Philip and Olympias: A Novel of Ancient Macedon

by Peter Messmore

  Philip's opportunity came soon. Word came to him from Perdiccas that hundreds of mountain tribesmen from Celetrum had overthrown their district chieftain. There had been much killing, and the rebels were threatening to descend into the lower plains and attack the estates in Philip's province.

  He marshaled his army, now numbering two thousand, and force-marched to Celetrum. They arrived shortly after sunrise and launched a surprise attack on the unprepared rebels. The ensuing victory was both bloody and glorious. The long weeks of drill and iron discipline yielded just the results that Philip wanted. No Macedonian soldier was killed, and not one broke ranks or refused to join the final bloody assault. Rebels who were not slaughtered on the spot were taken prisoner and sent to Pella, where they were sold into slavery. Macedon needed more slaves to continue the construction projects that were spreading beyond the capital.

  Philip, despite receiving regular communications from his brother, had not seen Perdiccas in nearly a year. He had read incomplete reports from Thebes and Thessaly that described military action there, but details were lacking. Athens continued her aggressive seizure of towns around the Thermaic gulf, and Philip knew that his brother had more than enough to handle in the capital. Then he received a royal messenger commanding him to come to Pella for an audience with the king. Philip left the next day with twenty of his officers and Parmenio, this time taking two days to make the journey to the Macedonian capital.

  Pella was hosting a dramatic festival, organized by Perdiccas and presented by a company of visiting Athenian thespians. Banners announcing the dramatic production of Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides were everywhere. As the prince's coterie rode through the city and approached the royal palace, Philip saw the new construction that surrounded him. Perdiccas appeared to have not only kept the Athenians at bay, he had started to enrich the city with their culture. Pella was well on its way to becoming the Athens of the north. He wondered what demands the Athenians were making of his brother as he dismounted and proceeded through the palace.

  Perdiccas and Philip embraced as the door to the king's private quarters was closed. They were alone. Philip sensed less optimism in his brother as they walked into the fresco-covered room. The burdens of ruling troubled Macedonia had taken their toll on the king.

  "Sit with me, brother. There's much to discuss."

  Philip removed his body armor and put it and his helmet aside. He was right. His brother's actions and facial expression spoke of serious matters. "Do you want to hear my successes in training our new army, or are other matters critical?"

  "Your good news can wait, Philip. Other challenges require our attention. Jason of Pherai, with the tacit support of Athens, continues his challenge to our south. Thebes sent a force there to eliminate him a few days ago. He's done as a source of power in Thessaly, but Thebes lost one of her most able generals and leaders. Pelopidas, pursued a retreating force too aggressively, was killed. Now only Epaminondas remains to lead Thebes."

  Philip was startled to hear the news, and was surprised that he had not heard it in Elimea. It reinforced his feelings of remoteness in his provincial domain and told him that he was still a minor player in Greek rivalries. It also told him that he learned only what his brother wanted him to learn. He had grown to regard Pelopidas with honor when he was a captive in Thebes, but he didn't lament his death. "Thebes has been weakened by this. I'm sure that Athens is pleased with Pelopidas' death. She now has only to face Epaminondas as a check against her aggression."

  "Athens's envoys have told me the same thing. They also revealed that Epaminondas, in a move of desperation, has created a thousand-ship fledgling Theban navy. He intends to challenge them in the Propontus and along the Gulf. Our position is still precarious, but the Theban-Athenian rivalry is giving us needed time. We'll use it to modernize Pella, reorganize our finances, and improve our army. What progress have you made?"

  "It's gone well. I've made five expeditions to the west and north of Elimea, and practically all rebel opposition has been crushed. Macedon now has the beginnings of an army that, in time, will be the envy of Greece. We number four thousand now. That will increase as we get more victories."

