11/20/2011

Lecture 25: Macedonia

HIST 225 Fall 2011

Kingdom of Macedonia • Natural resources – fertile soil, timber, precious metals, horses • Large population – 2x bigger than any polis in Greece – potential for large army • Maintained a kingdom – similar to that seen in Homer – “Heroic Monarchy”

Macedonian culture Retained archaic features: • Palace-culture at Pella resembles Feudal Europe • Multiple wives (political) – In addition to his Epirote queen Olympias, mother of Alexander • Hereditary Monarchy – contrasted sharply with the Greek cultures further south, where city-states possessed oligarchic or democratic institutions • Feudal Institutions (serfdom)

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Palace at Pella

Royal Macedonian Palace at Pella

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Movie Clip “The Art of Persuasion”

A unified Macedonian state 513 Persian Empire: satrap of Skudra 413-399 King Amyntas II builds roads, infrastructure and palace at Pella philhellene (lover of Greek culture) Euripides writes Bacchae and Iphigenia at Aulis 393–370 King Amyntas III – unites coastal plain and the tribal hinterland through marriage. – stops Illyrian invasions from north and northwest – had three sons: 1) Alexander II 2) Perdiccas III – They reigned only briefly

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Philip II of Macedon

• King Perdiccas III has infant heir, but he is deposed by youngest brother Philip – made himself king • inherits a weak, divided kingdom • ushers in a period of Macedonian dominance of Greece. Philip II Macedon Glyptotek, Munich

Army Reorganization • creates Elite Heavy infantry (Hypaspists) – agema or private bodyguard – [Silver Shields] • creates “foot companions” – (pezhetairoi) – Philip had been a “hostage” in Thebes and witnessed Theban “Sacred Band” • Training and Funding – used his own money to pay citizens to serve in the army, provide weapons and armor – Took time to properly train his men

Hypaspist

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Macedonian Phalanx with sarissa • 15-18 foot pike (head = 2 feet long)

• sliced through shields and armor like a sword • very effective against hoplite shield

New Cavalry weapons and tactics

• Philip creates “Companions” hetairoi • incorporates former rivals nobles from Upper Macedonian into “Companion cavalry” who grew up on horseback • primary offensive unit:

xyston – divided into squadrons (ilai) • speed and height • punch holes in enemy formation • guard rear flanks of phalanx • Officers and political advisors – drink all night with King – fight the next day

Innovations in Macedonian Army

Nearly invincible Macedonia phalanx (pezhetairoi) – armed with the famous sarissa and porpax shield – anchor of Macedonian line – lead by their own ethnic aristocrat • divided into six taxeis of 1500 men each – maneuverable and sub-dividable Elite infantry (Hypaspist) 3000 man brigade – heavy infantry like hoplite – “Silver Shields” after Hydaspes

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Elite Squad Hetairoi “Sleeping Friends”

Most important advisors – acted as a “court” – eat and slept near the King – personal protection and emergency reserve – fought all day/ drank all night

Macedonian Expansion under Philip Step 1 Pacifies Thracians, and Illyrians with diplomacy by offering tribute. He then annexed the regions of the Balkans

Step 2 Philip crushes 3,000 Athenian hoplites who landed, at Methoni under a Macedonian pretender called Argeus. (359)

Step 3 Invades Amphipolis (Athenian sliver mines). Offers it in exchange for Pydna (port) Athens takes town anyway (356)

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Panhellenism and Phillip Sacred War (356-46 BCE) • Macedon took part in the Amphictyonic League when Phocians captured and sacked Delphi – all Macedonian soldiers wear laurel wreathes (Apollo) Isocrates argues that Athens should lead a crusade against the Persians

Demosthenes (384-322 BCE): Athenian Fear of Macedon • prominent Greek statesman and orator • orations a significant expression of contemporary Athenian intellectual prowess • provide an insight into the politics and culture of the 4th C. BCE • opposed Macedon's expansion • sought to preserve city's freedom and to establish an alliance against Macedon • Successful in forming coalition • but ultimately failed to do so

Conflict between Philip and Athens

• Athenian troops initially successfully against Philip at Thermopylae (352 BCE) – Macedonian victory over the Phocians at the Battle of Crocus Field shook Demosthenes (351 BCE) • The theme of the First Philippic (351–350 BC) was to wake Athenians up to the threat of Macedon – asked his countrymen to take the necessary action and asserted that "for a free people there can be no greater compulsion than shame for their position“ – From this moment until 341 BC, all of Demosthenes' speeches referred to the same issue, the struggle against Philip.

