Featured Philip II King of Macedon, The Quick and the Dead

Philip II Tetradrachm Lifetime Issue
Philip II Tetradrachm Lifetime Issue Amphipolis Mint, 355-349/8.
O: Laureate head of Zeus to right.
R: ΦΙΛΙΠ ΠΟΥ Philip II, wearing kausia and chlamys and raising his right hand in salute, riding to left; horizontal club below belly.
- Le Rider 96-108

The reverse is a representation of the King’s arrival on his accession to the throne, dressed in traditional Macedonian garb.

Early posthumous issue:

Silver Tetradrachm, Amphipolis mint. Early posthumous issue, struck under Kassander.
O: Zeus right wearing laurel wreath with berries.
R: Φ I Λ I Π - Π OY (Of Philip) Naked youth on horse prancing right holding long palm branch and reins; aplustre below; Γ under foreleg.
-Rider pl. 46, 18; SNG ANS 740. Light golden toning.

Plutarch (Alex., 3)
"To Philip, however, who had just taken Potidaea, there came three messages at the same time: the first that Parmenio had conquered the Illyrians in a great battle, the second that his race-horse had won a victory at the Olympic games, while a third announced the birth of Alexander. These things delighted him, of course, and the seers raised his spirits still higher by declaring that the son whose birth coincided with three victories would be always victorious."

Plutarch (Alex., 4.10)
"...and (Philip) took care to have the victories of his chariots at Olympia engraved upon his coins..."

The reverse-types of Philip’s coins are nearly all agonistic, and refer either to the games celebrated by him at Dium in honour of the Olympian Zeus (Müller, Mon. d'Alex., pp. II and 344), or, preferably, to the great Olympian games where his chariots were victorious. We have, indeed, the direct assertion of Plutarch (Alex., c. 4) in favour of the latter hypothesis, τας εν ‘Ολυμπια νικας των αρματων εγχαραττων τοις νομισμασιν. Philip was also successful at Olympia with the race-horse (ιππω κελητι νενικηκέναι; Plut., Alex., 3), a victory of which he perpetuated the memory on his tetradrachms. The horseman with kausia and chlamys is less certainly agonistic, and may (perhaps with a play upon his name) represent the king himself as a typical Macedonian ιππευς. Philip’s coins were struck at many mints in various parts of his empire. For the various mint-marks which they bear see Müller’s Num. d'Alex. le Grand, the local attributions in which are, however, to be accepted with great caution. They continued to circulate in Europe long after his death, and the Gauls, when they invaded and pillaged Greece, took vast numbers of them back into their own land, where they long continued to serve as models for the native currency of Gaul and Britain. (Historia Numorum, Barclay V. Head, 1887)

It is clear that, trying hard to show off, to pass and ultimately to impose his Greek character, Philip was especially interested in the aesthetic aspect of his coins and also in the propaganda and psychological effects they would have
on the rest of the Greek world, and especially on "those sarcastic, democratic Athenians" and on "the more barbarian" people than himself...

Demosthenes (19, 308)
"And as for Philip,—why, good Heavens, he was a Greek of the Greeks, the finest orator and the most thorough—going friend of Athens you could find in the whole world. And yet there were some queer, ill-conditioned fellows in Athens who did not blush to abuse him, and even to call him a barbarian! "

 

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Gorgeous coins, @Nemo ! And, great recap!

PHILIP II


Makedon Philip II Tet Pella LIFETIME 353-349 Zeus Horse star spearhd Le Rider 102



MAKEDON Philip II 1/5th Stater Apollo head r - Horseman r trident below as S6691

 

Amazing looking tetradrachms! I always enjoyed the lifetime issue more than the posthumous, Philip II riding with his kausia looks really cool.

I just got a meager 1/5 stater:

Philip II (359-336 BC). AR Fifth Tetradrachm. Posthumous issue by Philip III Arrhidaios (323-317 BC) in the types of Philip II. Amphipolis mint. Struck under Polyperchon, circa 318-317 BC.
Obverse: Head of Apollo right, wearing tainia.
Reverse: ΦIΛIΠΠOY, Horseman riding right; monogram below.
Reference: Le Rider pl. 45, 7-9; Troxell, Studies, Group 7, 366-8; SNG ANS 650-7.

 

Great Philips @Alegandron, they're both excellent. Any other Kings of Macedon examples out there?

 

The Athenians called Philip a barbarian because he spoke a greek dialect and drunk his wine straight without diluting it with water.

 

Nice stater @Pavlos. Here's mine:

Kassander. As regent, 317-305 BC, or King, 305-297 BC. AR 1/5 Tetradrachm. In the name and types of Philip II. Uncertain Macedonian mint (Amphipolis?). Head of Apollo right / Horseman riding right; club below. Le Rider pl. 48, 10-2; SNG ANS 822-6

 

Nice bronzes @Bing, @Andres2
I just finished listening to the Great Courses "Alexander the Great and the Macedonian Empire" by Prof Harl and I highly recommend it. It's motivated me to start photographing more of my Greeks.

