On the other hand, the king was an important and powerful character

而另一方面国王也是举足轻重的人物
so that you have--this was true of European feudal states

欧洲封建国家在其某一发展阶段
at certain periods in their development.

都会产生这样的局面
On the one hand, the fundamental society was based upon

另一方面社会的基本格局是由
great lords, great noblemen, barons,

大地主大贵族大财主掌控的
but there was a king and he was not inconsequential.

但国王却并非无足轻重
That's the situation that pertained in Macedon.

这就是当时马其顿的状况
In a certain sense, if a Greek had looked at Macedonian

从某种方面来说希腊人很有可能
society prior to Philip,

把菲利普之前的马其顿
he might have described it as Homeric,

视为荷马式的
and you'll be familiar with that.

你们对此有所耳闻
Sure, there were guys called basileus,

当然马其顿有君主