Reconfiguring War and Violence against the Persians:

Alexander I of Macedon was a highly influential ruler who left an imprint on the political, social and cultural structure of Argead Macedonia. A skilled politician and diplomat, he profited most from the Persian control over Macedonia during the late 6th and early 5th century BC. While siding with the Persians in Xerxes’s Greek campaign, after the Persian defeat, due to his Greek networks, Alexander I saved himself and his realm from being punished for medismos. Successfully, he styled himself as a natural born Greek, friend of the Greeks, and a savior of Greek freedom who did his best to sabotage the Persian cause. His re-interpretation of his role was preserved by his successors. Apparently, under the reign of Philip II, in the context of his Greek policy and conflicts with Athens, the memory of Alexander I, the “friend of the Greeks” was refreshed. It served to justify Philip’s Greek policy. This paper analyzes the image of Alexander I and its propagandistic value in Philip’s reign, particularly focusing on the aspects of violence against the Persians and the treatment of Persian captives.