Perdiccas, humiliated by the indignity of having to pay tribute to the Illyrians, marched north in the spring of 358 BC with the Macedonian army to resolve the issue by battle.

In 359 BC, Macedonia could come back to the field of battle against the Illyrians, after it had overcome the internal state of political chaos and removed the risk of attack from other opponents.

When Philip II assumed the Macedonian throne, substantial areas of upper Macedonia remained in control of Bardylis.

In order to concentrate on the internal struggle necessary to secure his crown, Philip reaffirmed the treaty the Illyrians had imposed on Macedonia by force of arms and sealed the alliance by his marriage of Audata, probably a niece or daughter of Bardylis.

With his northern frontier safe for the time being, Philip turned westward that summer to regain the territory lost by his brother.

The Macedonians weren't facing a newly enfranchised king like Philip, but rather a grizzled veteran of many wars, as Bardyllis might have been 90 years old, yet was still sturdy enough to take the field on horseback.

Philip arrived and deployed his phalanx much as he had done in its first action, with the phalangites at left and centre, hired hoplites and hypaspites from the right in that order again and cavalry and light infantry split off both wings.

As for Bardylis' arrangements, Diodorus' claim of a square formation (16.4.6) is confused even in context of his own battle description and, since such tactics are unattested elsewhere save in retreat for either Illyrians or Greeks in this area, the version of Frontinus (2.3.2) is to be preferred.

This indicates that Bardylis set up in a linear fashion, his heavy infantry matching the phalanx's width with even deeper files and having the best men fronting in the middle with cavalry and skirmishers outboard.

At the same time, Philip and his spear-men made progress on the right striking into the Illyrians as momentum from the rear ranks pushed them relentlessly ahead.

Exposed and put beyond endurance, the Illyrian left now gave way completely and sent the rest of their formation into a frantic flight under fierce pursuit.

Diodorus Siculus[8] (1st century BC) writes this of the event: And at first for a long while the battle was evenly poised because of the exceeding gallantry displayed on both sides, and as many were slain and still more wounded, the fortune of battle vacillated first one way then the other, being constantly swayed by the valorous deeds of the combatants; but later as the horsemen pressed on from the flank and rear and Philip with the flower of his troops fought with true heroism, the mass of the Illyrians was compelled to take hastily to flight.

In this battle, the troubling issue of Lynkestis was solved, changing the situation in the western borders in favour of Macedonia.