Philip V (Macedonia)

Coin of King Philip V of Macedon ( London , British Museum )

Bust probably depicting King Philip V of Macedon. A Roman copy in the reign of Hadrian was born

Philip V ( ancient Greek Φίλιππος , Latin Philip ; * 238 BC ; † 179 BC ) was from 221 to 179 BC. King of Macedonia . He came from the house of the Antigonids and was the son of King Demetrios II Aitolikos and Chryseis.

Life

Since Philip was still a child when his father died, his great-uncle and stepfather Antigonus III took over . Doson ruled Macedonia. Philip was adopted by him, which also recognized his right to the throne. Already marked by serious illness, Antigonus meticulously prepared the succession to the throne, concluded a strong alliance with several central powers (Hellenic League) and appointed a number of tutors for his underage successor, including the statesman of the Achaean League Aratos of Sicyon as a diplomatic mentor .

So Philip took over in 221 BC BC from his stepfather a strengthened Macedonia and the hegemony over most of Greece (Hellenic League). In the so-called Social War (220-217 v. Chr.) Was Philipp defend this legacy successful.

Philip's goal was to extend the supremacy of Macedonia beyond the borders of Greece. He fought against the other two Hellenistic empires of the Ptolemies and Seleucids as well as against numerous smaller and medium-sized Greek powers. In return, however, this led to intensive interference by Rome in Greece.

In the Second Punic War , Philip concluded in 215 BC. BC apparently formed an alliance with Hannibal in the hope of gaining greater land gains on the Adriatic coast , i.e. in Illyria , and above all of being able to oust Rome, which had previously entered the Macedonian area of ​​interest, from Illyria. A large Roman fleet, which, to Philip's astonishment, had sailed from Brundisium, thwarted this hope. In addition, Philip had triggered the first Macedonian-Roman war . In 205 BC The Peace of Phoinike came about during which time Rome, in contrast to its ally, had been since 212 BC. BC, the Aetolian League , did not take part in the fighting. The peace treaty imposed sanctions on Philip, but did not significantly reduce his power.

After the failed expansion in the west, Philip tried to expand his rule in the east, more precisely in the Aegean Sea, at the expense of the Ptolemaic empire, which was very weak at the time. It is controversial in research whether Philip possibly even together with the Seleucid ruler Antiochus III. sought a complete division of the Ptolemaic empire (so-called robbery treaty ). Philip got into a conflict with the trading power of Rhodes and the Kingdom of Pergamon , who saw their economic and territorial interests threatened by a powerful Macedonia and therefore asked the Romans for help. They wanted to punish Philipp anyway for attacking them in the middle of the Second Punic War, and they took up arms without hesitation. In the second Macedonian-Roman War (200–197 BC) that broke out , Philip lost the decisive battle in 197 BC. At Kynoskephalai against the Romans under the leadership of Titus Quinctius Flamininus . In the subsequent peace treaty Philip was forced to give up his fleet and important bases as well as hegemony over Greece. With the declaration of freedom of Flamininus in 196 BC In addition, Philip had to forego any further expansion in Greece, and the Macedonian rule in Caria in Asia Minor came to an end.

Philip recognized that he had no chance against Rome and subsequently became Rome's ally in the war against the Aetolian League and Antiochus III. He was then able to consolidate his position in the Balkans again, which was not contrary to the Treaty of 196, but aroused suspicion in Rome. After his death, his son Perseus tried to increase the power of Macedonia again; but he was attacked by Rome under flimsy accusations and was defeated in 168 BC. In the Third Macedonian War in the Battle of Pydna the Romans under Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus .

Since the two most important sources on Philip, Polybios and Titus Livius , have a pre-Roman color, it is difficult to arrive at a balanced judgment about the king. Philip was considered a capable administrator and general who brought the Macedonian state to the height of its efficiency. However, according to Polybios, he was also prone to political misconduct and brutality. He had his son Demetrios executed as a traitor because of his sympathy for Rome, which the Romans did not forgive him and Perseus. He also allegedly poisoned the famous Achaean strategist Aratos of Sikyon and seduced his daughter-in-law Polykratia, which cost him additional sympathy among the Greeks.

He had five children from two different marriages:

• Perseus († 165 BC), last king of Macedonia
• Demetrios († 181 BC)
• Philip
• Apame, ∞ with King Prusias II of Bithynia
• Daughter , ∞ with the Thracian prince Teres

swell

• Polybios , Historien, Books IV and V.

literature

• Ernst Badian : Titus Quinctius Flamininus. Philhellenism and Realpolitik . University Press, Cincinnati, Ohio 1971.
• Hermann Bengtson : rulers of the Hellenism . Beck, Munich 1975, ISBN 3-406-00733-3 , pp. 211-233.
• Arthur M. Eckstein: T. Quinctius Flamininus and the campaign against Philip in 198 BC In: Phoenix , Jg. 30 (1976), pp. 119-142, ISSN  0031-8299 .
• Michael Kleu: The maritime policy of Philip V of Macedonia. Publishing house Dr. Dieter Winkler, Bochum 2015. ISBN 978-3-89911-251-1 .

predecessor	Office	successor
Antigonus III. Doson	King of Macedonia 221–179 BC Chr.	Perseus