  "That's good news. I knew from your reports that you were doing well, but it is good to hear it from you. I have been leading the national army on limited expeditions too. Not as many as yours, but we've had a few victories. Our northern enemies devour our borders. That will continue until Macedon is seen as a power not to be trifled with. When you go, I want you to leave several of your most able officers with me. I must introduce your new tactics at once. Macedon exists on borrowed time, Philip. Your innovations must be taught immediately to my main army."

  Philip had heard that Perdiccas was leading the army in battle maneuvers but was surprised that his philosophically-inclined brother had experienced combat. Macedon’s danger was even greater than he had imagined in remote Elimea.

  "I will, brother, but must you take my best officers?"

  "You can train more. I'll give you replacements from among my whining royal companions. Knowing you, you'll have them living in the mountains eating rats before the month is out."

  Philip laughed and nodded. Perdiccas was right. His brother needed the best military knowledge available for the protection of Macedon. Elimea was only a small element in a complicated equation that must be solved here in Pella by the king. Only Parmenio would return with him to Elimea.

  "There are other dangers Philip," Perdiccas said. "Although we still have diplomatic exchanges with Athens, there has been a significant change in our relationship since you were here. Iphicrates is no longer the envoy of Athens. I was considering asking him to leave when he was recalled.”

  “It's clear that Athens wants to dominate the states of the Gulf, Macedon included. When I first came to power, I thought her actions were only to protect her naval grain routes through the Propontus, but her greed is insatiable. Thrace is now her objective. If she isn't stopped, we'll be next.”

  Perdiccas continued. “We've had a Macedonian garrison in Amphipolis, on the Strymon River, for years. Athens has besieged the outpost and threatens to overrun it. I'll not allow that to happen. Although we are spread thin with internal challenges, I've sent what reinforcements I can spare to help defend the city. We now stand in open opposition to the ever-spreading tentacles of cultured Athens."

  Philip felt bad that he had been so boastful about killing rebels in western Macedonia. Perdiccas faced near insurmountable problems, here in the capital and he needed his younger brother's support. "Send me to Amphipolis," Philip implored.

  Perdiccas smiled and rebuked his brother with a tug of his unruly beard. "I can't risk you in a venture that may turn out to be an Athenian victory. The most we can hope for is that Athens will be held down, unable to sustain the aggression so far from her shores. Besides, you are performing a greater service by training our army. My goal is to have ten thousand men trained by you in the next three months. Then we can breathe a little easier. Remain in Pella for a few days, brother. Attend Euripides’ play tomorrow. Then return to the provinces where you can best serve your country and me."

  "I'll do as you command, Perdiccas. Know that my heart and abilities are with you. We'll prevail in our struggle. Your son will one day succeed you as king of a mighty Macedon; I'll be his greatest general. Farewell, brother of mine."

  The two men embraced and Philip left his brother’s quarters.

  The king stared across the beautiful mosaic floor and considered what had just happened. Clearly, Philip had been thinking about his son and the royal succession. Philip should worry more about an Illyrian spear finding its way into his chest armor instead of concerning himself with events in Pella or my son. He and Philip needed each other now, but Perdiccas wondered whether he was not creating a military monster that would have to be dealt with after the Athenians.

  Philip returned to Elimea with a new sense of mission. He not only had to find and train new recruits into the army
, he had to do it without risking any more men than was necessary. Before his latest meeting with Perdiccas, his youthfulness and his natural impetuosity would not have had him thinking these thoughts. He wondered if this is what his Pythagorean tutors called maturity. No, it was national survival. He was using his intellect to accomplish a goal. There might be other ways for Macedon to win its goals, without headlong rushes into battle. He decided to explore the matter while languishing in his small corner of the realm.

  The next months were spent not only sharpening and enlarging his army, but also learning something from the provincial chieftains that he now dominated. They had been fighting each other for generations. It was common practice among them to cement their short-lived victories with convenient marriages. These marriages involved young girls, often in their teenage years. The girls were unfortunate enough to be the daughter, niece, or close relative of a defeated tribal leader. They were given off in marriage as a prize of war, with the expectation that the act would ensure peace between the conqueror and the vanquished.

