Greece, Macedonia, Philip III 323 - 317 BC, AR Tetradrachm

Greece, Macedonia, Philip III 323 - 317 BC, AR Tetradrachm

Obv.: incerti. Head of Heracles with lion's cap.
Rev.: Zeus with eagle and sceptre, in field monogram, under throne I.

Historical 

Philip III Arrhidaios (352 - 317 BC), was the elder brother of Alexander the Great and son of Philip II and Philinna of Larissa, a concubine of Phililipp II. 

His birth name was Arrhidaios; when he succeeded Alexander the Great after his death, he took the additional name Philip. 

Philip III was apparently thought to be insane. According to Plutarch, the reason for his illness was poisoning by Olympias, the mother of Alexander III, who wanted to eliminate Alexander the Great's possible rival. However, there is no further historical evidence for this and it is assumed that Plutarch's statement is not true. Alexander treated his brother amicably, took him along on his great campaigns to protect him, and thus prevented him from becoming a hostage to gain the throne. 

After Alexander's untimely death, Arrhidaios was elected king by the army assembly in Asia. In fact, he was king only by title and remained a pawn of Alexander's powerful generals until his violent death in 317 BC.