ld upright in the phalanx (rows of eight), helped hide the maneuvers from the view of the enemy. If held horizontally by the front rows, it could penetrate from 20 feet away. Philip also made the military a full-time occupation that paid a salary, instead of a part-time job that it used to be. By doing this, the army was able to drill regularly, and build unity and cohesion within its ranks. In addition to the phalanx, Philip used light auxiliaries, archers, siege trains, and a cavalry. This was making of one of the finest military machines ever seen to that day and even later. The system that Philip used in ruling the Greek states helped unify them, and eliminate the notion of being a conquered people. He granted freedom and autonomy to all parties in each state; but, at the same time, established bureaucracies that were stable and loyal to him. This idea of not destroying the conquered people but placing them in charge, is seen consistently later on in Alexander's Empire. After this was done, he declared war on Persia with the support of a unified Greece. After all this, before he could start his march on Persia, he was assassinated. Philip by conquest and the organization of rule, helped Alexander inherit a united Greece and Macedonia. This enabled him to be able to conquer other lands and not waste time and effort fighting Greek states. His father, through reform, also developed the finest army of the age. These inheritances paved the way for Alexander's success. Alexander's family life was, at the least, dysfunctional. His father, Philip and his mother, Olympias were not a happy couple. When Philip left Olympias to marry Cleopatra, the family was split and embittered. Some think that Olympia even had a role in Philip's murder. Alexander clearly owed some of his characteristics to both his parents. Like his father, he was a shrewd and practical politician. But, he also was attached to believing in oracles, cults, and omens, which he...