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First Philippic 4-5

If, however, any of you, men of Athens, when he considers the immense force now at Philip's command, and the city's loss of all her strongholds, thinks that Philip is a foe hard to conquer, … (5) Now if in those days Philip had made up his mind that it was a hard thing to fight against the Athenians, with all their fortified outposts on his own frontiers, while he was destitute of allies, he would have achieved none of his recent successes, nor acquired this great power. But Philip saw quite clearly, men of Athens, that all these strongholds were prizes of war, displayed for competition.

Philip against Central Greece

• Demosthenes was sent to Byzantium, where he sought to renew its alliance with Athens (341 BCE) • The Athenian Assembly denounced peace offering – amounted to an official declaration of war • Philip made his last and most effective bid to conquer southern Greece (339 BCE) • Amphictyonic Council gave command of the league's forces to Philip; in the winter of 339–338 BCE, he passed through Thermopylae, and defeated the Locrians. • Philip swiftly entered Phocis in 338 BC. He then turned south-east down the Cephissus valley, seized Elateia, and restored the fortifications of the city.

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The Plain at Chaeronea

Battle of Chaeronea

Thebes and Athens Macedonians • 35,000 troops • 30,000 troops • 2,000 cavalry

• After both sides fought bitterly for a long time. 1. Philip deliberately withdrew his troops on the right wing 2. untested Athenian hoplites followed him • creates gap between Athenians and Theban forces 3. Alexander rides into gap followed by Companions • screens Athenian and Theban lines 4. Philip then about-faces his forces to attack Athenian with great fury

Chaeronea part 2 5. The Athenians unable to resist his Macedonian veterans. 6. After Athenian rout – Thebans isolated and surrounded – Of the famed 300-strong Sacred Band of Thebes, 254 fell on the field of battle, while 46 were wounded and captured.

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Aftermath of Chaeronea • Theban Army was destroyed • most of the Theban Sacred Band (the 300 elite troops of Thebes) lay dead. • The Athenian army suffered a large loss as well. • Philip allows a monument to be erected in recognition of Theban bravery to commemorate their courage and self- sacrifice. • Now with hardly any soldiers left to defend central Greece, King Philip II of Macedon sent his 18-year old son Alexander to Athens to negotiate and bring an end to the fighting.

Lion of Chaeronea

"Perish any man who suspects that these men either did or suffered anything that was base".

It was erected, according to Pausanias, by the Thebans in memory of their dead.

Excavation of the tomb found 254 skeletons, laid out in seven rows.

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Aftermath of Chaeronea pt. 2 • The Athenian general, Lysicles, was later tried, found responsible for the defeat by the Athenian boulē and executed. • Philip offered to spare the poleis that fought against him that in return for providing him soldiers and financial support for invading Persia. • The Athenians, shocked by Philip's mercy, quickly agreed to the terms, as did the remainder of the poleis.

League of Corinth Created by Philip after Chaeronea – lasted much longer than Delian or Peloponnesian Leagues and was successful – helped create a Greek ‘national entity’ – Stopped rivalry and warfare between poleis – Philip maintained garrisons and representatives from Macedon in key positions to maintain order • poleis armies would be commanded by Philip in an all-out war on Persia. – retaliate for the attack of the Persian king Xerxes – War formally declared in 337 – served to unite Greece

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Assassination of Philip October 336 BCE • The court had gathered for the celebration of the marriage between Philip's daughter Cleopatra and Alexander I of Epirus • 12 statues of Greek gods brought in and a 13th, Philip • While entering the town's theater unprotected (highlighting his approachability to the Greek diplomats present), Philip was killed by Pausanias, former member of his seven bodyguards. • The assassin immediately tried to escape and was pursued by three of Philip's bodyguards and killed • The “real” story much more juicy – lover’s quarrel

Alexander ascends to the throne • Alexander crowned King of Macedon – Attalus was executed in Alexander's consolidation of power after the murder – Speculation that Alexander and mom Olympias were responsible for Philip (?) • Inherited the war in Asia: everything was ready: – strong economy – strong army – the boy had had a military education and knew something of the country he was about to attack. • Alexander was born for greatness. – first task was to secure his home base.

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