Philippos' assassination

Philippos, king of Macedonia, bore a purely Greek name, which derives from philos=friend (compare to audiophile) + hippos=horse (compare to hippodrome). He was father to Alexandros, who also had a Greek name, derived from alex=repel + andras=man (compare to androgen or android). A similar etymological analysis attests that all Macedonian names in ancient texts or tombs are of Greek origin.

In the spring of 336 B.C., Philippos, King of Macedonia, then 46 years old and in command of all of Greece, was planning to march against the Persian Kingdom to free the Greek city-states on Asia Minor from Persian rule.

His generals, Attalos and Parmenion, had already been sent to Asia, and before marching out to join them, he decided to ask the gods for their opinion.  When he asked Pythia, priestess at Delphi Oracle, whether he would win over the Persian King, she, in the usual cryptic way that she dealt with such requests, answered:  “The bull is already crowned, everything is ready, the one who will sacrifice him is already appointed.”

Philippos’ interpretation of the oracle was simple: “The Bull is the Persian King and I am already appointed as the one who will destroy his kingdom.”  The thought that the bull to be sacrificed might be himself did not even cross his mind.

Full of optimism and self-confidence, he commanded that the preparations be started for the grandiose wedding of his daughter Kleopatra to Alexandros, King of Epirus.  He wished that the festivities related to the wedding would serve as a dazzling farewell event in relation to his starting his war expedition.  Official representatives from all the Greek cities showed up in Aeges, bringing precious presents and renewing their alliance with him.

During the festivities, Philippos asked Neoptolomos, an actor and singer in Aeges, to sing some poem composed especially in his honor; Neoptolemos sang a prophecy-song of an impending death.  For a second time Philippos did not pay any serious attention, persuaded that it was the Persian king’s death that was the subject of the poem. 

The next day, the theater in Aeges was replete since dawn with people wishing to attend.  The big procession started from the palace, the statues of the twelve gods at the lead, all superbly sculpted and adorned, followed by a thirteenth one, equally imposing.  It was a statue in honor of Philippos himself!  The people in the theater kept silent, partly because they were dazzled by the exuberant display of wealth, partly because of their fright of the “Hyvris” committed.   (Hyvris = insult to the Divine and Natural Order).

Here he comes!  Philippos, dressed in white, following the thirteen statues, accompanied by the two Alexandros, his son and his son-in-law to be.  Walking unescorted, having ordered his guards to keep away from him, here was a king who basked in the love of all Hellenes and who had nothing to fear.  He may have lost one eye at war, walked slightly limping because of an old injury to his leg, but the greatness of his kingdom, combined with his posture, made him really resemble a god!

All of a sudden, the blade of a dagger flashes and disappears into the king’s body.  The assassin, Pausanias, one of his own guards, is already fleeing to reach a saddled horse waiting for him at the theater’s entrance.  He can’t make it.  He is caught and slain on the spot, taking the name of the instigator to his grave.  The people, though, after the screams had died away, were persuaded that it was the “Hyvris” committed that had infuriated the gods against the now dead king.

And so the course of history was changed ... now it was Alexandros’ chance to attain greatness.