Philip II of Macedonia

by Ian Worthington

Overview

Alexander the Great is remembered as a brilliant conqueror, but his father’s achievements as a leader were greater still

Alexander the Great is probably the most famous ruler of antiquity, and his spectacular conquests are recounted often in books and films. But what of his father, Philip II, who united Macedonia, created the best army in the world at the time, and conquered and annexed Greece? This landmark biography is the first to bring Philip to life, exploring the details of his life and legacy and demonstrating that his achievements were so remarkable that it can be argued they outshone those of his more famous son. Without Philip, Greek history would have been entirely different.

Taking into account recent archaeological discoveries and reinterpreting ancient literary records, Ian Worthington brings to light Philip’s political, economic, military, social, and cultural accomplishments. He reveals the full repertoire of the king’s tactics, including several polygamous diplomatic marriages, deceit, bribery, military force, and a knack for playing off enemies against one another. The author also inquires into the king’s influences, motives, and aims, and in particular his turbulent, unraveling relationship with Alexander, which may have ended in murder. Philip became in many ways the first modern regent of the ancient world, and this book places him where he properly belongs: firmly at the center stage of Greek history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780300164763
Publisher:	Yale University Press
Publication date:	04/06/2010
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Ian Worthington is Frederick A. Middlebush Professor of History, University of Missouri–Columbia. He lives in Columbia, MO.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations and Maps vii

Preface xi

Acknowledgements xiii

Philip's Life and Reign: the Main Events xv

Quotations and Abbreviations xix

1 Preamble: 'The Greatest of the Kings in Europe'? 1

2 Philip's Macedonia 6

3 Philip's Youth and Accession 15

4 The New Army and the Unification of Macedonia 23

5 The War over Amphipolis 38

6 Apollo's Saviour: Philip and the Sacred War 53

7 The Fall of Olynthus 74

8 Apollo Rescued, and the Peace of Philocrates 84

9 The Hostile Aftermath 105

10 Thrace: The Die Is Cast 120

11 Chaeronea and the End of Greek Liberty 136

12 From Master of Greece to Conqueror of Persia? 152

13 Assassination 172

14 After Philip 187

15 Philip in Retrospect: King, Man - and God? 194

16 Philip and Alexander: Like Father, Like Son? 204

Appendices 209

Notes 242

Bibliographic Essay 282

Select Bibliography 287

Index 298

Editorial Reviews

"A detailed narrative of the political and military history of Phillip's region. . . . Overall the strengths are: the author's impressive range, his knowledge of the scholarship on Phillip, and his lively prose. . . . This is an important book on a remarkably successful king."—Peter Hunt, The Historian

The Historian - Peter Hunt

"Detailed, nuanced. . . . An important book for anyone with an interest in Greece, the Hellenistic age, and the roots of the West."—The New York Military Affairs Symposium Review

The New York Military Affairs Symposium Review

"This is an important book on a remarkably successful king."--Peter Hunt, The Historian

— Peter Hunt

The Historian