Philip II of Macedon

Philip II of Macedon is best known today as the father of Alexander the Great, but he was a leading force in the ancient world on his own. Two recent articles address different issues about his life and about the problems he presents to historians because of the fact that there are no surviving biographies of Philip from his own day and few surviving and substantial histories from that time as well.

The article by Alice Swift Riginos addresses one element in the ancient biographical tradition of Philip II and tries to show how specific facts--namely, that Philip was gravely wounded in the right eye, in the collar bone, and in the leg--gave rise to fictitious fabrications that would enter into the biographical tradition and become accepted as truths about Philip's life. Riginos presents her story as if it were a legal case. She begins with the evidence that has been offered and then dissects each element of that evidence to see how it was originally reported, how it has become part of the biographical tradition, and what truth there may be to the specific piece of information. The general injuries experienced by Philip are discussed and described.

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Category: History - P