Macedonia was much more than a country that came into prominence around the mid-third century BC, It is now a region of the world were Macedonian influence is still being felt. This can be attributed to two leaders and the people they ruled. About 3000BC a Neolithic group of Greek-speaking shepherds took hold in the mountainous regions around Mt. Olympus and Pindus . At the time there was very little to indicate that this group of people would be any different from the vast host of cultures that would inhabit this area at the same time. Eventually, they would move down in to the plains of the Aliakmon and Axios rivers. Moving along at a fairly good pace, there was trade between the various settlements, settlements turned into villages, villages to towns, then kingdoms.
Unfortunately, for the early Macedonians with major powers like Athens, Thebes, Sparta and Olynthos, through in Thracian, Illyrian, and Paionian from the east, west, and north (Sakellariou,M.B.). It was not hard to see that Macedonia quickly was singled out as the anemic kingdom and was subjected to repeated attacks from its neighbors. This meant that survival was reliant on the art of negotiation. Which unfortunately for any Macedonian ruler was not easy given the unstable nature of the other kingdoms.
This was the status of Macedonia around the mid-third century, when Philip of Pella or 'Philip the second' found himself prisoner at a Thebes. This event would have been nothing new to a Macedonian but to Philip it was a time to observe. In particular the opportunity to watch the Thebes military, how they trained, their armory, their maneuvering(It should be noted that Thebes was the most powerful kingdom at that time). He returned to Macedonia in 364 B.C. He made regent of his infant nephew Amyntas in 359 and quickly claimed the throne for himself (encyclopedia Encarta).
Philip quickly became an able leader. First doing what all Macedonian leaders had done in the past. Making treaties and avoiding unexpected attacks from warring kingdoms. But, he also succeeded in ordering his military to begin training and organizing in the same fashion the Thebean military did. He unified the Macedonian people creating one voice with a centralized government. Philips internal policies were realized when he was able to bring the occupied parts of Macedonia back into the fold. He did this with a resounding victory over the Illyrians who occupied that region at that time.
With his army and his policies in place Philip began negotiating and flexing his military might. Expanding Macedonia’s borders and his own status in the Hellenic world. Phillip was appointed to the Hellenic League, the league was a new alliance and a means for peace through out Greece. It would also be Philip’s platform for his biggest plan. A Greek crusade through Persia. Every thing was moving in Philip’s direction when in 336 BC at a Festival in Aigai, an assassin took Philips life.
During the reign of Philip, the Macedonian people had gone from the runts of the litter to the king of the hill. Experiencing, growth in populations, in wealth and security they were the dominant kingdom in the Hellenic region. They feared this would come to an end at the news of Philips death. As it turned out Philip the second was a predecessor to a leader not yet seen by the Greek states. Alexander, Philip’s son was crowned kind quickly after Philip’s death at the age of twenty. Wasting no time in restoring order to the chaos that insued after Philip’s death. He began building on the foundation of prosperity and growth his father had started.
He first started to the north to secure his frontiers from attack and did so at will. He was quick to suppress any revolt. And by the time he turned his eyes back to the east he had solidified the Hellenic League into a unified force. He finally started his assault on Persia in 332 BC with a series of victories along the Phoenician Sea to cut Persia from trade routs. He then March into the Egypt were he was quickly crowned pharaoh. This opened the door to Mesopotamia and Babylon. And On October 1, 331 BC Alexander decisively beat the Persians at the Battle of Gaugamela. In the years to follow Macedonians would witness the conquest of central and northeastern Persia. With the rest of Persia to fall by 326 BC (Sakellarion, M.B.).
On June 323 B.C. Alexander passed away but not with out realizing his father’s dream of Persian conquest and bringing himself power and glory. Unfortunately, the worst thing you could say about Alexander as a leader, was his lack of foresight. In all of his military conquests he had failed to pick a successor, to the Macedonian throne. Which was the in the end the down fall of Macedonia, without a single successor named to the throne Alexander left the country vulnerable to divisions. And, of course after much infighting between his top generals the Macedonian kingdom was divided into regions effectively ending Macedonia’s reign as a unified force.
If Philip’s rule brought, unification to the Macedonian people, and influence in the Hellenic city-states. Then Alexander the Greats rule brought dominance on the world stage, as-well-as influence by the Persians to the people of Macedonia. Alexander and his army-waged war on Persia but was also influenced and awe struck by they’re art, culture and traditions. They were brought back to the Greek city-states. In the end the success of Macedonia’s rise and fall was attributed to the will of two men A father and son. Who would shape Macedonia from a week kingdom in a region packed with powerhouses, To the strongest and most dominant nation in the world in the span of 36 years.
References:
Macedonia Through the ages. www. geocities.com/ capital hill/senate/ 9443.
Microsoft Encarta: Encyclopedia 99. OEM. CD-Rom. Windows 98. Microsoft Corporation, 1998.
Sakellarion, M.B. (1983). Macedonia: 4000 years of Greek History and Civilization. New York: Ekdotike Athenon S.A.
Author: Jason Hamond