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9 - Macedonia

from Part II - Contexts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 January 2024

Daniel Ogden
Affiliation:
University of Exeter
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Summary

The Macedonia Alexander left in spring 334 BCE was principally the making of his father Philip II, though Philip’s ‘Macedonia proper’ had been largely a recovery of the Argead realm of Alexander I more than a century earlier. Early expansion from Pieria into the central plain of Bottiaea established a core of Argead control in Lower Macedonia. Following the retreat of Xerxes’ army after 479, Alexander I took full advantage of a power void to expand into the eastern region, conquering eastern Mygdonia, annexing Crestonia and Bisaltia eastwards to the Strymon valley and gaining control of rich supplies of mineral deposits and timber. Most of the eastern territory was lost after 450 BCE, but Philip II, in addition to recovering the old kingdom and consolidating Upper with Lower Macedonia, through conquest and diplomacy more than doubled the politically controlled territory of Macedonia. His transformation of Macedonia included the subjugation of Paeonians, Illyrians, Thracians and Triballians, the opening up of trade and securing of mining, control of Epirus, domination of Thessaly and the uniting of the southern Greek poleis under his hegemony. Alexander inherited a stable kingdom, a tested army of Macedonians, subordinate allies and a secure supply line to Asia.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • Macedonia
  • Edited by Daniel Ogden, University of Exeter
  • Book: The Cambridge Companion to Alexander the Great
  • Online publication: 04 January 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108888349.010
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  • Macedonia
  • Edited by Daniel Ogden, University of Exeter
  • Book: The Cambridge Companion to Alexander the Great
  • Online publication: 04 January 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108888349.010
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Macedonia
  • Edited by Daniel Ogden, University of Exeter
  • Book: The Cambridge Companion to Alexander the Great
  • Online publication: 04 January 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108888349.010
Available formats
×