Alexander with Philip in the Caves of Pella

King Philip shows a young Alexander the heroes and gods in the caves of Pella. Although he is often only remembered for being the father of Alexander the Great, Philip II of Macedon (reigned 359 BCE - 336 BCE) was an accomplished king and military commander in his own right, setting the stage for his son’s victory over Darius III and the conquest of Persia. Philip inherited a weak, backward country with an ineffective, undisciplined army and molded them into a formidable, efficient military force, eventually subduing the territories around Macedonia as well as subjugating most of Greece. He used bribery, warfare, and threats to secure his kingdom. However, without his insight and determination, history would never have heard of Alexander. Unlike many of the city-states in Greece, Macedonia was a monarchy, seen as primitive and backward by the rest of Greece. Although the people spoke a Greek dialect, many believed the country was useful only as a source of timber and pastureland. The royal