Editing Macedonia (ancient kingdom) (section)

===Companions, friends, councils, and assemblies===
{{further|Synedrion}}
{{multiple image
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| image1 = "An der Wende vom 5. zum 4. Jahrhundert v.Chr. wurde Pella Hauptstadt des Königreichs Makedonien." 6.jpg
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| image2 = Fragmentary inscription bearing the names of 6 city archons (politarchs), 2nd c. BC, Archaeological Museum, Pella (6929923448).jpg
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| footer = Left, an [[atrium (architecture)|atrium]] with a pebble-[[mosaic]] paving, in [[Pella]], Greece. Right, a fragmentary [[inscription]] bearing the names of six city ''[[archon]]s'' (''[[politarch]]s''), 2nd&nbsp;century&nbsp;BC, [[Archaeological Museum of Pella]].
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The companions, including the elite [[companion cavalry]] and ''[[pezhetairoi]]'' infantry, represented a substantially larger group than the king's bodyguards.<ref group="note">{{harvnb|King|2010|p=382}}. <br />The ranks of the companions were greatly increased during the reign of Philip&nbsp;II when he expanded this institution to include [[Upper Macedonia]]n aristocrats as well as Greeks. See: {{harvnb|Sawada|2010|p=404}}.</ref> The most trusted or highest ranking companions formed a council that served as an advisory body to the king.<ref>{{harvnb|King|2010|p=382}}; {{harvnb|Errington|1990|p=220}}.</ref> A small amount of evidence suggests the existence of an assembly of the army during times of war and a [[Direct democracy|people's assembly]] during times of peace.<ref group="note">{{harvnb|King|2010|p=384}}: the first recorded instance dates to 359&nbsp;BC, when Philip&nbsp;II called together assemblies to address them with a speech and raise their morale following the death of [[Perdiccas III of Macedon]] in battle against the [[Illyria]]ns.</ref>

Members of the council had the right to speak freely, and although there is no direct evidence that they voted on affairs of state, it is clear that the king was at least occasionally pressured to agree to their demands.<ref>{{harvnb|Sawada|2010|pp=382–383}}.</ref> The assembly was apparently given the right to judge cases of [[high treason]] and [[Sentence (law)|assign punishments]] for them, such as when Alexander the Great acted as [[prosecutor]] in the trial and conviction of three alleged conspirators in his father's assassination plot (while many others [[Acquittal|were acquitted]]).<ref>{{harvnb|Hammond|Walbank|2001|pp=5, 12}}.</ref> However, there is perhaps insufficient evidence to allow a conclusion that councils and assemblies were regularly upheld or constitutionally grounded, or that their decisions were always heeded by the king.<ref>{{harvnb|King|2010|pp=384–389}}; {{harvnb|Errington|1990|p=220}}.</ref> At the death of Alexander the Great, the companions [[Partition of Babylon|immediately formed a council]] to assume control of his empire, but it was soon destabilized by [[Wars of the Diadochi|open rivalry and conflict]] between [[Diadochi|its members]].<ref>{{harvnb|King|2010|pp=383–384}}; {{harvnb|Errington|1990|p=220}}.</ref> The army also used [[mutiny]] as a tool to achieve political ends.<ref group="note">For instance, when [[Perdiccas]] had Philip&nbsp;II's daughter [[Cynane]] murdered to prevent her own daughter [[Eurydice II of Macedon]] from marrying [[Philip III of Macedon]], the army revolted and ensured that the marriage took place. See {{harvnb|Adams|2010|p=210}} and {{harvnb|Errington|1990|pp=119–120}} for details.</ref>