battle battle fought near city led alliance greek city states including athens battle culmination philip campaign greece resulted decisive victory philip brought peace war torn greece ending sacred war concluding year conflict athens supremacy north making separate peace philip expanded kingdom powerful army plentiful resources facto leader greece fiercely independent philip power perceived threat liberty especially athens politician led efforts break away philip influence convinced assembly action philip territories ally byzantium philip besieging actions terms treaty amounted declaration war summer philip led army greece prompting formation alliance greek states opposed led athens months stalemate philip finally advanced attempt march athens opposing blocking road near allied greek army similar size occupying strong position details ensuing battle scarce long fight crushed flanks allied line dissolved rout battle described decisive ancient world forces athens destroyed continued resistance impossible war came abrupt end philip able impose settlement greece states accepted exception league formed result participants allies philip peace turn philip voted general pan war long planned able charge campaign philip assassinated kingdom responsibility war persia passed instead son alexander background decade following accession king rapidly strengthened expanded kingdom northern coast aided process distraction athens powerful city states greece point events particular events included athens allies sacred war erupted central greece members philip expansion period nominal expense considered north coast sphere influence philip war athens philip originally sacred war involved request seeing opportunity expand influence greece proper philip obliged won decisive victory battle field aftermath philip gave control revenues greatly increasing power philip intervene sacred war early year borne sacred war asked philip assume leadership greece join fighting philip power great ultimately attempt resist instead surrendered philip able end particularly bloody war fighting philip allowed council formal responsibility ensured terms overly harsh expelled cities destroyed villages houses war weary unable match philip strength begun necessity making peace apparent philip march south year originally planned help allied philip central greece occupying pass philip superior numbers little benefit successfully tactic prevent philip attacking victory occupation benefit excluding philip central greece prevented marching athens end february general restored power refused allow access suddenly unable guarantee security forced instead making peace philip treaty agreed peace athens reluctant allies treaty popular philip actions expanded influence greece brought peace come seen enemy traditional liberty city states politician principal architect peace soon agreed wished rid years leader war party athens opportunity sought undermine peace onwards order try disrupt peace followers expedition action philip argue breaking peace conversely substantial body feeling athens led peace unpopular maintained developed end decade war party gained began openly philip instance general ravaged territory philip ally philip demanded philip patience finally ran formed alliance byzantium philip time besieging wrote declaring war shortly afterward philip broke siege byzantium suggests philip decided deal athens philip went campaign began prepare war greece prelude philip forthcoming campaign greece linked new fourth sacred war citizens begun land sacred apollo south internal council decided declare sacred war delegate proposed philip leader effort gave philip pretext campaign greece probable philip gone ahead campaign start seized town near philip garrisoned philip appear treated declaration war presented significant problem blocking main route greece second route central greece available leading shoulder descending forgotten existence road believed philip use subsequent failure guard road allowed philip slip central greece philip relatively treatment end sacred war bore fruit ordered city populated months restored state provided philip base greece new grateful allies philip probably arrived november occur august period philip discharged responsibility council settling situation tricked force mercenaries guarding road abandoning posts took expelled citizens turning probably engaged diplomatic attempts avoid conflict greece unsuccessful news arrived philip days march away panic athens describes moment despair proposed seek alliance decree passed sent ambassador philip sent embassy requesting join allow pass formally war philip avoided conflict altogether spite philip proximity traditional athens chose ally cause liberty greece army pre sent direction able join days alliance agreed details campaign leading completely unknown philip presumably prevented entering way run mountain passes led certainly preliminary skirmishes alludes winter battle battle river speeches details preserved finally august philip army marched straight main road assault main allied army defending road opposing forces according army numbered roughly infantry cavalry figure generally accepted modern historians philip took command right wing army placed year old son alexander future command left wing accompanied group philip experienced generals allied greek army included contingents majority troops supplied athens contingent led generals source provides exact numbers greek army suggests greeks far superior number soldiers modern view numbers city states fought approximately equal took positions left wing right allies centre strategic tactical considerations greek army taken position near main road left flank greek line lay foothills blocking road led right line rested near projecting spur mount greek line miles length secure flanks greek line north eastwards plain face direction advance square prevented philip attempting concentrate force greek right wing advanced position greek left wing threaten philip right philip attempt concentrate force greek left troops occupied high ground attack difficult greeks remain defensive having prevent philip advance position strategically strong battle details battle scarce providing formal account says joined battle contested long time fell sides struggle permitted hopes victory recounts young alexander heart set showing father prowess succeeded greek line aided companions eventually greek right wing flight philip advanced person greek left flight brief account filled account battle believed collected information warfare known sources reliable false absence evidence unclear passage accepted rejected suggests philip engaged greek left withdrew troops greek left followed philip held high ground stopped retreating attacked eventually routing suggests philip deliberately prolonged battle advantage troops veterans fatigue delayed main attack exhausted appears earlier accounts led modern historians tentatively propose following synthesis battle general engagement progress time philip army perform right wing withdrawing line centre time forward left wing attacked greek right punched hole greek line greek left followed philip line stretched turned attacked routed tired inexperienced greek right wing assault troops alexander command routed ending battle historians including hammond place alexander charge battle use word companions mention cavalry ancient account battle space operate flank greek army says alexander break ranks sacred band elite infantry stationed extreme right greek battle line says sacred band met spears face face head cavalry charge spear armed succeeded horses generally shy barrier led suggest alexander commanding portion says died battle taken prisoner fared similarly suggests sacred band killed battle having previously seen invincible roman period lion enigmatic monument site battle believed mark resting place sacred band modern excavations found remains soldiers underneath monument generally accepted grave sacred band unlikely member killed aftermath suggests decisive battles ancient history army prevent philip advance war effectively ended athens records desperate attempts build city walls prepared siege philip intention besieging city conquering greece wanted greeks allies planned campaign wanted leave stable greece rear went campaign fighting contrary aims philip marched surrendered expelled leaders opposed recalled pro previously exiled installed garrison ordered cities destroyed previous conflicts founded generally philip treated severely making pay return prisoners bury dead dissolve confederacy contrast philip treated athens second confederacy dissolved allowed colony prisoners freed ransom philip motives entirely clear likely explanation hoped use navy campaign persia possess substantial fleet needed remain good terms philip peace combatants controlled important strategic locations received garrisons turned deal taken conflict likely advantage weakened state greek cities try attack neighbours refused philip invitation engage discussions philip ravaged attack philip moved greece months battle making peace states opposed dealing installing garrisons movements probably served demonstration force cities try oppose mid camped near began work establish league greek city states guarantee peace greece provide philip military assistance persia result league formed half congress organised philip states signed league exception principal terms concord members allied members guaranteed freedom attack freedom navigation freedom interference internal affairs philip garrisons installed greece act keepers peace philip behest league declared war persia voted philip forthcoming campaign advance force sent persia early philip follow later year depart philip assassinated alexander king series campaigns lasting conquered thematic philip withdrawal main tactic stemmed subsequent planned manoeuvres lured left wing left extended weakened line meant gap created line probably center sacred band right gap alexander cavalry charged break line alexander surrounded sacred band refused annihilated philip hand counter attacked left wing routed rest line rolled ends
Battle of Chaeronea (338 BC)