Philip of Macedon was one of the extraordinary figures of antiquity. Inheriting a kingdom near collapse, he left to his son Alexander the strongest state in Eastern Europe. He developed new military technology and made Macedonia the greatest power in the Western world. He created a united, multiracial kingdom based on liberal principles--and added to it the resources of a Balkan empire. Most important, he inspired the city-states of the Greek peninsula to form a unified community, ensuring peace among its members, the rule of law in internal politics, and collective security in the face of agressors. No statesman in Europe had ever achieved so much.

In Philip of Macedon N. G. L. Hammond presents a narrative history of Hellenistic Macedonia from the state's rise out of obscurity under Philip to the accession of Alexander. Focusing on the character and career of Philip, Hammond discusses developments in military technology and strategy, the social composition and geography of northern Greece, and the region's political developments. He also examines the world of the city-states, the nature of their democracies, their propensity for interstate warfare, and their development of capitalism, scientific methods, and philosophical ideas.

With close analysis of the literary and material evidence--including interpretations of recent archaeological discoveries--Hammond offersa unique portrait of Philip as a Macedonian. Including illustrations of the frescoes and artifacts found in the Royal Tombs at Vergina in 1977, the book also reveals the culture and artistry of the Macedonian people who made Philip's success possible.