24). This suggests Philip was a master of war. His next conquest was to recapture Amphipolis, which was the key to securing the eastern frontier and having access to Thrace. This war with Athens lasted for 10 years and revealed that the Athenians were no match for the military power of Macedonia. The first clear achievement of Philip in this area was his substantial expansion of the army. He is also credited with the introduction of the sarissa, a long stabbing-spear that had the significant advantage of reaching over the much shorter spears of the opposition (Ellis pg. 53) and increased the killing power of his troops. Another key achievement in Philip's later reign was the establishment of an efficient administrative system to manage his ever expanding territories. He strengthened the economy by exploiting natural resources, including gold mines in Thrace, which provided the wealth necessary to fund his military campaigns (Ellis pg. 92).

One of Philips major victories was the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BCE. Formed shortly after his victory at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338, the League of Corinth was formed. This was a political and military alliance that secured Philip's influence over Greece, and provided him with the backing needed for his planned invasion of the Persian Empire (Hammond, pg. 140-143). 

Philip was polygamous, as he married with ‘war in mind’. He typically married members of a foreign dynasty to enhance his status. His wives were all queens, and his children by them were all princes and princesses (Hammond pg. 40). His most famous marriage with Olympias produced his heir Alexander. However Philip later sought a more suitable wife, Cleopatra, who was a ranking virgin of citizen birth (Hammond, pg. 172-173). This ignited tension within the family, specifically with Olympias, with Alexander sided with her. 

In 336 BCE, Philip arranged the great Macedonian festival in October in Aegeae. He was accompanied by 7 bodyguards. While Philip was greeting the crowd, one of his bodyguards, Pausanias, sprang forwards and assassinated him (Hammond pg. 176). Philip's reign had finally come to an end. However, he had played the groundwork which ensured his son Alexander inherited a powerful kingdom and a well-trained army. Greece, now unified, was ready for the conquests that would follow.

Figure 2: https://www.worldhistory.org/Philip_II_of_Macedon/