-
News
Greece - History
-
The Macedonian Period in Greece
03-03-2013 16:52The Macedonian Period in Greece is in fact the last part of the long Classical period in Greek history, highlighting the fact of the emerging of Macedonia, the Kingdom of Philip II as a major power in Greek affairs, starting in 359 BC till the death of his successor Alexander the Great in 323 BC.
Ancient Macedonia occupied a key strategic position in the northwest Aegean. It was rich in natural resources and offered good farmland and one of the best sources of timber and pitch used to construct ships.
Philip succeeded his brother Perdikkas in dire circumstances and began his reign by suppressing several pretenders to the throne and protecting Macedonia from foreign intruders, including the Athenians. To meet these needs successfully, Philip built up the Macedonian army to an unprecedented size numbering 10.000 infantry and 600 cavalry. He armed the infantry with the sarissa, a 6-meter pike, twice in length than that of the Greek hoplite’s spear, fact that overcame the need for heavy armour. This made the Macedonian phalanx more flexible.
In 339 BC Philip led the Macedonian army against Athens and found Thebes also arrayed against him. Philip, accompanied by his heir Alexander, defeated them at the Battle of Chaeronea the next year. This victory over the Greek forces established Macedonia in the Greek political affairs and led Philip to create the League of Corinth proclaiming a military alliance that formed the basis for a new Hellenic League with him as leader. Philip’s ultimate goal was an expedition eastwards to claim the lands of Minor Asia, but he never did. He was assassinated by conspirators at the Macedonian him in 336 BC passing over to his successor Alexander both a strong kingdom and his vision of expanding his power to the East.
From the time that Alexander took over the Macedonian throne, he started the preparations for the ambitious Asiatic campaign that his father has dreamt of. Alexander began the expedition that would establish him as the greatest generals in history, in the spring of 334 BC. Alexander the Great made the best of his army of 37000 men and succeeded in his overambitious project. Following a series of victorious battles, Alexander the Great conquered the Persian world from Minor Asia to India.
His unexpected death in Babylon in 323 BC led these vast colonized territories to uncertainty as he had no heir till then, a fact that caused conflicts among his successors, during the Hellenistic Age to follow.
-
Top bews!
-
Relative articles