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Epirus Under Macedonian Hegemony (359 BCE)
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In 359 BCE, the kingdom of Epirus—a rugged and politically fragmented region in northwestern Greece—found itself under the growing influence of Macedon, then ruled by the ambitious King Philip II. This period marked a crucial phase in the expansion of Macedonian power, as Philip sought to consolidate control over neighboring territories to strengthen his kingdom against external threats, particularly the Illyrians and the Greek city-states to the south.
Epirus was a loosely united region inhabited by various tribes, the most prominent being the Molossians, Thesprotians, and Chaonians. Unlike the more centralized Greek poleis, Epirote society was tribal and monarchical, with kings (or basileis) ruling over federations. By the mid-4th century BCE, Epirus was vulnerable to external pressures, particularly from Illyrian raids and Macedonian expansion.
Philip II of Macedon (r. 359-336 BCE) was a master strategist who used diplomacy, marriage alliances, and military force to expand his influence. Around 359 BCE, he intervened in Epirote affairs, possibly supporting a pro-Macedonian faction or securing the submission of local rulers. While exact details are scarce, it is likely that Philip either imposed a vassal relationship or formed an alliance with the Molossians, the dominant Epirote tribe at the time.
A key moment in this relationship was Philip's marriage to Olympias, a Molossian princess (and future mother of Alexander the Great), around 357 BCE. This alliance further cemented Macedonian influence over Epirus, turning it into a de facto satellite kingdom.
Epirus's vassalage to Macedon had long-term implications:
- Strengthened Macedonian Dominance: Philip secured his western flank, allowing him to focus on subduing Thessaly and confronting Athens and Thebes.
- Rise of the Molossian Dynasty: Olympias's family, the Aeacidae, gained prominence, and her brother, Alexander I of Epirus, later ruled as a Macedonian ally.
- Future Independence: After Philip's death (336 BCE) and the rise of Alexander the Great, Epirus regained some autonomy under Pyrrhus, who would later challenge Rome in the Pyrrhic Wars (280-275 BCE).
The submission of Epirus to Macedon in 359 BCE was a small but significant step in Philip II's grand strategy of unifying Greece under Macedonian hegemony. While overshadowed by later events, this moment illustrates how diplomacy and dynastic marriages played as crucial a role as military conquest in the rise of Macedon.
(Note: Primary sources from this period are limited, and much of our understanding comes from later historians like Diodorus Siculus and Plutarch. Some details remain speculative.)
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