In October 336, king Philip of Macedonia
Philip II of Macedon
Philip II of Macedon was the king of the kingdom of Macedon from 359 BC until his assassination in 336 BC. He was a member of the Argead dynasty of Macedonian kings, the third son of King Amyntas III of Macedon, and father of Alexander the Great and Philip III. The rise of Macedon, its c…
Aegae
Aegae or Aigai, also known as Aega or Aiga, was a town and polis of ancient Achaea, and one of the 12 Achaean cities. It was situated upon the river Crathis and upon the coast, between Aegeira and Bura. It is mentioned by Homer in the Iliad, and was celebrated in the earliest times for its worshi…
Why was king Philip of Macedon assassinated?
There Philip was assassinated by Pausanias, a young Macedonian noble with a bitter grievance against the young queen's uncle Attalus and against Philip for denying him justice. This was the official explanation, and Pausanias himself could add nothing to it; he was killed on the spot.
Who defeated Philip of Macedon?
The Roman campaigns in Macedonia (199) and Thessaly (198) shook Philip's position in Greece, and in 197 the Romans, led by Titus Quinctius Flamininus, decisively defeated him at Cynoscephalae in Thessaly.
Why did Pausanias assassinate Philip II?
According to Aristotle "Philip was slain by Pausanias for neglecting to revenge him of the affront he had received from Attalus" (Aristotle 1311b).
When did Philip of Macedon die?
336 BCPhilip II of Macedon / Date of assassination
Who was better Philip or Alexander?
The chapter ends with a comparison of Philip and Alexander, where Gabriel argues that Philip all in all was a better general (249-51), and concludes that Alexander's success in Asia rested on Philip's ability to reform Macedonia to become the powerful state it was (p. 243-6).
What did Philip say to Alexander the Great?
He said to a young Macedonian named Alexander, who was about to attack, with others, a fort at the top of a steep height, “You must behave gallantly, my young friend, to do justice to your name.”
Who killed Philip in Alexander the movie?
As Philip made his entrance—limping from an old wound, but still active in his 47th year—one of his bodyguards, a young man named Pausanias, ran toward him. Producing a concealed dagger from beneath his cloak, he stabbed Philip between the ribs and fled.
Who did Alexander have murdered after he took the throne?
In all of the four major known texts, it is shown that Alexander grieved for the death of Cleitus. Alexander may have genuinely not wanted to kill Cleitus. However, Cleitus was a member of Philip II's generation and Alexander had been removing that generation from power to keep his own peers in power.
Why did Philip marry Olympias?
Queen of Macedonia It made Olympias the queen consort of Macedonia, and Philip the king. Philip had allegedly fallen in love with Olympias when both were initiated into the mysteries of Cabeiri at the Sanctuary of the Great Gods, on the island of Samothrace, though their marriage was largely political in nature.
Where did Philip of Macedon die?
Vergina, GreecePhilip II of Macedon / Place of assassinationVergina is a small town in northern Greece, part of Veroia municipality in Imathia, Central Macedonia. Vergina was established in 1922 in the aftermath of the population exchanges after the Treaty of Lausanne and was a separate municipality until 2011, when it was merged with Veroia under the Kallikratis Plan. Wikipedia
How did Alexander the Great dad die?
In 336 B.C., Alexander's father Philip was assassinated by his bodyguard Pausanias. Just 20 years old, Alexander claimed the Macedonian throne and killed his rivals before they could challenge his sovereignty. He also quashed rebellions for independence in northern Greece.
What did Alexander the Great died of?
June 323 BCAlexander the Great / Date of death
How long did Philip II rule Macedonia?
He was the 18th king of Macedonia and ruled from 359 to 336 B.C.E. Macedon was unstable during Philip II’s youth. During an invasion by the Greek city-state of Thebes, Philip himself was even taken hostage. He remained in Thebes for three years and learned military strategies from Epaminondas, the great Theban general.
What did King Philip II do to restore peace?
King Philip II is credited with restoring internal peace to his country. Philip used his military knowledge to strengthen the Macedonian army. His soldiers were trained to fight as a phalanx. A phalanx was a large group of foot soldiers armed with shields and spears.
What is Alexander the Great?
Alexander the Great. Noun. (356-323 BCE) Greek ruler, explorer, and conqueror. ancient Greece. Noun. loosely united civilization founded on and around the Peloponnese peninsula, lasting from about the 8th century BCE to about 200 BCE. assassinate. Verb. to murder someone of political importance.
Who succeeded Philip II?
Philip II was assassinated in 336 B.C.E., and was succeeded by his son, Alexander III, later known as Alexander the Great. While Philip II did not fulfill his plans to expand his empire through Persian territory, he is often credited with paving the way for his son to be one of the greatest military leaders in history.
