★ Superb Stater ★

Kings of Macedon. Babylon. Philip III Arrhidaeus 323-317 BC.
Stater AV

17 mm, 8,47 g

Head of Athena to right, wearing pendant earring, necklace and crested Corinthian helmet adorned with serpent coiled to right / ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ, Nike standing left, holding wreath in her right hand and stylis with her left; below her left wing, ΛΥ; to right, Μ.

Nearly Mint State, light scratches

Price P 178; HGC 3, 970 b.

Ex Emporium Hamburg Auction 79, Lot 83. Philip III Arrhidaeus was the half-brother of Alexander the Great and the son of King Philip II of Macedonia and a woman named Philinna of Larissa. Born around 359 BC, Philip III was of royal blood, but he was mentally disabled, likely due to an illness or congenital condition, which led to his limited involvement in political and military affairs during his life. Despite his disabilities, Philip III Arrhidaeus became king after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC. His ascension to the throne was primarily a political move by the Macedonian generals, who needed a figurehead to legitimize their control over the empire following Alexander's unexpected death. Philip III was declared king by the Macedonian army, but his authority was nominal; real power was held by the regents and generals who ruled in his name, such as Perdiccas, Antipater, and later, Cassander. During his reign, Philip III was largely a pawn in the power struggles among Alexander's former generals, known as the Diadochi. He was used to lend legitimacy to their various claims and ambitions as they divided Alexander's vast empire. His reign was marked by instability and conflict, as these generals vied for control. In 317 BC, Philip III and his wife, Eurydice, were captured by Olympias, the mother of Alexander the Great, who saw him as a threat to the succession of her grandson, Alexander IV, Alexander the Great's son. Olympias had Philip III executed, ending his troubled life and reign. His death further intensified the fragmentation of Alexander's empire, as the Diadochi continued their struggle for power. Philip III Arrhidaeus is often remembered as a tragic figure, caught in the tumultuous events that followed his brother's death, with little control over his own destiny.