Was Philip II an imperialist who sought to deprive the rest of Greece of its freedom, as Demosthenes accused him, an opportunist who cynically exploited circumstances and luck to achieve his goals? Or was he simply a king aiming to unite Macedonia, which was steadily heading towards disintegration due to civil strife and foreign invasions, to change its economy and create conditions of prosperity for its people?
Did he aspire to become an absolute monarch and be deified at the end of his life? If so, to what extent did this influence Alexander, whose claim to be worshipped as a god dictated his actions and policies?
Taking into account recent archaeological findings and reevaluating all written testimonies, Ian Worthington meticulously reconstructs the life of the father of Alexander the Great, illuminating his achievements in the political, economic, military, and cultural spheres.
The book describes how Philip achieved the goals he set for himself, and even more, by combining diplomacy (part of which involved polygamy and bribery) and military power with an unparalleled ability to turn his enemies against one another.
The author also examines the influences that Philip received, his motivations and objectives, as well as his complex relationship with Alexander. "Ian Worthington has studied as few have the career of Alexander the Great and the decline of the Greek city-states. He now leverages his experience and knowledge to illuminate the figure of Philip, the architect of this historical evolution, and the result of his work is exactly as we expected: thorough research, independent thought, a book that will captivate the general public and serve as a valuable contribution to the scholarship."
