PHILIP II OF MACEDONIA

Philip II of Macedonia (382-336 B.C) was a great Macedonian king, who turned the Macedonian kingdom into the mightiest nation in the world at that time. He was the father of Alexander the Great, who carried out many of his father's dreams of conquest. Although Philip did not live to see Alexander's conquest of the Persian Empire, Philip made it possible. Philip, the youngest son of the Macedonian king Amyntas II, was born in Pella, the capital of Macedonia. In his early youth, he was a hostage in the powerful city Thebes from 367 to 365 B.C. During that period, Philip observed much of the military techniques from the foremost leaders.
In 359 B.C, his brother was killed in a battle and Philip then at the age of 23 became king of Macedonia. Philip immediately began to carry out his plans of conquest by attacking the Greek towns on his border, and
his military reforms were destined to change ancient warfare. Previously, the Macedonian army had consisted of a capable, aristocratic cavalry alongside a light infantry of peasant levies. With training and equipment, Philip created an expert heavy infantry, armed with 13 to 14 foot-long pikes, fighting in the formation known as a phalanx. Within a few years, he controlled most of the small states in Greece, and his power extended as far north as the Danube River. Among his other accomplishments, Philip was the most successful besieger of his day.

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