Philip II of Macedon

King of Macedon from 359 to 336 BCE, Philip II transformed the kingdom into Greece’s leading military power and prepared the foundation for Alexander the Great’s conquests.

Macedonian phalanx: A Macedonian infantry formation that used long sarissas to create a dense wall of pikes. Philip’s reorganized infantry used long sarissas to give Macedonian armies reach and cohesion.
Amyntas III of Macedon: King of Macedon who ruled from 393 to 370 BCE and was Philip II’s father. Philip inherited a kingdom whose stability had been contested during and after his father’s reign.
Alexander the Great: King of Macedon from 336 BCE who conquered the Persian Empire and created a vast empire across western Asia. Philip’s son inherited his army and kingdom, then carried the planned Persian campaign far beyond its original scope.
Battle of Chaeronea: The 338 BCE battle in which Philip II defeated the allied Greek forces of Athens and Thebes. The defeat ended organized Greek resistance to Macedonian supremacy.
Sarissa: A long pike used by Macedonian infantry, requiring two hands to wield. This weapon gave Philip’s phalanx greater reach than the spears of many Greek opponents.
Perdiccas III of Macedon: King of Macedon from about 365 to 360 BCE and Philip II’s elder brother. Perdiccas’s death in battle left Philip to take power during a military crisis.
Olympias: A Molossian princess and wife of Philip II who became the mother of Alexander the Great. Her place in the royal household linked Philip’s marriage alliances to the succession struggle.
League of Corinth: A federation of Greek states established under Macedonian leadership after the Battle of Chaeronea. Its terms bound much of Greece to Philip’s leadership while preserving member states’ internal governments.
Macedonian Companion cavalry: The elite cavalry of Macedonian kings, formed from aristocratic horsemen and used for decisive charges. Philip paired the phalanx’s holding power with cavalry attacks against weakened enemy lines.
Illyrians: A group of ancient peoples who lived across the western Balkans, including regions bordering Macedon. Illyrian pressure and invasion threatened Macedon when Philip became regent and king.

Linked from 30 pages