1. The Murder of King Phillip II
Who is innocent and who is guilty?

2. Prep Activity #1: Who was King Philip II?
Father?
Husband?
Military leader?

3. Facts of the case Who died? When? Where? Doing what?
Who actually dealt the killing blow?
What happened to the killer?
Pausanias’s motives?

4. Main suspects? ALEXANDER & OLYMPIAS
Olympias’s nationality & personality
Alienation between the family
Philip’s marriage
Incident with Attalus
ALEXANDER & OLYMPIAS
The Pixodarus Affair
Reasons to suspect them?
Innocence?

5. Court case Defense Prosecution Alexander and Olympias are innocent
Witnesses
(questions from both sides)
Opening statement
Main evidence
Closing statement
Objections & rebuttals allowed during witness testimony
Alexander and/or Olympias are guilty of involvement

6. Criteria you will be judged on
Ancient Quotes (Alexander, Attalus, Hermocrates, Diodorus, Arrian, Plutarch)
Analysing events (use of specific detail)
Opening statement (formal style, make conclusion)
Closing statement (formal style, make conclusion)
Use of dates and Greek terms
Participation of group (notes, helping with rebuttals, objections, arguing)

7. Court date: Wednesday March 2nd, 2016
All presiding in the court of
Judges
Olivia Bridewell and Shantahlia Huisman

8. Alexander the Great: collecting evidence
Topic / Event
Modern Quote
Ancient Quote
Conclusion
Sources
King Philip II and raising Alexander
Alexander’s ancestry
Murder of King Philip II

9. Homework before Friday Week 5
Study the circumstances around Philip, Olympias’ and Alexander’s relationship(s) from 338 B.C. until Philip’s murder in 336 B.C.
What caused the rift?
Why is there suspicion around possible involvement of Olympias and/or Alexander?
What do ancient and/or modern sources say about these events?

10. Essay Question
The assassination of Philip II followed two years of bitter antagonism at the Macedonian court. Analyse in detail:
The strife between Philip and Olympias over Philip’s love life;
The clashes Philip had with Alexander between the battle of Chaeronea and Philip’s death
The circumstances of Philip’s assassination in 336 B.C.
Why is there continuing debate over who was ultimately responsible for the death of Philip?

11. Possible sentence starter:
Evaluate the extent to which Alexander’s social relationships* helped and/or hindered his rise to kingship.
*social relationships may be public or private and may refer to relationships with relatives, friends, allies, rivals.
Possible sentence starter:
Alexander the Great’s social relationships helped his rise to kingship. In particular, his relationship with….