 

Argead Dynasty - Makedon Basileus collection - BEFORE Phillip II



MAKEDON
Alexander I 498-454 BCE
AR Obol 10mm 0.75g
Horse - Quadripartite incuse square
SNG ANS 32 Rare
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_I_of_Macedon



MAKEDON
Perdikkos II 454-413 BCE
AR heavy tetrobol 2.4g 15mm 12h mint 437-431 BC
horseman holding two spears prancing
Forepart Lion in incuse square
Raymond 184ff SNG ANS 47ff
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perdiccas_II_of_Macedon



MAKEDON
Amyntas II 395-393 BCE
Æ12, Dichalkon 2.0g, 12h; Aigai or Pella mint.
Obv.: Head of Pan right.
Rev.: Forepart of wolf chewing on bone.
Ref: Westermark, Remarks, 2; SNG Alpha Bank 179-80.
Very Rare.
Ex: @John Anthony
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amyntas_II_of_Macedon



MAKEDON
Amyntas III 393-369 BCE
GRANDFATHER of Alexander III the Great
AE 17mm, 3.2g
Obv: Head of Herakles r, wearing lion skin
Rev: AMUNTA, Eagle devouring serpant
Ref: SNG ANS 100ff
Ex: @Blake Davis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amyntas_III_of_Macedon

 

Great Tetradrachm's @Nemo - I don't have one to share, but I do have this favorite bronze with a glossy green patina that I find challenging to photograph.

Macedonian Kingdom, Philip II, 359-336 BC, AE unit (17.5 mm, 7.41g)
Obv: Head of Apollo right, wearing tainia (headband)
Rev: ΦIΛIΠΠOY, youth on horseback riding right; thunderbolt (?) below

 

Alexander III Lifetime Tetradrachm
KINGS OF MACEDON. Alexander III ‘the Great’, 336-323 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 25 mm, 17.13 g, 12 h), Tarsos, struck under Balakros or Menes, circa 333-327.
O: Head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress.
R: AΛEΞANΔPOY Zeus seated left on low throne, holding long scepter in his left hand and eagle standing right with closed wings in his right.
- Price 2999. A rare early and unusual issue from Tarsos, "Officina B", bearing no symbol.

Alexander III Lifetime Drachm
Alexander III ‘the Great’ AR Drachm (18mm 4.24g) Sardes mint. Lifetime issue, circa 334/25-323 BC.
O: Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin R: Zeus Aëtophoros seated left; torch in left field, monogram below throne. Price 2567.

 

Beautiful new tet, @Nemo!!

Fantastic Kassander 1/5th tet too

I've shown my Philip II tet dozens of times but I'll happily show it again


KINGS OF MACEDON, Philip II. 356-336 BCE
AR tetradrachm. 24mm, 14.20 gm, 12h
Pella, 342-336 BCE
Obv: Laureate head of Zeus right
Rev: ΦIΛIΠ-ΠOY, youth, holding palm and reins, on horseback right, thunderbolt below, N in exergue
Ref: Le Rider 222-306. SNG ANS 385-95
ex Colosseo Collection

 

Always nice to see such a beautiful example @TIF

 

Thats so cool

 

Philip II Stater Pella Minted during reign of Alexander III Le Rider 80 Symbol Thunderbolt 336-328 B.C. 8.61 grms 23 mm

 

Here's mine from the same period

 

More importantly, he was FATHER to Philip II, who was the GREATER man.

Philip II was a brilliant man. He rebuilt a shattered kingdom, innovatively rebuilt an Army and a Cavalry, secured mines for financing, ensured brilliant people and generals within his ranks, conquered most of Greece into his Hegemon, and developed a plan and strategy to invade and conquer Persia. He also loved, trained, educated, and tutored his son as a successor. Philip II was assassinated before his time.

Alexander INHERITED all this incredible infrastructure, and implemented Philip’s vision. Albeit, brilliantly, as his father would had.

LIFETIME issue of Alexander after conquering Persia


BABALONIA, Babylon
AR Tetradrachm / Stater (or Dishekel)
Minted ca. 323-328 B.C.
24 mm, 16.3g
Obv: Ba’al seated left holding scepter
Rev: Lion walking left, control mark Г above. (Control mark was minted during Alexander III Lifetime)
Ref: Ref: BMC Arabia XXII no.1

 

@Alegandron, I don't think Alexander would agree with you.

It reminds me of the nice family dinner they were enjoying when Philip decided to impale Alexander. After falling on his face, Alexander remarked,"Here is the man who was making ready to cross from Europe to Asia, and who cannot even cross from one table to another without losing his balance!"

In any case, while Philip was a brilliant king, what Alexander accomplished was far greater than anything Philip could have even imagined.

Recall Octavian's observation as he paid his respect to Alexander by placing a golden diadem upon his head and flowers on his body. When asked if he would like to see the body of Ptolemy, he replied that he came to see a king, not corpses.

 

No argument, I understand and am aware of each of those passages. However, also note that Alexander and Philip "made up" after those incidences, and Philip continued on to give Alexander more and more control and responsibilities.

As known, the Victors write the History. Had Philip not created these major reforms and fetes for Makedon, I wonder how far Alexander may had gone in History?

All that aside, I always understand that all great people did not accomplish on their own. There were always resources that helped enable that person to incredibly excell.

 

Well said!