King of Macedonia Philip II became known in history as the conqueror of neighboring Greece. He managed to create a new army, consolidate the efforts of his own people and expand the borders of the state. Philip's success pales before the victories of his son Alexander the Great, but it was he who created all the prerequisites for the great achievements of his successor.
Early years
The ancient king Philip of Macedon was born in 382 BC. e. His hometown was the capital of Pella. The father of Philip Amyntas III was an exemplary ruler. He was able to unite his country, previously divided into several principalities. However, with the death of Aminta, the period of prosperity ended. Macedonia broke up again. At the same time, external enemies also threatened the country, including the Illyrians and Thracians. These northern tribes periodically raided their neighbors.
The Greeks also took advantage of Macedonia's weakness. In 368 BC. e. they traveled north. As a result, Philip of Macedon was captured and sent to Thebes. Paradoxical as it may seem, but staying there only benefited the young man. In the IV century. BC e. Thebes was one of the largest Greek cities. In this city Macedonianthe hostage got acquainted with the social structure of the Hellenes and their developed culture. He even mastered the basics of the military art of the Greeks. All this experience later influenced the policy pursued by King Philip II of Macedon.
Rise to power
In 365 B. C. e. the young man returned home. At this time, the throne belonged to his elder brother Perdiccas III. Quiet life in Pella was disrupted when the Macedonians were again under attack from the Illyrians. These formidable neighbors defeated the army of Perdicia in a decisive battle, while killing him and 4,000 of Philip's compatriots.
Power by inheritance passed to the son of the deceased - a minor Amint. Philip was appointed regent. Despite his youth, he showed his outstanding leadership qualities and convinced the political elite of the country that at such a difficult moment, when the enemy is on the threshold, it is he who should be on the throne and protect civilians from aggressors. Aminth was deposed. So at the age of 23, Philip 2 of Macedon became the king of his country. As a result, he did not part with the throne until his death.
Diplomat and strategist
From the very beginning of his reign, Philip of Macedon demonstrated his remarkable diplomatic skills. He was not shy in front of the Thracian threat and decided to overcome it not with weapons, but with money. Having bribed a neighboring prince, Philip caused trouble there, thereby securing his own country. The monarch also took possession of the important city of Amphipolis, where gold mining was established. Having gained access to the noble metal, the treasury began to minthigh quality coins. The state got rich.
After that, Philip II of Macedon set about creating a new army. He hired foreign craftsmen who built the most modern siege weapons at that time (throwing weapons, catapults, etc.). Using bribery of opponents and cunning, the monarch first recreated a united Macedonia, and then began external expansion. He was lucky in the sense that in that era Greece began to experience a protracted political crisis associated with civil strife and enmity between the policies. The northern barbarians were easily bribed with gold.
Reforms in the army
Realizing that the greatness of the state is based on the power of his troops, the king completely reorganized his armed forces. What was the army of Philip of Macedon? The answer lies in the phenomenon of the Macedonian phalanx. It was a new infantry fighting formation, which was a regiment of 1,500 people. The recruitment of phalanxes became strictly territorial, which made it possible to improve the interaction of soldiers among themselves.
One such formation consisted of many lochos - rows of 16 foot soldiers. Each line had its own task on the battlefield. The new organization made it possible to improve the fighting qualities of the troops. Now the Macedonian army was moving solidly and monolithically, and in case the phalanx needed to turn, the lochos responsible for this began the redeployment, giving a signal to the neighbors. The others followed him. The last lochos monitored the harmony of the regiments and the correctness of the formation,correcting the mistakes of comrades.
So what was the army of Philip of Macedon? The answer lies in the king's decision to combine the experience of foreign troops. In his youth, Philip lived in Thebes in honorable captivity. There, in local libraries, he got acquainted with the works of Greek strategists of different times. Considerations of many of them, a sensitive and capable student later brought to life on his own army.
Rearming troops
Engaged in military reform, Philip of Macedon paid attention to issues not only of organization, but also of weapons. Under him, the sarissa appeared in the army. So the Macedonians called the long spear. Foot soldiers of the Sarissophores received other weapons. During the assault on fortified enemy positions, they used throwing darts, which worked perfectly at a distance, inflicting deadly wounds on the enemy.
Macedonian King Philip made his army highly disciplined. Soldiers learned how to handle weapons every day. A long spear occupied both hands, so Philip's army used copper shields that were hung on the elbow.
The armament of the phalanx emphasized its main task - to hold the enemy's blow. Philip II of Macedon, and later his son Alexander, used cavalry as the main attacking force. She beat the enemy army at the moment when they unsuccessfully tried to crack the phalanx.
Start of military campaigns
After the Macedonian king Philip was convinced that the transformations in the army had borne fruit, he began to interfere in the affairs of the Greek neighbors. B 353BC e. he supported the Delphic coalition in another civil war of the Hellenes. After the victory, Macedonia actually subjugated Thessaly, and also became a universally recognized arbiter and arbitrator for numerous Greek policies.
