If you have been following my blog for while, you know that one of the inscriptions that I spend a lot of time thinking about is one from the Greek city of Larisa. This inscription is quite interesting because it incorporates two letters from the Macedonian king Philip V into two decrees that the nominally autonomous city of Larisa passes concerning the enfranchisement of over 200 men. One of the things that interests me about this inscription is how it simultaneously presents Larisa as obedient to Philip and commemorates the city’s previous rejection of his commands.
Such a reading may sound overly complex. However, this approach to the inscription makes sense to me because Philip had visited the city prior to sending the letters and the Larisaeans could expect him to return. Indeed, Philip did return to the city, unsurprisingly as Larisa occupied a strategically important location. Ancient writers like Polybius and Livy also report that Philip’s troops also stayed in Larisa a number of times. Therefore, when constructing the political space of their city, a construction that very much included the display of treaties like this one, the Larisaeans could not afford to be overtly hostile to Philip, even if they did disagree with the policies that he made for them.
Polybius explains that in the year 220 Philip visited Larisa. Indeed, according to Polybius, Philip used the city as his basis of operations for that summer (4.66.6-7). In 217 Philip sends the first letter to Larisa and then in 215 the second letter. The Roman history Livy, utilizing a copy of Polybius history, tells us that Philip again stayed in Larisa in 209/8 (Livy 28.5.1-9, cf. Polybius 10.41). Specifically, Philip is mustering his armies at Larisa. Philip wanted to do so because Larisa is located at one of the few ways that it is possible to travel to important places in the southwestern parts of mainland Greece such as Delphi. Polybius again points to the importance of Larisa to Philip when he describes how Philip had kept his royal records in the city during his campaigns. Or more accurately, Polybius reports that Philip kept his records there but then destroyed them in order to ensure that they did not fall into the Romans’ hands (18.33.1-7).
Such a reading may sound overly complex. However, this approach to the inscription makes sense to me because Philip had visited the city prior to sending the letters and the Larisaeans could expect him to return. Indeed, Philip did return to the city, unsurprisingly as Larisa occupied a strategically important location. Ancient writers like Polybius and Livy also report that Philip’s troops also stayed in Larisa a number of times. Therefore, when constructing the political space of their city, a construction that very much included the display of treaties like this one, the Larisaeans could not afford to be overtly hostile to Philip, even if they did disagree with the policies that he made for them.
Polybius explains that in the year 220 Philip visited Larisa. Indeed, according to Polybius, Philip used the city as his basis of operations for that summer (4.66.6-7). In 217 Philip sends the first letter to Larisa and then in 215 the second letter. The Roman history Livy, utilizing a copy of Polybius history, tells us that Philip again stayed in Larisa in 209/8 (Livy 28.5.1-9, cf. Polybius 10.41). Specifically, Philip is mustering his armies at Larisa. Philip wanted to do so because Larisa is located at one of the few ways that it is possible to travel to important places in the southwestern parts of mainland Greece such as Delphi. Polybius again points to the importance of Larisa to Philip when he describes how Philip had kept his royal records in the city during his campaigns. Or more accurately, Polybius reports that Philip kept his records there but then destroyed them in order to ensure that they did not fall into the Romans’ hands (18.33.1-7).