Philip II ~ King of Macedonia
359-336 B.C.

Ancient Macedonia prospered on the fringe of classical civilization epitomized by the Greek city-states. The Greek king of Macedon, Philip II, was determined to bring his kingdom into the mainstream of a unified Hellenistic civilization. He employed great thinkers at his court, such as Aristotle, to tutor his young son, Alexander (later known as "the Great") and Ptolemy I, king of Egypt. Alexander, especially, would later go on to conquer and, in many ways, establish the Western World. Philip always led his own troops into battle (unusual for the time), and while conquering Thrace for its enormous gold mines, lost an eye to an arrow during a battle.

The Macedonian phalanx, Philip's "secret weapon" consisted of a 16 man by 16 man square of armored foot soldiers who brandished 14-foot-long spears. The first 5 ranks leveled their spears to attack the front, while the next rank would rest their spears skyward on the shoulders of their comrades. This formation was deployed with infinite variety depending on terrain and opposing forces.

Philip's loss of an eye, according to Plutarch, a famous historian, was foretold by the oracle of Apollo at Delphi. Philip used a peephole to spy on his wife Olympias who was carousing with the god Arnmon. The oracle warned that Philip's eye which viewed this visitation would be lost to him. After this event, Philip turned to other wives (6 in all) chiefly for political alliance to pave the way for his son, Alexander, to conquer Europe, Asia and Northern Africa.

Philip was a fierce competitor and presided over the Olympic Games in 346 B.C. at Delphi, sacred place of Apollo. Philip himself was victorious in the chariot race at these games and the event is commemorated in his gold coinage, featuring Apollo (obv.) and a charioteer (rev.). Philip's bronze coinage depicts Apollo (obv.) and a nude boy on a galloping horse (rev.), testifying to the power these images held for him.

Philip's life of conquest was cut short by an assassin's blade, when he was murdered in 336 B.C. at a wedding feast. He had been planning on a Persian invasion and this culture is generally believed responsible for his death. Other versions blame Olympias and friends of Alexander's, who wanted Philip out of the way for Alexander's benefit. Still another story has Philip and Alexander involved in a bitter argument during a drunken feast, where Philip came close to attacking his son. Whoever the instigator(s), Alexander was the beneficiary, and, at the age of 20, he ascended to the Macedonian throne and began his lifelong conquest of the known world.