Definition of Macedonian Empire

The Greek cities of Athens, Sparta, Thebes, and Miletus are examples of city-states in ancient times. Each of them had an army and a system of government.

The Greek cities fought militarily for long periods of time and this circumstance caused them to weaken. It is in this context that the king of the Macedonians (Philip II, 382-336 a. C) he considers that it is necessary to politically unify the different Greek cities.

The territory of Macedonia is located to the north of Greece and its inhabitants were considered barbarians by the Greeks because they did not speak their language

Philip understood that territory Macedonia united with the Greek city-states could create an Empire to defend against a common enemy, the Persians.

King Philip established in the kingdom of Macedonia a military monarchy in which the king became head, judge supreme and priest. The leader of the Macedonians had spent several years imprisoned in the city of Thebes and there he learned the

language and the traditions of this Greek town. Gradually the Macedonian army was occupying different Greek territories and the cities that remained independent realized the threat of a possible invasion.

In Athens, the politician and orator Demosthenes tried to alert the danger Macedonian to the Athenians, but they ignored him. When the Athenians realized his mistake it was too late.

Finally Philip's troops defeated the Greeks at the Battle of Queronea and the Macedonian monarch was appointed commander of all Macedonian and Greek armies (Athens was not destroyed but the Macedonians dissolved the powerful maritime league led by the Athenians). Thus, Philip formed a powerful confederacy of cities and territories that has gone down in history with the name of the Macedonian Empire.

With the unification of Greeks and Macedonians into a single kingdom, the force military enough to face the Persians who dominated large territories. However, Philip was assassinated by one of his captains and his son Alexander III took the reins of the empire.

Alexander III has gone down in history with the name of Alexander the Great

The new leader of the Macedonians began the conquest of the East with a double purpose: to defeat the Persians militarily and to create an empire based on Greek culture. His army was not very numerous, but with his military ingenuity he managed to defeat the Persians in various battles in the territories of Syria, Babylon and Anatolia.

The Macedonian empire promoted by Alexander was based on three great forces: a very prepared army, a advanced bureaucratic system and the diffusion of ideals of harmony among the peoples who inhabited the empire.

After the death of Alexander, his son IV continued with the expansion of the empire and conquered the territories of Egypt and the Arabian peninsula. However, after the death of Alexander in 323 BC. C, the Macedonian Empire was gradually dissolving until the creation of the Hellenistic kingdoms.

Photos: Fotolia - Jovan Nikolic / Peter Hermes Furian

Themes in Macedonian Empire