Philippe II of Macedonia

Philippe II

Philippe II of Macedonia (in Greek old, ὁ Φίλιππος ), born in 382 and died in 336 av. J. - C., king of Macedonia of 360 with 336, father of Alexandre Large the.

Biography

He is one of three wire of the king Amyntas III and Eurydice. In 368, whereas it is 14 years old, one sends it as an hostage to Thèbes. Treated well, it would have learned art there from the war by observing Épaminondas. It remains there until the 17 years age, that is to say until into -365. Of return in Macedonia, it seizes the power with dead of his brother Perdiccas III in 359: during the summer 360, it is indicated as tutor of its nephew, the minor son of Perdiccas, Amyntas IV, which it draws aside a little later while being made proclaim itself king by the assembly of the people Macedonian.

At the time when it takes the reins of the capacity, Philippe does not have who 22 years. He is vis-a-vis a difficult situation, since the survival of the Royaume of Macedonia is threatened by the Illyrie NS. Moreover, the neighbors of Macedonia Péoniens, Odryses of Thrace and Athéniens have any advantage with a weakening of the kingdom. Philippe starts by eliminating his potential rivals, of which the Argaios applicant, supported by Athens. He must be then solved to accept the suzerainty of Bardylis, king of Illyriens, of which he marries the girl, Audata. He also concludes a peace treaty with Athens, in which he leaves the freehands to Amphipolis.

In order to reinforce the position Macedonian, Philippe launches a vast reform of the army. He increases the number of infantrymen and creates a battalion of elite, the Hypaspistes, copied on the Bataillon crowned of Thèbes. He gives to his army a strict drive and a reconsidered armament: the soldier Macedonian receives a defensive armament (armor, cnémise, shield) lighter than that of the Hoplite, whose whole of the equipment weighs approximately 35 kg. Moreover, Philippe equips the infantryman with a long spade, sarisse it, thus establishing the bases of the phalange Macedonian.

Extremely of his new army, Philippe faces and overcomes Péoniens then Illyriens. He turns then to Amphipolis, which he besieges itself into 357. It seems probable that a secret treaty bound Philippe to Athens, as Théopompe affirms it, Philippe having to take the city on behalf of the Athenians - it there has an inversion of Net power struggle there compared to the situation of 359, and this more especially as Philippe does not hold his promise, and preserves the city for its account.

It intervenes then in the Third War crowned, with the call of Thèbes and of the Ligue thessalienne. However, it is beaten twice by Onomarchos, strategist of the Phocidiens. Philippe must beat a retreat, however decided well to return. Indeed, in 352, it invests Thessalie and overcomes Onomarchos with the locality of the Field-of-Crocus. It makes crucifier the corpse of the overcome strategist and makes throw to the sea more than 3.000 prisoners phocidiens, punishment reserved for the sacrileges. In the tread, it seizes Phères and is made elect with the head of the League thessalienne. Whereas it continues Phocidiens, it is stopped in the procession of the Thermopyles by an Athenian coalition, Spartan and Achaean. In spite of this failure, Philippe marked the Greek cities by his power. He threatens them directly from now on.

Philippe turns then to Thrace, divided into three kingdoms with died of Cotys, king of Odryses. With the call of the one of the kings, it besieges the fortress of Hèraion Teichos, at the edge of the Propontide. This movement threatens the Athenian interests directly, at the same time because of their clérouquies of Chersonèse, but also because of their supply corn. Athens votes initially the sending of a massive quota, but the exaggerated news of a disease of Philippe dissuades them to send it indeed, wrongly: Philippe takes Hèraion Teichos and delivers the fortress to the city of Périnthe, which had also called upon him.

Whereas the Greek cities had held it for negligible quantity, they fear it from now on. It is at this time that Démosthène composes its first Philippique .

Wives and descent

Polygamous king, as it was the habit in Macedonia, it would not have had not less than seven wives, according to a fragment of its Satyrus biographer preserved by Athénée. It acts in the chronological order of:

  • Phila, Macedonian of Worn the nap off, married towards 360/359, and died almost at once. It is undoubtedly of the widow of its brother Perdiccas III and about the mother of Amyntas IV.
  • Audata, of Illyrie, married towards 359/358, which gives him a girl, Cynané, perhaps in 357;
  • Philinna of Larissa in Thessalie, married towards 358/357, mother of Arrhidée born towards 357;
  • Olympias, princess molosse of Épire, met with Samothrace and married in 357, mother of Alexandre (born in 356) and of Cléopâtre (born in 355);
  • Nicesipolis of Phères in Thessalie, married towards 352, mother of Thessalonice in 351, and perhaps died in layers on this occasion;
  • Meda of Thrace, married towards 343;
  • Cléopâtre, married in 337, mother of Europa in 336.

It finds death whereas it projects to launch out to the conquest of the Perse: he is assassinated during a banquet by Pausanias, one of his officers.

See too

Internal bonds

  • Tomb of Philippe II of Macedonia

External bonds

  • causes of the assassination of Philippe and his consequences

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