Phillip II of Macedonia

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at the contributions made by Phillip II of Macedonia to his country, even though most of the important developments in Macedonia were attributed to his son Alexander the Great. It discusses how Phillip II was equally important in creating a strong and centralized military power in the kingdom of Macedonia and how without his important contributions in developing the Macedonian military, it is exceptionally unlikely that Alexander would have ever come to power in the first place.

From the Paper:

"Philip II of Macedonia was trained and schooled under the best Theban tacticians of his day and as result of this excellent formal schooling, he was able to introduce a series of revolutionary changes in the management and methodology of the Macedonian army. It was these changes that allowed Philip to secure strong and centralized power within Macedonian, and even further, to secure hegemony over all of Greece. Philip introduced a series of military innovations in order to achieve this goal. First of all, Philip introduced the Phalanx and the use of a new type of long spear, which enabled his armies to attack opposing phalanxes forcefully while his cavalry attacked and destroyed them at their flanks. By using this technique, he was able to dispense most opposing armies with ease, even when they greatly outnumbered his own. Secondly, he revolutionized siege tactics by introducing the use of projectile weapons and catapults. Lastly, he created a professional standing army that worked full-time. This was a revolutionary new invention that made Philip's run more efficiently and professionally in battle, enabling them to destroy the opposition more effectively. By introducing these revolutionary new developments in military strategy, tactics, and methodology, Philip was able to secure the power of the Macedonian state and ultimately establish it as the preeminent power up until the time of his unexpected and brutal murder by stabbing. Without Philip's military innovations, Alexander's empire could have never existed. "

More papers on Phillip II of Macedonia:

• Analytical Essay # 128581 : "Philip II and the Growth of Macedonia"
• Essay # 28254 : "Phillips II"
• Essay # 3849 : "A Path to Greatness: Alexander the Great"

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