| Predecessor | Amyntas IV |
| Successor | Alexander the Great |
| Born | 382 BC Pella, Macedon |
| Died | 21 October 336 BC (aged 46), Aigai, Macedon |
| Spouse | Audata Phila Nicesipolis Olympias Philinna Meda of Odessos Cleopatra Eurydice |
| Children | Cynane Philip III Alexander the Great Cleopatra Thessalonica Europa Caranus Ptolemy I Soter |
| Father | Amyntas III |
| Mother | Eurydice I |
His Story
Philip II of Macedonia was one of the most influential rulers of ancient Greece. He was the king of Macedonia from 359 BC to 336 BC, and he transformed his kingdom from a small and weak state into a powerful empire that dominated most of the Balkans and challenged the Persian Empire.
Philip was born in 382 BC as the youngest son of King Amyntas III and Queen Eurydice. He spent his youth as a hostage in Thebes, where he learned military and diplomatic skills from the Theban general Epaminondas. He returned to Macedonia in 364 BC, and became king after the death of his elder brothers in 359 BC.
Philip faced many enemies and threats during his reign, such as the Illyrians, the Thracians, the Athenians, and the Phocians. He used a combination of diplomacy, bribery, marriage alliances, and warfare to secure his borders and expand his influence.
He reformed his army by introducing new weapons and tactics, such as the sarissa (a long spear) and the phalanx (a tight formation of soldiers). He also founded many new cities and colonies, such as Philippi and Amphipolis.
Philip’s most ambitious goal was to unite all the Greek city-states under his leadership and launch a campaign against Persia, which had invaded Greece twice in the past. He formed the League of Corinth in 337 BC, a federation of Greek states that recognized him as their hegemon (leader).
He also married Olympias, a princess of Epirus and a member of the Argead dynasty, which claimed descent from Heracles. Their son, Alexander, was born in 356 BC.
Philip’s plans were cut short by his assassination in 336 BC, at the wedding of his daughter Cleopatra to Alexander I of Epirus. The assassin was Pausanias, one of Philip’s bodyguards, who had a personal grudge against him. The motives and involvement of other parties, such as Olympias, Alexander, or Persian agents, are still debated by historians.
Philip II of Macedonia is regarded as one of the greatest military and political geniuses of antiquity. He laid the foundations for the Macedonian Empire, which his son Alexander would conquer and spread across three continents.
He also played a crucial role in the history and culture of Greece, as he fostered a new era of cooperation and integration among the Greek states.