This success proved to be a harbinger of the future conquest of Hellas. However, Macedonian interests were not limited to Greece. In 352 BC. e. the war with Thrace began. Its initiator was Philip of Macedon. The biography of this man is a vivid example of a commander who tried to protect the interests of his people. The conflict with Thrace began because of the uncertainty about the ownership of the border regions of the two countries. After a year of war, the barbarians ceded the disputed lands. So the Thracians learned what the army of Philip of Macedon was.
The Olynthian War
Soon the Macedonian ruler resumed his intervention in Greece. The next on his path was the Chalcis Union, the main policy of which was Olynthus. In 348 BC. e. The army of Philip of Macedon began the siege of this city. The Chalcis League received the support of Athens, but their help came too late.
Olinf was captured, burned and devastated. So Macedonia further expanded its borders to the south. Other cities of the Chalcis Union were also attached to it. Only the southern part of Hellas remained independent. The reasons for the military successes of Philip of Macedon were, on the one hand, in the coordinated actions of his army, and on the other hand, in the political fragmentation of the Greek policies, which did not want to unite with each other in the face ofexternal danger. A skilled diplomat deftly took advantage of the mutual dislike of his opponents.
Scythian campaign
While contemporaries puzzled over the question of what were the reasons for the military successes of Philip of Macedon, the ancient king continued his campaigns of conquest. In 340 BC. e. he went to war against Perinth and Byzantium, the Greek colonies that controlled the strait separating Europe and Asia. Today it is known as the Dardanelles, but then it was called the Hellespont.
Under Perinth and Byzantium, the Greeks gave a serious rebuff to the invaders, and Philip had to retreat. He went to war against the Scythians. Just then, the relationship between the Macedonians and these people deteriorated noticeably. The leader of the Scythians, Atey, shortly before asked Philip for military assistance in order to repulse the attack of neighboring nomads. The Macedonian king sent him a large detachment.
When Philip was under the walls of Byzantium, unsuccessfully trying to capture this city, he himself found himself in a quandary. Then the monarch asked Atey to help him with money in order to somehow cover the costs associated with a long siege. The leader of the Scythians mockingly refused his neighbor in a response letter. Philip did not tolerate such an insult. In 339 BC. e. he went north to punish the treacherous Scythians with a sword. These Black Sea nomads were indeed defeated. After this campaign, the Macedonians finally returned home, though not for long.
Battle of Chaeronea
Meanwhile, the Greek city-states formed an alliance aimed atagainst Macedonian expansion. Philip was not embarrassed by this fact. He was going to continue his march south anyway. In 338 BC. e. The decisive battle took place at Chaeronea. The basis of the Greek army in this battle consisted of the inhabitants of Athens and Thebes. These two policies were the political leaders of Hellas.
The battle is also notable for the fact that the 18-year-old heir to the Tsar Alexander took part in it. He had to learn from his own experience what the army of Philip of Macedon was like. The monarch himself commanded the phalanxes, and his son had at his disposal the cavalry on the left flank. The trust was justified. The Macedonians defeated the opponents. The Athenians, along with their influential politician and orator Demosthenes, fled the battlefield.
Corinthian Union
After the defeat at Chaeronea, the Greek policies lost their last strength for an organized fight against Philip. Negotiations began on the future of Hellas. Their result was the creation of the Corinthian Union. Now the Greeks found themselves in a dependent position from the Macedonian king, although the old laws were formally preserved in them. Philip also occupied some cities.
The union was created under the pretext of a future struggle with Persia. The Macedonian army of Philip of Macedon could not cope with the eastern despotism alone. The Greek policies agreed to provide the king with their own troops. Philip was recognized as the protector of all Hellenic culture. He himself transferred much of the Greek realities into the life of his own country.
Family conflict
After the successful unification of Greece under itsPhilip was about to declare war on Persia. However, his plans were thwarted by family squabbles. In 337 BC. e. he married the girl Cleopatra, which led to a conflict with his first wife, Olympias. It was from her that Philip had a son, Alexander, who in the future was destined to become the greatest commander of antiquity. The offspring did not accept the act of his father and, following the offended mother, left his yard.
Philip of Macedon, whose biography was full of successful military campaigns, could not allow his state to fall apart from the inside due to a conflict with the heir. After lengthy negotiations, he finally reconciled with his son. Then Philip was going to go to Persia, but before that, the wedding celebrations had to end in the capital.
Murder
At one of the festive feasts, the king was unexpectedly killed by his own bodyguard, whose name was Pausanias. The rest of the guards immediately de alt with him. Therefore, it is still unknown what motivated the killer. Historians do not have any reliable evidence of anyone's involvement in the conspiracy.
It is possible that behind Pausanias was Philip's first wife Olympias. Also, the version that Alexander planned the murder is not ruled out. Be that as it may, the tragedy that broke out in 336 BC. e., brought to power the son of Philip. He continued his father's work. Soon the Macedonian armies conquered the entire Middle East and reached the borders of India. The reason for this success was hidden not only in the military talent of Alexander, but also in Philip's many years of reforms. It was he who createda strong army and a stable economy, thanks to which his son conquered many countries.
