Philip II and Alexander the Great: Father and Son ... - Historia Antigua

THE “PIXODARUS AFFAIR” RECONSIDERED AGAIN 9
to begin in spring of 336 with the dispatch of an advance force to
Anatolia commanded by Parmenio and Attalus (Diod. 16.91.2). Given
the bitter enmity between Alexander and Attalus, Philip may have
been satisfi ed with Alexander’s extended absence during this period.
Philip’s agenda in 337 included clarifying Pixodarus’ stance and, if
possible, entering into an alliance with him (cemented by a marriage).
This was a critical matter, and from Philip’s perspective Alexander’s
whereabouts had no particular bearing on it. We may easily believe
that Philip proceeded with preparation tasks and dispatched Aristocritus
to Caria late in 337 or early in 336 to negotiate with Pixodarus
while Alexander “passed time” in Illyria.
If indeed Alexander was outside Macedonia at the time he sent
Thessalus as envoy to Pixodarus in reaction to Philip’s move, then
Alexander’s offer of himself as groom constituted something more
than an effort to replace Arrhidaeus in the arrangement negotiated by
Philip. Macedonian kings arranged marriages for themselves and
their offspring. 19 Alexander’s marriage diplomacy thus represented a
usurpation of Philip’s royal prerogative and an assertion of Alexander’s
independent status. Plutarch says that Pixodarus was much more
pleased by this proposal than by the previous one ( Alex. 10.2), but
this is certainly Plutarch’s own inference based on the subsequent
stature of Alexander. 20 At the moment Alexander was actually an out
of favor, possibly rival, member of the royal household, making personal
approaches which, without Philip’s approval, meant nothing.
Pixodarus can only have been troubled by the evidence of court problems
that Alexander’s independent diplomacy indicated. In fact, he
may have concluded that the evident division boded ill for Philip’s
campaign plans since Alexander’s challenge might keep Philip from
leaving Macedonia with a large army for some time. It is entirely
likely that Pixodarus did not jump to accept Alexander’s proposal.
We may see then that Alexander’s Illyrian sojourn was more than
just a self-imposed absence from court. He certainly could have stayed
with Olympias in Epirus after fl eeing Macedonia. Instead he took
himself to Illyria—into perennially anti-Macedonian territory—where
he could likely gain immediate backing for an effort against Philip. 21
In Epirus, Olympias was reportedly urging her brother (Alexander) to
make war on Philip (Just. 9.7.7), certainly to install her son Alexander
as king. Alexander would add Illyrians to such an enterprise. 22
In other words, the Macedonian royal house had fractured into
two parts. Whether or not Alexander would actually have invaded
Macedonia, we cannot know. But he was evidently perfectly willing
to imperil Philip’s Persian campaign plans by stirring up troubles on
Philip’s western and northwestern frontiers and by disrupting Philip’s