Almost everyone knows about the feats of arms of Alexander the Great. The name of the great commander forever entered the history of civilization. However, what preceded his military and political glory and what served as the foundation for the implementation of Alexander's grandiose plans? Of course, the activities of his father Philip II, who was able to unite the scattered and eternally warring Greek policies within the framework of the Corinthian Union. Later, his son Alexander took advantage of the strong, battle-hardened army formed by Philip for great campaigns and the creation of a vast empire. Let's find out how it all began.
The King of Ancient Macedonia, Philip II, took the throne very young - at 23 years old. In 359 BC. e. Macedonia was threatened by the invasion of the Illyrians. After the death of King Perdikka III, the country was left without a ruler, with the exception of the young son of Perdikka III Amyntas. "Compassionate" neighbors - Athens, whose influence extended to the north of the Balkan Peninsula, and the Thracians were ready to subjugate a small and weak state to their influence. However, the brother of the murdered king, Philip, managed to settle the matter by paying off the Thracians with gold, and from Athens with the city of Amphipolis, which they extremely needed. Thanks to this, the people proclaimed Philip the king instead of the young Amyntas.
Recognizing the need to expand the state, Philip began with the military. In his youth, having been a hostage in Thebes, he learned something from one of the best strategists of that time - Epaminondas. It was to Philip II that Macedonia owes the famous phalanx, which only the Roman legion could later surpass. The tsar also paid much attention to the artillery of that time, for the creation of which he invited the best mechanics from Syracuse.
With such a strong army in reserve, Philip II might have seriously considered turning little Macedonia into a wealthy and influential state. Athens bitterly regretted that, seduced by a rich bribe, they left such a quick youth without attention. Philip took Amphipolis from them, taking a number of other cities subject to Athens, and immediately gave some of them to his eastern neighbors - the Chalcis Union, led by Olynthus, preventing their intention to support Athens. Then Philip, taking advantage of the dispute between Athens and Thebes over the island of Euboea, captured it, along with the Pangean region and gold mines. Using the wealth that was in his hands, Philip began to build a fleet and, through trade, began to actively influence Greece. As a result of the swift actions of Philip II, the Chalcis Union was completely cut off from Central Greece.
IV c. BC e. Greece was weakened by the Peloponnesian War and the beginning of the expansion of the policy. No Greek state could claim to be a unifier or peacemaker. The Greeks made claims to each other with or without reason, each time creating new alliances and new enemies. In 355 BC. e. the Holy War broke out, which lasted until 346 BC. e. The inhabitants of the city of Phocis unexpectedly seized the lands belonging to the temple of Apollo. Thebes tried to curb the blasphemers. However, the Phocians responded by capturing the temple of Apollo at Delphi and using the money they stole, they hired an army of 20,000. Since in Macedonia and Hellas they believed in the same gods, Philip II, at the request of Thebes, immediately acted as an ardent defender of the offended Apollo. Despite a series of failures, Philip defeated the troops of the Phocians in Thessaly (352 BC) and liberated Delphi. 3 thousand captives were drowned in the sea to atone for sacrilege, and the body of their deceased commander Onomarch was crucified on the cross. Now it was time to punish the criminal city of Phocis. However, Athens, quickly realizing that the Macedonians just want to get into Central Greece, defended the only way - the Thermopylae passage.
Philip II decided not to tempt fate and turned north. For a long time he looked with interest at the rich Olynthus, who now found himself surrounded on all sides by Macedonian lands, and said:“Either the Olynthians must leave their city, or I must leave Macedonia.” Having swiftly captured the small cities of the Chalkid Union, the Macedonians laid siege to Olynthus. The siege lasted a year. Thanks to the diplomacy of Philip, the help from Athens, for which the Chalcidians pleaded, was late, the city was taken and destroyed in 348 BC. e.
Now the Athenians, who valued the remnants of their influence in Thrace, agreed to make peace with Macedonia (Philocratic peace - 346 BC) and withdrew the army from Thermopylae. All cunning plans to save Phokis were shattered by the deceit, treachery and gold of the Macedonian. Phokis fell, and their votes in Amphiktion (the union of Greek policies - the guardians of the temple of Apollo in Delphi) went to Philip, who now, as a Hellene, could intervene in Greek affairs on legal grounds. In addition, part of the Greek fortifications on the border of Central Greece and Thermopylae passed to the Macedonian. From now on, the passage to Central Greece was always open to its new owner.