  Philip observed the practice and found it interesting, even potentially useful. Yet, during this time when romantic love was considered a form of mental illness, he was skeptical that the practice could endure. Something else was needed to reduce the annoying and often meaningless petty wars that broke out between rival groups. Finally, he arrived at what he thought was a rational balance between outright war and naive trust in the power of arranged marriages. It was bribery. Bribery, coupled with a well-timed marriage to a provincial daughter, appealed more and more to the prince. He was slowly adding to his personal and provincial treasury, a result of his more successful military conquests. Most of these funds went to Perdiccas in Pella, but Philip started keeping a portion for personal needs. The instruments for his experiment were now in his hands, and he awaited only the opportunity.

  Philip himself was the subject of the first bribe-marriage experiment. During his time as governor, he had not challenged the local Elimiote king. Until his power was consolidated, it would have been foolish. But as his strength became unchallengeable, he put his plan into action. King Derdas II of Elimea was presented with an offer that he could not refuse. He would be given the estates of three of Philip's most recently conquered tribes, complete with farms and all slaves. A large sum of silver was added to the offer as enticement. For this, Derdas had to give as concubine his first daughter, a pudgy, retiring maiden named Phila. Philip made it clear that if Derdas didn't consent to the offer, his entire family would be killed or sold into slavery.

  King Derdas accepted Philip's gracious offer and Philip took Phila as his first concubine. She lived in the governor's house with him, but Philip saw her only when he returned from the field. She became pregnant immediately and spent most of her waking hours confined to her small room in the upper part of their home. After only three months of pregnancy, Phila became ill from complications associated with her condition. One night she died, leaving Philip saddened but not crestfallen. His experimental substitute for warfare had succeeded, only the wife failed to produce a male baby. It was poor Phila's only epitaph.

  Soon after these events, Philip learned that rivalries between Thebes and Athens were coming to a climax. Perdiccas wrote that Sparta and Athens had again formed an alliance against Thebes, and a pivotal encounter was expected. The king informed his brother that the Theban-Athenian competition continued in the Thermaic Gulf. Macedon's only course of action was to continue to pit one Greek power against the other to buy precious time. Perdiccas wrote finally that he was considering leading the national army north to counter the increasingly aggressive Illyrians. He asked Philip to contact Illyrian leaders and explore if anything other than war might be used to lessen their threat to Macedon.

  Philip, of course, thought that he should use the twin strategies of bribery and political marriage to solve the problem. He considered an immediate expedition through the rugged mountains to Illyria, but decided against the move. Events in Greece were too unstable, and Elimea stood as the gateway province between Thessaly and the rich fertile plain of lower Macedonia.

  His provincial army in Elimea now numbered five thousand men. It was unchallenged in might in the local area, and Philip was pleased that he had fulfilled completely his brother's expectations. Soon, he would link with Macedon’s national army and his country's enemies would recede before the mighty force. Weeks passed, and Philip judged that events were moving in Macedon's favor. As far as he knew, the power stalemate between Thebes and Athens continued. Macedon was quietly consolidating her military, economic, and administrative power. Then a messenger came from Pella announcing that there had been open conflict between the competing Greek powers. Thebes had defeated Athens and Sparta in a costly battle near the city of Mantinea. Equally important as the Theban victory was the shocking news that Epaminondas had been killed.

  Philip took the news with quiet alarm. He regarded Epaminondas more highly than he had Pelopidas. The Theban leader had taught him much during his captivity. An enormous vacuum now existed in the Greek competition that had been stalemated. He rode alone into the mountains surrounding his province the day that he received the news. Again, Macedon's situation had changed and he assessed these most recent developments. Thebes would never again be a power. Although she had won the battle, it was a Pyrrhic victory. Philip knew from personal experience that Thebes had no national leader to replace Epaminondas. Sparta had been emasculated long before Athens sided with her to challenge Thebes. Only Athens remained an external threat to Macedon. Macedon must subdue its internal enemies quickly. The day was fast approaching when Athens would hurl her forces at them.