How many soldiers could a phalanx hold?
One phalanx could contain 265 soldiers. King Philip’s military battles and diplomatic tactics resulted in the expansion of his empire and domination over all of Greece. After he conquered Greece, he planned to conquer the Persian Empire, but he would never achieve this goal.
Where was Philip the Assassin killed?
The facts of Philip’s murder, in 336 BC, are plain and undisputed. The assassin struck in the theater at Aegae (modern Vergina), watched by a crowd who had travelled from all over Macedonia and Greece to show support for the king.
Why was Alexander the Great proclaimed king of Macedonia?
To secure his position, he swiftly ordered two potential rivals executed and sent orders to Asia Minor for the elimination of Attalus.
Why did Philip send Attalus away?
Philip, always a wily politician, sought to compromise and keep everyone happy: He sent Attalus away to become one of two commanders in charge of the advance guard sent to Asia Minor as the start of the great war against Persia. And he rewarded Pausanias by making him one of his seven personal bodyguards.
What did Pausanias mock?
Resentful, Pausanias mocked the new lover, accusing him of being effeminate and an easy conquest. The new lover, stung by the jokes, tried to prove his manhood in battle by fighting recklessly and was killed.
What was Pausanias' motive for the murder of the King?
Pausanias’ personal motive for the murder was also widely known. As a teenager, he had for a while been the king’s favorite and lover. Polygamous like all Macedonian kings, Philip was notorious for his numerous affairs with women and young men. Yet soon Philip’s eye wandered, and he replaced Pausanias with another youth.
How old was Alexander the Great when he fell under suspicion?
But 21-year-old Alexander, heir to the powerful king, quickly fell under suspicion. Philip II of Macedon's bodyguard—and former lover—wielded the knife. But 21-year-old Alexander, heir to the powerful king, quickly fell under suspicion. In the ancient world, the young and dashing Alexander the Great led his army from northern Greece to ...
What was Alexander the Great's advantage when Philip died?
At the very least, Philip’s death proved very fortunate for Alexander: It placed him at the head of a reformed, unified and flourishing Macedonia, and in charge of its formidable army with the grand expedition against Persia barely begun. History shows the advantage Alexander took of this opportunity.

Overview
Assassination
King Philip was assassinated in October 336 BC at Aegae, the ancient capital of the kingdom of Macedon. Philip and his royal court were gathered in order to celebrate the marriage of Alexander I of Epirus and Cleopatra of Macedon—Philip's daughter by his fourth wife Olympias. While the king was entering into the town's theatre, he was unprotected in order to appear approachable to the …
Biography
Philip was the youngest son of King Amyntas III and Eurydice I. After the assassination of his eldest brother, Alexander II, Philip was sent as a hostage to Illyria by Ptolemy of Aloros. Philip was later held in Thebes (c. 368–365 BC), which at the time was the leading city of Greece. While in Thebes, Philip received a military and diplomatic education from Epaminondas, was an eromenos of Pelopidas, and lived with Pammenes, who was an enthusiastic advocate of the Sacred Band of …
Military career
Using diplomacy, Philip pushed back the Paeonians and Thracians promising tributes, and defeated the 3,000 Athenian hoplites (359 BC). Momentarily free from his opponents, he concentrated on strengthening his internal position and, above all, his army. Philip II made many notable contributions to the Macedonian army. The cavalry and infantry, which were the primary source of …
Marriages
The kings of Macedon practiced polygamy. Philip II had seven wives throughout his life, all members of royalty from foreign dynasties. All of Philip's wives were considered queens, making their children royalty as well. The dates of Philip's multiple marriages and the names of some of his wives are contested. Below is the order of marriages offered by Athenaeus, 13.557b–e:
• Audata, the daughter of Illyrian king Bardyllis. Mother of Cynane.
Tomb of Philip II at Aigai
In 1977, Greek archaeologist Manolis Andronikos started excavating the Great Tumulus at Aigai near modern Vergina, the capital and burial site of the kings of Macedon, and found that two of the four tombs in the tumulus were undisturbed since antiquity. Moreover, these two, and particularly Tomb II, contained fabulous treasures and objects of great quality and sophistication.
Legacy
The heroon at Vergina in Macedonia (the ancient city of Aegae – Αἰγαί) is thought to have been dedicated to the worship of the family of Alexander the Great and may have housed the cult statue of Philip. It is probable that he was regarded as a hero or deified on his death. Though the Macedonians did not consider Philip a god, he did receive other forms of recognition from the Greeks, e.g. at Eresos (altar …
See also
• Government of Macedonia (ancient kingdom)
• Museum of the Royal Tombs of Aigai (Vergina)