Philip II of Macedon: aspects of his reign

Abstract

This study will assess whether there is sufficient surviving source material from the reign of Philip II of Macedon for the modern scholar to reasonably attempt a full-length study. It will do this through three separate case studies.
The first is ‘The Military Transformation of Macedon.’ This will examine the nature of the threats that Philip faced upon becoming king in 359 BC, and his achievement in overcoming them. It will attempt to understand his impact on the growth in size of the Macedonian army, and thirdly the significance of his introduction of the sarissa, his most celebrated military innovation.
The second section is ‘Philip and Athens: War and Peace.’ This will attempt to assess Philip’s intentions in his dealings with the Greek city by studying his and Athens’ approach to the treaty that ended a decade of warfare between the two.
The third section, ‘The Murder of Philip II’ will examine the circumstances of Philip’s assassination. Although the assassin is known to have been a bodyguard, Pausanias, rumours abound in the sources of the involvement of Philip’s wife, Olympias, his son Alexander, and of a conspiracy involving nobles from the Upper Macedonian kingdom of Lyncestis.