Changes

Phillip learned much from Thebes, but he also introduced his own tactics. He adapted the phalanx, and he made it more flexible. He appointed a commander to every phalanx and established a system for communications. The Macedonian King also adapted the equipment of his army. He abandoned the traditional spear and introduced a very long spear, up to twenty feet in length. It meant that the Macedonian phalanx could reach the enemy before they were within reach of their spears. He also equipped every soldier with a short sword that was ideal for close combat. The army that Phillip II developed was to help him establish an empire. This army allowed him to turn Macedonia from a second-rate power into a major Greek power. It was this army that allowed Alexander to conquer most of the known world<ref>Lewis. p 101</ref>.

Phillip was also a state builder. He built the city of Pella, and he made it his capital. It was the administrative and cultural center of the kingdom. Phillip used the vast revenues from Amphipolis's gold mines to expand his army and develop a bureaucracy. To secure his kingdom, he held the son of neighboring rulers as his hostages. He also held the sons of many of his nobles as hostages, which secured their loyalty and ensured that Phillip’s was obeyed in all his realm. During his reign, the nobles generally accepted his rule, and law and order were established for the first time in the kingdom's history. This stability and the expansion of the kingdom led to rapid economic growth. Later, when trying to quell a mutiny, Alexander reminded them how poor Macedonians had been before Phillip became king.<ref>Arian. <i>The campaigns of Alexander</i> 8. 5</ref> Phillip also encouraged urbanization in his kingdom.

===Empire-Builder===