Philip II of Macedon was a formidable military strategist and ruler who played a key role in the history of ancient Greece. He was born in Pella, the capital of Macedon, in 382 BCE, the son of King Amyntas III and Eurydice I.
Philip's early years were marked by political instability and conflict in Macedon. His father was assassinated when Philip was a boy, and his mother and brother were later killed by a rival faction. Despite these challenges, Philip managed to rise to power and become king of Macedon in 359 BCE, at the age of twenty-three.
One of Philip's first major accomplishments as king was the unification of the various factions and tribes within Macedon. He accomplished this through a combination of military force and diplomacy, and by establishing a strong central government. He also modernized the Macedonian army, introducing new weapons and tactics that would make it one of the most formidable forces in the ancient world.
In addition to his military and political accomplishments, Philip was also a patron of the arts and sciences. He supported the philosopher Aristotle, who tutored his son Alexander the Great, and he built a number of impressive public works, including a theater and a palace.
Philip's most significant achievement, however, was his expansion of Macedonian territory. He conquered a number of neighboring territories, including Thrace and Illyria, and established Macedon as a major power in the region. He also formed the League of Corinth, a military alliance of Greek city-states that would eventually be led by his son Alexander.
Philip's expansionist ambitions ultimately led to his downfall. In 336 BCE, he was assassinated at the wedding of his daughter, Cleopatra. Despite his untimely death, Philip's legacy lived on through his son Alexander, who would go on to conquer much of the known world and become one of the greatest military leaders in history.
In conclusion, Philip II of Macedon was a complex and multifaceted figure who played a significant role in shaping the history of ancient Greece. His military and political acumen, as well as his support for the arts and sciences, made him a formidable ruler who left a lasting impact on his time and beyond.
Philip II of Macedon: History, Facts & Accomplishments
He combined his military maneuvers with sound diplomacy. He says that "once joined, the battle was hotly contested for a long time and many fell on both sides, so that for a while the struggle permitted hopes of victory to both. Although Diodorus says that Philip defeated the new tyrants, Buckler considers it more likely that Philip's appearance on the scene allowed the Aleuadae to negotiate a peace settlement with Pherae from a position of greater strength. To appease the young Amyntas, Philip married him off to his daughter Cynane. The sarisa, which replaced the dory a relatively shorter spear that was used by the hoplites , proved to be an extremely lethal weapon in battle. Philip laid Lakonia waste as far south as Gytheion and formally deprived Sparta of Dentheliatis and apparently the territory on the Messenian Gulf as far as the Little Pamisos river , Belminatis, the territory of Karyai and the east Parnon foreland. Although his troops were tired after the battle, it was still unusual from a military point of view for the Macedonians not to pursue the enemy after Chaeronea, allowing them to retreat southward.
Expansion of Macedonia under Philip II
The invading troops led by Alexander were outnumbered more than 2:1, yet they defeated the army personally led by Darius III of Achaemenid Persia. At Corinth in late 338 BC, delegates from the cities met to swear an oath of loyalty to the Macedonian king. When news of the revolts in Greece reached Alexander, he responded quickly. According to Greek polymath Aristotle, Philip II was killed because the assassin, Pausanias, had a bone to pick with Attalus, the uncle-in-law of Philip II. Justini historiæPhilippicæ: Cum versionse anglica, ad verbum, quantum fieri potuit, facta, or, The history of Justin; with an English translation, as literal as possible. Thessalian cavalry was the best in Greece, and the mountainous country surrounding Thessaly supplied numerous peltasts.
Was Philip the second the king of Macedonia?
This they did despite the realization among at least some of their statesmen that only a united Greece could conquer Persia to retaliate for past indignities. It was most useful in keeping the enemy at a distance. Before Perdicas left to battle the Illyrians, he assigned Philip to govern his newborn son, Amyntas IV. He is also famed for instilling in the troops a lot of discipline and courage. Philip drank too much and behaved rowdily, but he was a more than competent commander, with the help of his best general, Parmenio. An important change that Philip introduced was the Macedonian phalanx, which was a formation composed of 256-foot soldiers all carrying a sarissa, a spear that measured up to 6 meters long and later became commonly used by the Macedonian army. However, the resistance was useless, and the city was captured and then razed to the ground, and its territory was divided between the other Boeotian cities.