Philip's body found?

[conan]

I've wondered about this for a long time, has Philip's body ever been found?

If so what was his his body type?

Were there signs of multiple injuries?

Anyone got a link?

Thanks

[Paralus]

G'day Conan.

There was great hype and publicity over the Vergina tumulus finds back in the eighties. Much speculation and supposition - which subsequently became near to accepted "gospel" - surrounded tomb two. The supposition was this was the tomb of Philip II. The burnt bones in the "sarcophagus" even had one leg shorter than the other (Philip's "limp") and a "damaged" eye socket (that Olynthian arrow).

Later work, performed in a more - shall we say - sober light, has indicated this was a false assumption. Medical imaging has indicated the socket deformity to be congenital rather than any traumatic injury. Too, the skeleton bears little evidence of Philip's well documented military injuries - none in fact.

Other evidence (including the hunting fresco and items buried with the deceased) now see informed opinion as dating the tomb post Alexander. The considered consensus seems to be devolving upon Philip III Arrhidaeus as the occupant of the tomb - though this, of course, hasn't been conclusively proved.

Angela M.H. Schuster in Archaeology has the most recent survey of the "Philip's tomb" information that I've read ( I must do some more searching, more recent material may be available).

So, at the close, what can we say? Like his son, we are still searching. The forecast isn't good though.

[conan]

Interesting.....

So it would seem Philip to had a catalog of injuries recievied during his campagines.

So Philips eye wound was the result of an arrow... seems incredable he survived an arrow to the eye.

Dont suppose if any other injuries are know some one could post them I'd be very grateful

[Paralus]

G'day Conan.

From recolloection, a broken collar bone, the eye and the damaged femur. Don't know if the knife that killed edged bone - likely I s'pose.

[marcus]

The supposition was this was the tomb of Philip II. The burnt bones in the "sarcophagus" even had one leg shorter than the other (Philip's "limp") and a "damaged" eye socket (that Olynthian arrow).

Didn't he get the arrow in the eye at the siege of Methone, rather than Olynthus?

ATB

[Paralus]

G'day Marcus.

You may well be right. I'll have to check.

Gets hard at times to keep up: Methone,/Torone; Olythinus/Perinthus.

Yes, perhaps it was a "Methonian" arrow?

Yes it was. It is in Diodorus' account, most likely derived from Theopompus who attributes the wound to a toxeuma at Methone.

Thank you for the correction.

[ruthaki]

I saw the first viewing of the tomb finds in Thessaloniki and have twice been to the new Vergina museum where they are still maintaining it's Philip (as far as they were 3 yrs ago). To me, it is, and that's good enough. But I suppose the archaeologists doing the testing should know. At any rate, it's a very moving experience to go there and view the remains as well as the other finds. The Tomb Museum is really worth a visit.

[Thomas]

We were getting away from the main question and a little off topic, so I moved the gallipoli related thread to the off-topic forum.

[Paralus]

G'day Thomas.

You've bowled us a googly son! The digression was not such a huge one? We'd have been back on track soon enough I'd've thought.

I disagree with Ruthaki though and - by the tone of my earlier post - the Greek government. There now exists substantial evidence to counter the claims of a nationalistic government on uppers and an archaeologist under imense pressure to "find" the correct interpretation.

Science and archaeology are deconstructing what nationalistic fervour and a hero hunting regime created.

[Thomas]

You've bowled us a googly son!

Sorry. I guess after not being involved for so looong I am getting overzealous.