The Suspects

The Motive – Witnessed by Diodorus

Pausanias was a Macedonian from the district of Orestis; he was one
of the king’s bodyguard and because of his beauty he had become his
lover. Seeing that another man also called Pausanias was attracting
Philip’s attention, he used insulting language to him, calling him a
hermaphrodite who was ready to accept the favours of all and
sundry. This other Pausanias was unable to endure such wanton
abuse. Although he kept silent for some time, he eventually, after
confiding his intentions to Attalus, one of his friends, committed
suicide in a remarkable manner. For a few days later, while Philip
was fighting with Pleurias, the King of the Illyrians, he stepped in
front of him and received on his body all the blows directed against
Philip, so ending his life.
The incident became so notorious and Attalus, who was one of
Philip’s courtiers and had great influence with him, invited Pausanias
to dinner, filled him with unmixed wine and handed him over
unconscious to his grooms to illtreat in their drunken sport. When he
sobered up, Pausanias was extremely distressed at the wanton
treatment he had suffered and denounced Attalus to the King.
Philip was angry at the barbarous action, but because he was related
to Attalus and needed his services immediately he was not willing to
condemn his conduct. For Attalus was the uncle of Cleopatra, Philip’s
new wife, and had been chosen as the commander of the advance
force that had been sent to Asia, for he was a brave soldier. And so
the king, wishing to mollify Pausanias’ justified anger at his
treatment, gave him generous gifts and promoted him to a position
of honour among the bodyguards. However, Pausanias’ resentment
was not mollified. He was determined to punish not only the man
responsible for the outrage, but the man who had failed to punish
Attalus. He was encouraged in his purpose by the sophist
Hermocrates in particular. For when Pausanias, who was attending
his classes, asked in the course of a discussion how a person could
become most famous, Hermocrates answered: ‘If he kills the man
who has done the greatest deeds; for the tradition about this great
man will preserve the name of his murderer’. Applying this answer to
his own grievance and resolving because of his resentment not to
delay his purpose, Pausanias planned to carry out the plot at the
wedding festivities.
But – Did he act alone?
Pausanias killed Philip, but was he solely responsible for the
murder?
For each suspect note down the evidence that implicates them:
Alexander:
The Accused - Pausanias of Orestis
• A young Macedonian nobleman, employed as one of
King Philip II’s bodyguard, and Philip’s ex-lover.
• There were traditionally seven bodyguards
(Somatophylakes) assigned to the King. These
were usually in their late 20s or early 30s, and were
selected because of their physical abilities. The
position provided protection for the king, but also
held the families of the bodyguards hostage against
disobedience while giving them honour at the same
time.
Olympias:
THE MURDER OF PHILLIP
OF MACEDON
The Murder
He stationed horses at the gates and proceeded to
the entrance to the theatre with a Celtic dagger
concealed under his cloak. Philip told the friends who
accompanied him to go on ahead into the theatre and
when his bodyguards were standing some distance
away, Pausanias, seeing the king left all alone, ran up Disaffected noblemen:
to him, stabbed him through the ribs and left him
dead on the ground; then he ran for the gates and
the horses he had prepared for his escape.
Immediately some of the bodyguards ran to the body
of the king while the remainder poured out in pursuit
of the murderer, among them Leonnatus, Perdiccas The Persian King:
and Attalus. Having a start on his pursuers,
Pausanias would have mounted his horse before they
could stop him had his boot not caught in a vine and
brought him to the ground. As it was Perdiccas
overtook him as he was getting up and killed him
with his javelin. Greeks outside Macedonia:

Diodorus, Plutarch, Justin and Aristotle all explained the

murder by referring to Pausanias’ personal desire for
The Lyncestis Brothers:
revenge against Philip.

BUT, the death of King Philip occurred at such a critical time

that others have inevitably been linked with the crime