The Life of Philip II of Macedon

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 II 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 II's life. Many of these concern his death and whether or not he was murdered by his wife, his son, a combination, or some political or military rival. 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 II are discussed and described.

The audience for whom this was written is an academic one, probably made up largely of historians along with students of antiquity and the Hellenistic period. Riginos inclu