Rise of the Macedonian Empire

About this book

Through diplomacy and conquest the Kingdom of Macedonia under Philip II (382-336 BC) came to dominate ancient Greece. To the classical Greek phalanx, Philip added ranks of soldiers wielding a 6-meter spear called the sarissa, creating an infantry invincible until the advent of the Roman legions. Following his father's assassination, Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) succeeded to the throne and spent the rest of his short life establishing an empire stretching from Greece to northwestern India. The Hellenistic culture disseminated by Alexander long outlived his empire, developing through the Roman world into modern western civilization. (Summary by Pamela Nagami, M.D.)