In this episode we begin exploring the path blazed by Philip II of Macedon (382 - 336 BCE). A military and diplomatic genius who ushered in the Rise of Macedon, bringing Greece to its knees and that laid the foundation for the conquest to the Achaemenid Persian Empire. In order to appreciate how truly unbelievable this ascendancy was, we backtrack deep into the tumultuous history of the Macedonian Kingdom in the lead up to Philip's youth, to understand the depths of his starting point, a nation teetering on collapse, scarred with internal disunity and ever threatened by powerful neighbours. If you would like to support my work directly, you can kindly do so here: www.patreon.com/warlordsofhistory Check out the History of Europe, Key Battles podcast: www.historyeurope.net Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.