History: Philip II

359 - 336 BCE- Philip II was a king of Macedonia, and father of famed conquerer Alexander the Great. Philip was an admirer of Greek culture and Greek military acumen. When Philip took control of Macedonia he began to build a large army in order to ensure the strength of the state. Philip believed that the Greek's relied too heavily on mercenaries, so he used Macedonian countrymen in his army. The army was funded through the gold extracted from the gold mines of Mount Pangaeus. Philip's army was also armed with longer spears than the Greeks. As Philip's power and reach grew in Macedonia, the Greeks grew more and more nervous. Athens finally undertook an offensive near Thebes in 338 BCE. The Macedonian army defeated the Greeks, and this conflict eventually lead Philip to have control over the entire region. Philip was the victim of political assassination in 336 BCE.