The play centers on the political downfall and execution of Philotas, a general under Alexander the Great, who finds himself ensnared in a web of court intrigue and accusations of treason. Philotas must navigate the shifting loyalties of the Macedonian court as his father, Parmenion, and his own past actions are scrutinized by a suspicious monarch. The narrative explores the tension between individual ambition and the absolute power of the state, utilizing a classical structure that emphasizes the inevitability of the protagonist's ruin. The play is written in verse, reflecting the formal conventions of early seventeenth-century English drama.

This work is regarded as a significant example of the Senecan influence on English Renaissance drama, specifically for its focus on political philosophy and the dangers of court life. Scholars often highlight the play's historical context, noting how Samuel Daniel used the story of Philotas to mirror the political anxieties of the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras. The text is frequently analyzed for its restrained, intellectual approach to tragedy, which contrasts with the more sensationalist plays of the period. Its reception is largely academic, with critics focusing on the interplay between the author's poetic style and his engagement with classical source material.