The Murder of Philip IIWhen did it happen? Summer of 336 BC

Where did it happen?Aegae (the old Macedonian capital)

What was going on?The wedding of Philip’s daughter Cleopatra (daughter of Olympias) to Alexander the King of Epirus (brother of Olympias)During the elaborate games that had been arranged for the following day after the wedding feast.

Who was there/involved?• Philip II (King of Macedonia)• Alexander (Philips son)• Alexander the King of Epirus (brother to Olympias and now son-in-law to Philip)• Pausanias of Orestis (Philip’s bodyguard, lover, and murderer)

How did it happen?

• Philip was making a grand entrance into the theatre accompanied by his son Alexander and new son-in law the King of Epirus.His bodyguards were following further behind.

• Pausanias ran from the crowd and fatally stabbed Philip in the chest and then attempted to escape by running to the gates where he had a horse waiting.

• However Pausanias caught his foot in a vine and fell to the ground where he was caught by a group of Philip’s bodyguards and immediately speared to death with Javelins.

Who was Pausanias of Orestis and why did he kill King Philip?

• Pausanias was a Macedonian noble and bodyguard of King Philip. He was also Philip’s ex-lover.

• WHY? Personal grudge vs. puppet

Personal Grudge• Pausanias of Orestis was Philip’s lover.

• Another young man also named Pausanias was attracting the king’s attention.

• Pausanias of Orestis became jealous and began to insult and harass the other Pausanias.

• The other Pausanias became very upset from the harassment and committed suicide by placing himself in front of the King during battle.

• Before he committed suicide Pausanias confided in his friend Attalus (father-in-

law to Philip) about the harassment.

• Attalus decided to avenge Pausanias’ death. He invited Pausanias of Orestis to dinner where he got him blind drunk and then handed him over to his grooms to be beaten.

• Pausanias complained to Philip demanding justice for his assault, but Philip did nothing because Attalus was too influential as well as his father-in-law. Attalus was also the general in charge of the advance guard to Asia.

• Philip attempted to appease Pausanias of Orestis anger with gifts and promotions but he was not satisfied and decided to kill Philip.

Or was Pausanias put up to it by someone else?

• There is a concern about dates. The dates of the battle where Pausanias committed suicide and that Pausanias of Orestis was assaulted by Attalus’s men can be placed at the same time as the campaign against the Illyrians 8 years earlier than Philip’s murder. Some argue that this is a long time for Pausanias to hold a grudge.

But it is possible.

• If it wasn’t due to personal motive……..

Who put Pausanias up to it?

The Suspects• Alexander

• Olympias

• King of Persia

• Antipater

• Lyncestian Brothers

Suspect 1Alexander

The death of Philip came at such an opportune time for Alexander because his relationship with Philip

was rather unstable due to . . . .

• The Wedding feast• Attalus called on guests to pray for “a legitimate son”

which insulted Alexander and Olympias• Alexander upset that his father did not defend his or his

mother’s honour.

• Alexander’s position as heir was threatened by Philip’s new wife if she gave birth to a son.

• Cleopatra’s son would be more Macedonian than Alexander

• Alexander only half Macedonian. (His mother was from Epirus)

Alexander cont.• The Pixodarus Affair

• Pixodarus was the ruler of Caria and was aligned with Persian King Artaxerxes III

• After King Artaxerxes died in 338 BC Pixodarus offered his daughter in a marriage alliance with Philip’s other son Philip Arrihaeus (known as the half-witted son of Philip and a Thessalian woman)

• Alexander found out and thought he was being undermined

• He secretly offered to marry Pixodarus’ daughter instead which Pixodarus happily accepted

• Philip found out and was extremely angry because his marriage alliance would have aided Philip’s advance into Asia. Philip stopped the wedding.

• Philip banished Alexander’s closest friends.

Suspect 2Olympias

• She had been supplanted as favourite wife– She was very resentful of Philip’s new wife Cleopatra

• She was determined to see Alexander succeed to the Macedonian throne.

• The historian Justin gives some accounts of Olympias’ actions after the murder which make her seem guilty.

• According to Plutarch, Olympias encouraged Pausanias’ resentment of Philip.

Suspect 3The Persian King

• Philip was planning an invasion of Persia• According to Alexander’s letter to Darius in

333 BC, the Persians claimed credit for the murder.

Suspect 4Antipater

• A Macedonia Noble• May have approved plot to kill Philip• First to acclaim Alexander as King• Disapproved of Philip’s claims of divinity

Suspect 5The Lyncestian brothers

• Brothers Arrhabaeus and Heromenes• Memebers of royal family from

Lyncetis• Their father had been exiled by Philip• These brothers were executed by

Alexander shortly after he became King

So who is guilty??Pausanias certainly killed

King Philip

• But no real evidence that can confirm whether he acted alone or was put up to it.

• We can only speculate as to who may have been involved.

Follow up questions• What was the occation that Philip was

mudered at?

• What was Pausanias’ reasons for killing the king?

• Why might this motive for the murder be doubted?

• Who else might have wanted Philip dead and why?