Phila of Elimiotis
Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2023 5:23 pm
Phila of Elimiotis (Elimeia) was Philip's first or second wife. When Philip's brother Perdiccas III was killed in 359 BC in battle against the Illyrians, along with the loss of 4,000 men, much of Upper Macedonia had been lost to the kings at Pella. Not only were the western highlands in the hands of the Illyrians but some of the minor upland kingdoms seem to have reasserted their independence.
Philip seems to have annexed Elimiotis ib 358 BC and consolidated this by marrying Phila, the sister of Derdas II, who appears to have been the king, and Machatas. Philip also approached Larissa, a city in northern Thessaly, towards the east. He married Philinna (Philine), who became the mother of Arrhidaeus. She was a member of the powerful Aleudae family from Larissa, who were practically hegemons of the Thessalian city states, and they had a history of reciprocal assistance with the Macedonian kings.
These alliances may have given Philip the additional troops to take on Bardylis, king of the Illyrians and defeat him. Philip then concluded an alliance with the Illyrians by marrying Audata, Bardylis's daughter or granddaughter, who became the mother of Cynnane (Cynna), who married her cousin Perdiccas's son Amyntas. Their daughter Adea was married to Philip Arrhidaeus, both of whom were killed by Olympias. Audata was given the name Eurydike on her marriage, which Heckel suggests may have made her Philip's official 'queen'. She appears to have been dead by the time Philip married Attalus's niece Cleopatra as she was given the name Eurydike.
There is a tradition in the Alexander Romances, true or not, that Philip's wife and son had died prior to him marrying Olympias. This could have been Philina and an additional child, but it could well be Phila, as we hear of no children of hers. As an Elimiote, Phila was technically a Macedonian, which would have meant that Philip didn't have a Macedonian wife when he married Cleopatra, adding weight to Attalus's jibe about a true-born Macedonian heir.
Philip seems to have annexed Elimiotis ib 358 BC and consolidated this by marrying Phila, the sister of Derdas II, who appears to have been the king, and Machatas. Philip also approached Larissa, a city in northern Thessaly, towards the east. He married Philinna (Philine), who became the mother of Arrhidaeus. She was a member of the powerful Aleudae family from Larissa, who were practically hegemons of the Thessalian city states, and they had a history of reciprocal assistance with the Macedonian kings.
These alliances may have given Philip the additional troops to take on Bardylis, king of the Illyrians and defeat him. Philip then concluded an alliance with the Illyrians by marrying Audata, Bardylis's daughter or granddaughter, who became the mother of Cynnane (Cynna), who married her cousin Perdiccas's son Amyntas. Their daughter Adea was married to Philip Arrhidaeus, both of whom were killed by Olympias. Audata was given the name Eurydike on her marriage, which Heckel suggests may have made her Philip's official 'queen'. She appears to have been dead by the time Philip married Attalus's niece Cleopatra as she was given the name Eurydike.
There is a tradition in the Alexander Romances, true or not, that Philip's wife and son had died prior to him marrying Olympias. This could have been Philina and an additional child, but it could well be Phila, as we hear of no children of hers. As an Elimiote, Phila was technically a Macedonian, which would have meant that Philip didn't have a Macedonian wife when he married Cleopatra, adding weight to Attalus's jibe about a true-born Macedonian heir.