Battle of Chaeronea (338 BC)

The Battle of Chaeronea was fought in 338 BC, near the city of Chaeronea in Boeotia. It was a big fight between Macedonia under Philip II and an alliance of city-states led by Athens and Thebes. This battle was very important because it showed the strength of Macedonia and changed the history of Greece.

Before this battle, Philip had worked hard to bring peace to Greece after many wars. But some city-states, especially Athens, did not like Philip's power and wanted to break free from his control. This led to tension and finally to the battle at Chaeronea.

During the battle, the Macedonian army, led by Philip, faced a strong position but managed to win after a long fight. The defeat of Athens and Thebes meant that Philip could create a new peace agreement for Greece. This led to the formation of the League of Corinth, which made all the Greek states allies of Macedon. Philip was then chosen to lead a big war against the Achaemenid Empire, but before he could start, he was assassinated, and his son Alexander took over.

Background

Main articles: Rise of Macedon, Third Sacred War, and Peace of Philocrates

In the years after he became king in 359 BC, Philip II of Macedonia made his kingdom stronger. He expanded into areas like Thrace and Chalkidiki near the Aegean Sea. During this time, two important Greek cities, Athens and Thebes, were busy with their own problems, which helped Philip.

Philip got involved in a big fight called the Third Sacred War, which started in 356 BC. He won an important battle and gained control of a region called Thessaly. By 346 BC, Philip was powerful enough to end the war without more fighting. The people of Phocis, who had caused the war, were punished, but not too harshly.

The people of Athens were tired of fighting and worried about Philip’s strength, so they made a peace treaty with him, called the Peace of Philocrates. However, some Athenians, like a leader named Demosthenes, didn’t like this peace and wanted to fight Philip instead. They looked for reasons to say Philip was breaking the peace. Eventually, the Athenians allied with other cities against Philip, which led to more conflict.

Prelude

Philip's plans to campaign in southern Greece became tied to a new war called the Fourth Sacred War. The people of Amphissa in Ozolian Locris had started farming land that belonged to the god Apollo near Delphi. This led the Amphictyonic council to declare war on Amphissa. A Thessalian delegate suggested that Philip should lead the effort, giving him a reason to move into southern Greece, though he likely planned to anyway.

At the start of 339 BC, the Thebans had taken a town called Nicaea near Thermopylae, which Philip had previously controlled. Though Philip did not see this as a formal declaration of war, it blocked his main route. However, Philip found another path over Mount Callidromos into Phocis, which the Athenians and Thebans either forgot about or thought he wouldn’t use. This allowed Philip to enter central Greece without interference.

Philip had been kind to the Phocians after ending the Third Sacred War in 346 BC, and now they became his allies. He arrived in Elatea and helped restore the Phocian cities. It wasn’t until August 338 BC that the big battle at Chaeronea finally happened.

When the Athenians heard Philip was near Elatea, they panicked. Demosthenes, a leader in Athens, suggested forming an alliance with the Thebans to fight back. The Thebans, despite their usual disagreements with Athens, agreed to join forces. The Athenian army had already moved toward Boeotia and soon joined the Thebans. We don’t know much about what happened between Philip’s arrival and the battle, except that there were some small fights. Finally, in August 338 BC, Philip’s army marched down the main road from Phocis to attack the allied forces at Chaeronea.

Opposing forces

The Macedonian army, led by Philip II, had about 30,000 foot soldiers and 2,000 horse soldiers. Philip commanded one part of the army, and his young son Alexander, who would later rule the Persian Empire, led another part.

The other side was made up of soldiers from several city-states, including Achaea, Corinth, Chalcis, Epidaurus, Megara, and Troezen, with most soldiers coming from Athens and Thebes. The leaders of the Athenians were Chares and Lysicles, and the Thebans were led by Theagenes. While we don’t know the exact number of soldiers on the allied side, some ancient writers thought they had more. Today, historians believe the numbers were about the same.

Strategic and tactical considerations

The army from Athens and Thebes set up near Chaeronea, along the main road. On the left side, they stood near the foothills of Mount Thurion, blocking a smaller road to Lebedea. On the right side, they were next to the Kephisos River, near a hill called Mount Aktion. This made their position very safe on both sides.

Because of where they stood, Philip could not easily focus his soldiers against the right side of the allies. The left side of the allies was far forward, which could threaten Philip's right side. Also, the troops on the left were on higher ground, making it hard for Philip to attack. So, the allies were in a very strong spot.

Battle

Details about the Battle of Chaeronea are limited, with the main description coming from Diodorus. He described the battle as fierce, with many soldiers from both sides falling and both sides hoping to win for a long time.

One story says that Philip, the leader of Macedonia, used clever tactics. He let the Athenians follow his troops, then turned around and attacked them when they were tired. His son Alexander helped break through the enemy lines. This led to the victory of Macedonia and its allies.

Aftermath

Main articles: League of Corinth and Wars of Alexander the Great

This battle was very important in ancient history because it let Philip II of Macedon take control. After the fight, Philip did not want to attack the cities of Greece. Instead, he wanted them to join him for his plans against Persia. He treated some cities harshly and others more gently to keep peace.

Philip made a group called the League of Corinth to keep Greece united and peaceful. This league helped him get support for his war against Persia. Sadly, Philip was killed before he could lead this war, and his son Alexander took over. Alexander then went on to conquer the whole Persian Empire.