Phillip Ii Of Macedon Essay Research Paper

Phillip Ii Of Macedon Essay, Research Paper

The year was 359 BC. Greece, though weary from constant internal struggling still had supreme power over the Hellenistic world. Persia, though it had suffered large setback in the Persian Wars more then a century before was still a menacing force. The Barbarian State of Macedon was led by warrior kings who aspired to be Greek, yet ruled over a feudal society that was as multicultural as any of its time. Good morning Miss Boeston and class. Today’s seminar will conclusively prove to you the statement that “Philip II of Macedon was responsible for the rise to greatness of the Macedonian Empire in the Fourth Century BC” by examining several issues associated with Philip’s rule.

Macedon was a weak power, with possible invaders from many points, no access to the Aegean Sea, due to a circle of Greek cities, and a general lack of development in respect to internal governing and external relations. Within the next 36 years the backward state of Macedon would grow into the greatest empire the world had ever seen, enriched with culture of the Greeks, the strength of the Persians and the tactical brilliance of the man the made it all possible, Philip II of Macedon.

Philip II of Macedon was born in 382 BC in the city of Pella, the son of King Amyntas II, but Philip would not ascend to the throne until after the death of his brother.

From the age of fifteen, Philip was a Macedonian hostage living in Thebes during the height of the Theban hegemony. He was a political hostage, and generally treated well. He was held only as an insurance against hostilities between Thebes and Macedon, and it was his three years living as a Greek that gave Philip an advantage as he established himself as the major power in the Greek world. Philip admired the Greek way of life. He began to think of himself more Greek then Macedonian. He became well integrated into the politics and military of Greece, learning Greek political tactics and military strategy. Philip, in effect, had learned to be a Greek general. He had also seen how weak Greece was becoming with its painstakingly slow democratic system and the general disunity that was becoming predominant after many years of internal quarreling. Also, his time in Thebes gave him a greater understanding of the geography of Greece. He learned the strongholds, and the weak cities of Greek society, and this would prove priceless in later expeditions.

When his brother died, he left his infant son, Amyntas as the heir to the throne. Philip was, therefore, made regent, and had control of Macedon. He succeeded to the throne in 359 BC in the traditional Macedonian custom – a round of family assassinations. Macedon, at the time of Philip’s ascension to the throne, was not a very highly regarded northern state whose power depended upon a warrior aristocracy. The kingship rested more on personal ascendancy then institutions. Philip disposed of the young heir and immediately began implementing his plans to unite Macedon, and control the Greek world.

One of Philip’s first and most notable achievements was the creation of the National Army. He had learned the military tactics used in the Greek army and structured his army on the model of the Theban phalanx. However, Philip only based his army on the Greek model. He made sure that the Macedonian National army was a vast improvement on the Greek model, and ensured that the shortcomings of the Greek Phalanx were not the shortcomings of the Macedonian Phalanx.

The Macedonian phalanx consisted of individual battalions that were made up of local recruits. These groups encourage loyalty to the specific battalion, and eventually to Macedon and Philip. When compared to the Greek phalanx, the Macedonian phalanx had heavier armour then the Greeks. The spears, or sarissa, were longer, reaching 5.5 metres. The Macedonian phalanx was sixteen rows deep and each man was armed with a spear. Philip also created the manoeuvre known as the ‘Oblique Advance’. In this formation, the right side of the battalion would attack the opposition, until it has been weakened. Once this has occurred, the left and middle of the battalion would attack. The army could contain many hundreds of these individual battalions. Another component of the National Army was the Companion Cavalry. The members of this were recruited from the Macedonian aristocracy. They were organized into smaller, divisional squadrons whose loyalty was directed specifically towards Philip. This group included an elite corps referred to as the ‘royal guard’, which consisted of over one hundred men. The third component of the National Army were the Ancillary units which consisted of light cavalry, peltasts, slingers, engineers and sappers. The Macedonians also seemed to have a greater understanding of siege warfare. They effectively used catapults, battering rams, mobile towers and mounds of earth. All of the components of the army were extensively trained in many manoeuvres, which Philip had either developed or learned, and the army was drilled in these regularly. Philip built roads and fortified posts which lessened the difficulties associated with the armies’ frequent campaigns and also assisted in creating a sense of security within the Macedonian population. Equipped with his newly formed army Philip could begin to assert himself as a major power in the Greek world. Firstly, however, he had to u