Macedon

“Glory, Order, Power”

“They were not aware, he said, that the Macedonian sun had not yet altogether set.”

Philip threatens the Greek Thessalians, Diodorus, 29.16.1-2

Macedon. Once a backwards kingdom, suffering frequent invasions and subject to humiliation from Persians and Greeks alike. Macedon has become a powerful nation on the world stage, brought out of its state of powerlessness by the herculean efforts of Philip II, who became first regent and then King in a kingdom of so-called goat herders and transformed it into a powerful nation of cities and warriors. He bequeathed this kingdom to his son, Alexander III, or Alexander the Great. Who conquered the known world with the formidable army he inherited from his father Philip II.

However, when Alexander died and he left no heir capable of holding his empire together, it separated into various smaller successor states – with Antipater inheriting the Kingdom of Macedon. After Antipater and his son Cassander died, the Kingdom slipped into a period of civil war, its borders shrinking to that of Philip II’s reign once more. With power now resting with the grandson of Antipater, Antigonus II, and the kingdom stabilised under his rule, Macedon looks to extend its borders once more and regain its position as a powerful Kingdom. Barbarians prowl the north and east, probing for weakness, and whilst while much of Greece to the south is theoretically under the Macedonian Yoke there are angry mutterings in these once proud city-states. To the west, Epirus is weakened by a disastrous conflict against some upstart Italian power across the sea known as Rome. Alexander’s legacy waits for no man.

With the armies of Macedon, Alexander conquered the known world. Philip II established the model Macedonian army, based primarily upon the Sarissa (Pike) wielding Phalangite and the famed Companion and Thessalian cavalry. As for its naval capacity, Macedon has long relied on its city-state allies for its navy. The Macedonian Infantry- Pezhetairoi (The Foot Companions) were the backbone of the Macedonian infantry. Wielding pikes of 14-18 feet, the foot companions provided a stable and effective infantry line that was supported by lighter armed infantry- the Hypaspists. Together, these troops were the mainstay of infantry for Alexander and Philip’s infantry- and this hasn’t changed. Regarded as possibly the finest cavalry of the ancient world, the Companion Cavalry led the Macedonian armies to numerous victories and continue to provide an excellent heavy cavalry force for the armies of Macedon.

In Total War: Rome 2, Macedon will gain advantages fighting against Hellenic factions, and will enjoy improved income and provincial growth for each Client state that is controlled. As experienced soldiers, the Macedonian warriors will also gain an advantage fighting over barbarians. However, Macedonia is still suffering from its hegemony over the Greeks, and will find it harder to maintain relations with Hellenic nations due to a diplomacy penalty.

Historically, Macedon fought several major wars against the Romans, the losses of which led to the overthrow of its Kings, and the absorption of Macedon into Roman-controlled land. It was later reorganised into the province of Macedonia, and would remain in hands of Rome and her successors until the rise of the First Bulgarian Empire in 837AD. From there, the Byzantines, Serbians, and Western Franks would all fight over the homeland of Alexander the Great throughout the Middle Ages until finally it was annexed into the Ottoman Empire at the end of the 14th Century.