Philip II of Macedon became king at the age of 23 in very dire situations in 359 BCE (Sekunda 4). There were threats from barbarians in northern Macedonia and threats from the wily Greek cities in the south (4). Philip had to act quickly to take control and so he had to create an army (4). He had spent time in Thebes as a hostage and had acquired military knowledge "through the work of Epaminondas, one of the greatest generals of the age" ("Philip II"). He armed his soldiers “with a sarissa, a pike which, measuring about 16 feet long, had a greater range than Greek weapons” (“Philip II”). This weapon made his army very powerful and allowed his phalanxes to strike first (“Philip II”). In 338 BCE, Philip defeated Chaeronea, “one of the Greek city-states” (Heckel 2). The “League of Corinth” was formed by securing “an alliance of the Greek states” under King Philip, “the hegemon or supreme military commander” (2). Philip had “unified the Macedonian state, consolidated power in the north and made himself master of the Greek world” (15). He was known for creating alliances through marriage, securing allegiances to expand his empire ("Philip"). His first wife, Audata, sealed an allegiance to Illyria, and her marriage to Phila, a Macedonian princess, made his ties to Macedon ("Philip") much stronger. He later married Olympias, securing an alliance with Epirus and the western frontier ("Philip"). Philip and Olympias had two children, Alexander III and Cleopatra (Freeman 36). He divorces Olympias to marry Cleopatra of Eurydice, the niece of his general Attalus, whom he needs for the invasion of Persia (33). Attalus made it known during their wedding ceremony that he did not believe Alexander was a legitimate heir (34). Alexander has an altercation with Attalus,...... middle of paper...... the Great Macedonian King and Alexander III would be the Great General. Alexander IV would have the leadership of two very powerful leaders in the world. After Philip's natural death, Alexander III became king, continuing what his father had started. Their strong lineage would continue for generations with Alexander IV as the next heir to the throne. Works Cited Freeman, Philip. Alexander the Great. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2011. Print. Green, Peter. The Hellenistic period. New York: Modern Library, 2007. Print. Heckel, Waldemar. The conquests of Alexander the Great. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2008. “Philip of Macedon” print. Macedonian History Website, 2013. Web. November 2, 2013. “Philip II of Macedonia”. The Biography Channel website, 2013. Web. November 2, 2013.Sekunda, Nick. The army of Alexander the Great. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 1984. Print.