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). He remained a monarch from 359 BC to 336 BC till his death. Philip II 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 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. Philip remained a prisoner in Thebes from 368 to 365 BC, during which he received 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. Due to these deaths, Philip became eligible 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 had 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 had also reached a coastal area near Macedon. Philip defeated the Athenians and successfully pushed back the Thracians and Paionians through diplomacy. 

Battles to Unify Greece

In 357 BC, Philip defeated the Illyrians and thus captured 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. 

Philippeion in Olympia, Greece
Philip built Philippeion after his victory in the Battle of Chaeronia

In 348 BC, Philip conquered Olynthus and became the sole ruler of Macedonia and its adjoining areas. The last major battle of Philip was the Battle of Chaeronea in 338, in which he defeated the combined forces of Thebans and Athens. Philip celebrated this victory by building Philippeion, the only structure in Olympia dedicated to humans. Later, Philip restored his authority over the area surrounding the Aegean Sea after the failed sieges of Perinthus (340 BC) and Byzantium (339 BC).

League of Corinth

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

Death and Role in Future Victories

In 336 BC in Aegae (now Vergina, Greece), Philip II's bodyguard, Pausanias of Orestis, assassinated him during the marriage of his daughter Cleopatra. The other bodyguards of Philip immediately 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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