Philip II of Macedon may be best known as Alexander the Great’s father—but he was also so awe-inspiring that even the Spartans feared him.

You know Alexander the Great, but he wouldn't be anything without his dear old dad, King Philip of Macedon. Born into the bloodthirsty Macedonian royal family, Philip survived the game of thrones to turn his backwater kingdom into the greatest power in Greece. But fortunes could turn quickly in Ancient Greece, and just as Philip was on top of the world, it all came tumbling down.