Philip IV of Macedon: Brief Reign and Historical Role on Ancient Macedonia

Introduction

Philip IV of Macedon was a member of the Antipatrid dynasty who briefly held the Macedonian throne in 297 BC. He was the elder son of King Cassander and Thessalonike, a daughter of Philip II. On Cassander’s death from tuberculosis at Pella in 297 BC, Philip succeeded unopposed. He set out to implement Cassander’s plan to restore Macedonian hegemony in Greece and was preparing a campaign, but he died four months into his reign in Elateia, reportedly of the same disease; some sources place his death in 296 BC. His unexpected death terminated the planned expedition and left the crown to his two younger brothers, Antipater and Alexander. Philip IV’s rule is chiefly remembered for its brevity and for the abrupt interruption of Cassander’s policy in Greece.