Macedon

Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, conquered Greece in the 330s BC, ushering in a new period of Greek history. Here are some photos from my trip to Macedon.


Chaeronaea - where Philip and the Macedonian army defeated a coalition of Greek forces in a decisive battle in 338 BC. The teenaged Alexander played a decisive role in this battle.









All 300 members of the "Sacred Band" from Thebes were killed in this battle. This is the monument erected to honor them. There has been very little restoration to the statue, but the pedestal is modern.















Pella. One of the Macedonian capital cities (there were two). Most of these ruins are Roman, since Rome defeated and incorporated Macedonia and Greece in the 2nd century BC.










Aigai. This was the original capital of Macedon and it retained important religious functions, including the graves of the royal family.

Most of the stones were carted away to build the modern town of Vergina, so there's not much left. The royal tombs are just down the road a couple hundred yards. There is no photography allowed inside the tombs museum, so sorry. . . .





The theater at Aigai, where Philip II was assassinated in 336 BC. Philip was celebrating the marriage of his daughter and entered the theater alone, having dismissed his bodyguard so he wouldn't appear to be a tyrant.










After Philip's death, his 20 year-old son became king. Alexander's legend hardly needs re-telling here.

This head was found at Pella and is commonly called the "Pella Alexander." His hairstyle is supposed to emulate a lion's mane