E-Book: Alexander the Great and the Macedonian Empire


In 359 B.C., Macedon was an unstable barbarian kingdom on the fringes of the Hellenic world. Macedon’s kings, members of the Argead dynasty, claimed Greek descent and ruled over a mix of different peoples including Macedonians, but many others as well, none of whom were regarded as Hellenes, or members of the Greek national race. To Greeks, the Macedonians were regarded as “barbarians.” Archaeology has revealed that the Macedonians never participated in the material culture of the Greek world since the Late Bronze Age. Greek immigrants and goods were welcomed, but Macedonians remained a distinct, speaking a language unintelligible to Greek. King Archelaus adopted Attic Greek as the court language, built roads, and established market towns, but his subjects remained in habits far closer to their Balkan neighbors Illyrians, Paeonians, and Thracians. Macedonian kings ruled by force over proud lords and vassal kings. Despite natural resources and manpower, the Argead kings of Macedon could never impose effective authority over their unruly vassals. Hence, the leading Greek powers each in turn promoted civil war and rebellion within Macedon. In 359 B.C., King Perdiccas III and 4,000 Macedonians fell fighting the Illyrians, the Macedonians acclaimed as king his brother and successor, Philip, who transformed Macedon into the greatest kingdom in Europe.



Source: Kenneth W. Harl - Alexander the Great and the Macedonian Empire

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