Political Aims

• Philip’s initial set up of court

  • “Brigands, flatterers“ (Demosthenes)
  • “fugitives from Asia residing in the court of Philip“ (Diodorus)
• Philip’s control and expansion of greece

  • installing a puppet king in Epirus
  • ”pretending violence love“ “corrupted him to whom he gave it before he made him a king“ “criminal relations”
  • “ordered his soldiers to assume crowns of laurel“ “avenger of the sacrilege“ (Justin)
  • use of money to expand
  • joining the Amphytionic League to improve his political position
  • “gone a long way towards laying the groundwork for the growth of his power in the future“ (Diodorus)
• Philip’s control/expansion of Greece #2

  • Philip creates alliances and betrays then to take over at opportune moments
  • Siege of Olynthus: “showed no more integrity in his dealings with his allies“ (Justin)
  • “Bribery and generous promises“ “invaded Paeonia, defeated the barbarians in battle and made them subjects of Macedon” (Diodorus)
  • “no associate of his whom he has not cheated“ (Diodorus)
  • Multiple treaties with Athens?
  • League of Corinth asserted him in control
  • “King Philip, whom the Greeks had appointed their leader”(Diodorus)
• Alexander keeps control of Greece

  • took up hegemony of the League of Corinth
  • asked “for command of the campaign against persian“ “granted even more honours than his father“ (Diodorus)
  • “only the name of the king had changed“ (Diodorus)
  • Thebes: “the city was taken, plundered an razed to the ground“
  • exiles decree: “we will be responsible for restoring you to your homelands“ (Diodorus)
• Alexander establishing control over Persia

  • “declared that he accepted Asia as a spear-won gift from the gods” (Diodorus)
  • Obsession with Darius
  • “do not write to me as an equal, everything you posses is now min”(Arrian)
  • “Alexander pressed on regardless“ “horses were worked to death” (Arrian)
• Alexander wants to right previous wrongs (Panhellenic crusade)

  • “i wished to punished the Persians for their invasion of Greece” (Arrian)
  • treatment of the Branchidae
  • “violated the temple“ “the guilt of the ancestors was being atoned for by descendants who had not even seen. Miletus“ (Rufus)
• Alexander‘s expansion into India

  • “so long as a singl hostile element remained there could be no end“ (Arrian)
  • “should you desire you could undertake a new campaign… you fresh troops to replace your war-weary veterans“ (Arrian)
• Alexander’s delegation

  • “from your ranks the governors are chosen“ (Arrian)
  • “he put the Whole country (Caria) under her (Ada) control“ (Arrian)
• Marriages as a way to merge customs (Alexander)

  • Roxanne
  • “the barbarians were encouraged by the partnership“ (Plutarch)
  • ”serve to consolidate his empire“ (Rufus)
  • Barsine (Susa)
• Introduction of prostration

  • “introducing obeisance among the Macedonians“ (Plutarch)
  • “one kiss the poorer“ (Arrian)
• Alexander wears Persian clothes

  • “began to wear barbarian dress” (Plutarch)
• from 330 Alexander established a Persian court parallel to his Macedonian one
• Alexander’s Persian actions

  • “his nose and the tops of his ears should be cut off“ (arrian)
  • 356 harem
  • Persians in his companion cavalry
  • “thirty thousand boys and gave orders that they should learn the Greek language and be trained to use Macedonian weapons“