2 – He Was Held Captive in Thebes & It Shaped His Military Outlook
One of the reasons for Philip’s exceptional prowess as a commander and diplomat was the military education he received in Thebes. To be clear, he did not go there willingly. He was sent there at the age of 15 or thereabouts as part of an agreement and young Philip quickly understood the violent and uncertain time he lived in. He also learned that diplomacy was all about self-interest and it was possible to get anyone to do your bidding for the right price.
Initially, he was regarded as an uncultured Macedonian but this didn’t prevent Philip from throwing himself into his studies. During his spell in Thebes, Philip became acquainted with some of the best generals of the age. One of these men was Pelopidas, the leader of the legendary Sacred Band of Thebes. Philip admired the discipline and skill of the group and they later became the model of his new Macedonian army. He also lived with a general named Pammenes, who was a close friend of the legendary general Epaminondas.
It was arguably Epaminondas’ victory at Leuctra in 371 BC that inspired Philip to become a military commander. He studied the great battle in detail and used it to help him come up with his own tactical and structural innovations. At Leuctra, Epaminondas came up with a brilliant innovation to offset the numerical advantage of his Spartan enemy. Basically, he created a strong left wing which he used to shatter the strongest part of the Spartan force in a single blow. Meanwhile, his weakened right and center were positioned so they could avoid battle for as long as possible.
Philip now believed that the key to victory was to attack the strongest part of the enemy lines and not the weakest as was previously believed. Epaminondas was also the first commander in the West to use the strategically forced march and force a tactical decision on the battlefield. Previously, Greek armies relied on decisive single-set-piece battles. Epaminondas was able to build on his victory at Leuctra to severely weaken Sparta. Later on, Philip used the strategic forced march to unify Greece.