Philip II of Macedon - Founder of the Greek Kingdom

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Philip II of Macedon was the king of Macedon (an Ancient Greek kingdom) who remained the king from 359 BC to 336 BC till his death. He was the first Greek ruler who defeated all the opposing Greek city-states and founded a united Greek kingdom to fight against the Persian Empire. Later, his son Alexander III (Alexander the Great) defeated the Persians with the help of the united Greek troops and founded the Hellenistic civilization. 

Early Life

Philip II was born in 383 BC in Pella (Macedon). He was the youngest son of Amyntas III, the king of Macedon. From 368 to 365 BC, Philip remained a prisoner in Thebes, during which he received a diplomatic and military education. He returned to Macedon in 364 BC. By 359 BC, Philip’s elder brothers (Alexander II and Perdiccas III) had died. After their deaths, Philip was able to take the throne in 359. 

Philip II as King

At the time of the accession of Philip II, the situation in Macedon was very miserable. His brother Perdiccas III died during the unsuccessful battle against the Illyrians in northern Macedon. It resulted in the occupation of eastern regions of Macedon by Paionins and Thracians. On the other hand, the Athenians also reached a coastal area. Philip defeated the Athenians and successfully pushed back the Thracians and Paionians through diplomacy. 

In 357 BC, Philip defeated the Illyrians and thus occupied the northern part of Macedon. During 357 BC and 356 BC, Philip conquered a few neighboring areas of Macedon. 

In 356 BC, the Third Sacred War started in Greece for religious reasons. Philip sided with the Amphictyonic League against the Phocis and its allies. The war lasted for ten years (356 – 346 BC) and ended with the victory of the  Amphictyonic League. The decisive battle of the Third Sacred War was the Battle of Crocus Field (352 or 353 BC), in which Philip defeated the forces of Phocis. 

In 348 BC, Philip occupied Olynthus and became the sole ruler of Macedonia and its adjoining areas. In 342 BC, Philip conquered Molossia, the western coast of Macedon. 

The last major battle of Philip was the Battle of Chaeronea in 338, in which he defeated the combined forces of Thebans and Athens. Through this victory, Philip restored his authority over the area of the Aegean Sea after the failed sieges of Perinthus (340 BC) and Byzantium (339 BC). 

Now, Philip and Macedon had authority over most of Greece. In 337 BC, Philip founded the League of Corinth (Hellenic League), comprising almost all parts of Greece. Through this league, Philip became the leader of the combined forces of Greece. They decided to invade Persia, and all the members also agreed never to fight against each other in the future. 

Death & Importance

In 336 BC in Aegae (now Vergina, Greece), Philip II was assassinated by his bodyguard, Pausanias of Orestis, during the marriage of his daughter Cleopatra. The other bodyguards of Philip killed Pausanias while he was trying to escape. Therefore, the real motives behind this assassination remained unknown. 

Philip II was the first ruler of the unified Greece, which enabled the invasion of the Persian Empire. He also founded the army of Phalanx (a heavy infantry), who were experts in using sarissas, spears, pikes, and other large and heavy weapons. This force played a vital role in the victories against the Persians under the command of Alexander the Great.

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