Philip (son of Agathocles of Pella)

Philip (Greek: Φίλιππος, flourished 4th century BC, died about 328 BC) was a Greek nobleman who was a Macedonian Thessalian.

Philip was the youngest of four sons born to Agathocles^[1][2] and his wife, perhaps named Arsinoe. His paternal grandfather may have been called Alcimachus and one of his brothers was Lysimachus one of the Diadochi of Alexander the Great.^[3]

His father was a nobleman of high rank who was an intimate friend of King Philip II of Macedon, who shared in Philip II’s councils and became a favorite in the Argead court.^[4] Philip with his brothers grew up with the status of Macedonians; he with his brothers enjoyed prominent positions in King Alexander the Great’s circle^[5] and Philip with his brothers were educated at the court at Pella.^[6]

Philip served as a royal Hypaspist^[7] in the service of Alexander with his brothers. Not so long after the death of Cleitus the Black, Philip accompanied Alexander with 500 stades on foot, refusing the mount of Lysimachus’ horse who rode nearby.^[8] He remained near Alexander’s side, both in the pursuit of the supporters of Sisimithres; his Sogdianan rebels and their cavalry.^[9] In what followed after, Philip finally collapsed from exhaustion and died in Alexander’s arms.^[10][11] In his military actions, Philip was trying to emulate his second eldest brother, Lysimachus.^[12]

Philip had two nephews who were his namesakes: Philip the second son of his first eldest brother Alcimachus of Apollonia^[13] and Philip one of the sons of Lysimachus.^[14]

References

Sources

• Lysimachus’ article at Livius.org
• H.S. Lund, Lysimachus: A Study in Early Hellenistic Kingship, Routledge, 2002
• W. Heckel, Who’s who in the age of Alexander the Great: prosopography of Alexander’s empire, Wiley-Blackwell, 2006