  He returned after dark from his solitary ride and announced to his aides that he would lead a small group of his most battle-hardened officers through the mountains to meet with Bardylis, the Illyrian king. Events were quickening and Philip intended to play his part.

  The Illyrian overture was only partially successful. In exchange for significant pieces of Macedonian territory and fifty talents of gold, Philip came away with a promise, codified by treaty: the Illyrians would stop their frontier attacks on Macedonia. He knew that the treaty would be short-lived. The Illyrians had been attacking lower Macedonia for hundreds of years. His father had been forced to pay a humiliating tribute to these savages throughout his sad reign. The tribute had continued during Ptolemy's regency, and Perdiccas was paying it now. This treaty would not end their aggression so simply. But it did give Macedon more time. If the peace failed, he or Perdiccas would handle that problem later.

  Just thirty days later a messenger came from Pella, informing him that the fragile peace that he had established in Illyria had been broken. Perdiccas was leading the national army north from the capital and was expected to encounter the main Illyrian force soon. Philip was ordered to go to Pella at once and be prepared to bring reinforcements if necessary.

  Philip left for Pella with three-fourths of his provincial army the next day. There he awaited word from Perdiccas's scouts, who reported regularly to the capital from the Illyrian frontier. After days of waiting, Philip received shocking news. Perdiccas and four thousand soldiers of the main Macedonian army had been killed in a staggering defeat. The Illyrians were massing to complete their thrust into the heart of lower Macedonia. Their ancient domination by the Macedonians of Aigai and Pella appeared at an end.

  Only the broken remnants of the defeated national army, a woefully small provincial force, and a twenty-three-year-old prince stood in their way.

  CHAPTER 7

  Five pretenders to the Macedonian throne challenged Philip after Perdiccas's death. Three of them were his illegitimate half-brothers, and two were not of the royal family. Within days of Perdiccas's defeat, Philip arrested the three royal family pretenders. Philip had one executed. The remaining two, Arrhidaeus and Menelaus, managed to escape to Olynthus, where they were given refuge.

  The other claimants represented more troubling challenges. Pausanius
of Lyncestis now made his second attempt at Macedon's throne. He was supported by Thrace and represented a serious obstacle to Philip's royal aspirations. Athens offered up Argaeus. He was gathering a fighting army, heavily backed by Athens, in Methone. Athens promised him the return of the vital city of Amphipolis if Philip were defeated.

  These challengers, along with the serious military threats of the Illyrians and Paeonians sweeping still deeper into Macedonia, confronted Philip. He knew it was only a matter of weeks before these issues would be decided. Three days after his brother’s death, he called Parmenio, Attalus and Antipater, Macedon's ranking generals, to the Pella palace.

  “Send messengers to every province," he said. "Tell the tribal chieftains and army commanders that I'm calling an assembly of the Macedonian army in Aigai. They should gather in five days. They're aware of the crisis we face. It will be well attended."

  "The messengers will leave this morning, King Philip," Parmenio said. "They'll be told that you are the only possible choice to lead us out of this calamity."

  Philip shook his head at his friend. "Don't presume my kingship, Parmenio. It isn't assured. Father told me how these assemblies can get out of hand. Rival candidates we've never heard of can be presented. Some come forward independently. Old rivalries and animosities emerge. Have the messengers just tell the chieftains of the assembly. Tell them I'll speak. That’s all they need to know."

  His generals left and Philip was alone. He and Macedon faced their most severe test. He both feared and relished the coming months. He knew he was the only reasonable choice to be selected king, but circumstances often took strange turns. He had already seen enough of life, both in Thebes and in Macedonia, to know that surprise was the enemy of a leader's best intentions. He decided to influence events on a level not visible to most of the chieftains and common soldiers who would judge him in Aigai. Those who would gather there were greedy humans with needs, needs that could be cloyed with silver, gold, and promises of land. Land was especially dear to the hearts of Macedonian chieftains.