ABSTRACT
The overwhelming majority of original literary sources of information about Macedonian society comes from the reigns of Philip II and Alexander III.1 Indeed, Philip's reign was a period of great change in Macedonian history.2 His conquests provided Macedonia with a dramatic increase in both territory and prosperity and led to rapid urbanization; his court at Pella became a venue for international diplomacy, and Hellenization proceeded much faster than ever before. Thus, we must be cautious about applying the picture of Macedonian society provided by these sources to pre-Philip Macedonia. In addition, most of the information is about the royals and elites, the upper strata of Macedonian society. Naturally, their way of life and their customs differed fundamentally from those of the common people. Those who comprised the Macedonian elite were usually called ‘Companions’ (hetairoi).3 They served as the retinue and primary associates of the king and enjoyed power at court. They had grown up with him through the institution of the paides, or royal pages, in which the sons of the elite lived with and served the king.4 The Companions accompanied the king in fighting, hunting, and feasting, and were often given lavish tracts of land as a reward for faithful service.