A familiar Hellenic world by the 4th century BC. e. started to crumble. And then, quite unexpectedly, Heraclid appeared - a descendant of Hercules (namely, Philip II counted his family from him), who could take on the role of a unifier or a common enemy, which would also rally the policies. After the victory over Phokis, Philip's popularity in the cities increased.
In all policies there was a struggle between supporters and opponents of the Macedonian king. The best orators of Athens, Isocrates and Aeschines, supported Philip, believing that he was that great personality who would revive ancient Hellas if he united it under his rule. For the sake of the greatness of Greece, they were ready to say goodbye to the independence of their city. Isocrates argued that Philip's hegemony would be a blessing because he himself was a Greek and a descendant of Hercules. Philip II generously gave gold to his supporters, rightly believing that "there is no such high city wall that a donkey loaded with gold could not step over."
Philip's opponent, the leader of the anti-Macedonian party, the Athenian orator Demosthenes called on the Greeks to fight against the aggressive policies of the Macedonian king. He called Philip a treacherous barbarian, seeking to take over Greece. However, it was not for the Greeks, who had long forgotten what honor is, to reproach Philip for treachery, dishonesty, deceit, dishonesty and lust for power. How many loyal allies and opponents who believed false promises were left on their historical path by Athens, striving for power ...
Despite the success of Philip's supporters, his opponents managed to gain the upper hand. Demosthenes was able to convince Athens, and with them other Greek cities, of the need to repulse the hypocritical and aggressive Macedonian. He achieved the creation of an anti-Macedonian coalition of Greek policies.
Cunning Philip decided to attack the Thracian and Hellespont Bosporus straits in order to cut off Central Greece from her Black Sea possessions. He laid siege to Byzantium and the Iranian city of Perinth. However, this time, having neutralized the supporters of Macedonia, Athens managed to help Byzantium. Perinf was helped by the indignant Iranian king Darius III. Philip retreated (340 BC). It was a palpable defeat. Middle Greece could rejoice. Philip decided not to stir up this "hornet's nest" for the time being, leaving his supporters, gold and time to act. His patience was not in vain. Greece could not long live in peace. A new Holy War has begun. This time, the inhabitants of the city of Amfissa, supported by Athens, encroached on the lands of the Delphic temple. Amphiktyonia, at the suggestion of Aeschines, a Macedonian supporter, remembering the zealous defender of Delphi, turned to Philip II with a request to intercede for the offended deity. Philip, faster than the wind, rushed to Central Greece, effortlessly punished Amfissa and, unexpectedly for everyone, and even for his Thessalian friends, took possession of the city of Elatea at Cefiss, which was the key to Boeotia and Attica.
Panic has begun in the camp of the allies. Thebes, who were right in front of the army of Philip II, trembled with fear. However, Demosthenes, who was not taken aback, who arrived in the city, managed to raise the morale of the citizens and persuaded them to join the anti-Macedonian alliance, headed by ancient opponents of Thebes - Athens.
The united army moved against the Macedonian king. Philip II defined his tactics even earlier:"I retreated like a ram in order to hit harder with my horns." The opportunity to strike after two unsuccessful battles presented itself to him on August 2, 338 BC. e. at Chaeronea. Alexander, the future Tsar Alexander the Great, participated in this battle for the first time.
The Battle of Chaeronea ended the Macedonian conquest of Greece. All the Greeks, and above all the Athenians, expected a massacre and mourned their ancient cities in advance. But Philip dealt with the vanquished with surprising gentleness. He did not demand surrender and offered them an alliance. Greece looked at such a diplomatic, educated and generous Philip with admiration. The offensive nickname "barbarian" was forgotten, and everyone immediately remembered that he was Heraclid.
In 337 B.C. e. on the initiative of Philip II, a pan-Greek “congress” was convened in Corinth (the dream of Pericles came true!), Which formed the Pan-Hellenic Union - only Sparta was not included in it - and declared Philip the hegemon of Greece. And in vain did Demosthenes frighten the Athenians at one time:“He (Philip) hates our free institutions most of all ... because he knows very well that if he subjugates all peoples to his power, he will not firmly own anything until you have there is democracy." Philip left the political system of the city-states unchanged, and the proclaimed Holy Peace (finally peace!) forbade them to interfere in each other's affairs. Moreover, for the triumph of the common Greek idea and the rallying of the Greeks, the Pan-Hellenic Union declared war on the Iranian state, appointing Philip II as an autocrat strategist.
But he didn't have time to start a new campaign. In 336 BC. e. Philip was killed. Alexander, who looked so little like his father, was supposed to continue his work. If Philip was a genius of diplomacy, then Alexander became a god of war.
From the encyclopedia.