Ancient Greece was a muddle of warring city states, always threatened by the great Persian Empire:

480

A major invasion by the Persian king Xerxes was defeated (battle of Thermopylae and Salamis) – Greece and the Ionian cities remained independent.  Athens became the most powerful city-state.

431-404

Peloponnesian War (Sparta v Athens) – eventually, with Persian help, Sparta won and became the dominant power in Greece.

395-387

Corinthian War (Sparta v Athens, Thebes, Corinth and Argos); in 387 the Persian king brokered The King’s Peace and guaranteed it.  By this peace, Persia gained control over the Ionian cities.

371

Battle of Leuctra – Thebes destroyed the Spartan army and became the dominant city.

Macedonia at this time was a wild, turbulent state to the north, regarded by the Greeks as ‘barbarians’:

371-369

Reign of Alexander II:

·         The Illyrians invaded and Pausanias, a rival for the throne, rebelled.

·         When Alexander had regained control (with the help of an Athenian army), he attacked Thessaly.

·         He was defeated by the Thebans and forced to send 30 hostages (including Philip).

·         He was assassinated by his brother-in-law.

359

Philip II became king of Macedon.  He inherited a kingdom in chaos and in peril:

·         The Illyrians and the Thracians were invading.

·         The Athens had invaded with a pretender called Argeus and captured the port of Methone.

·         There were two more pretenders (Arrhidaeus and Menelaus) in Olynthus, which had broken free of Macedonian control.

Philip bought off the Thracians and strengthened his army, introducing the revolutionary phalanx with sarissas (ideas which he had developed while in Thebes).

358

Philip defeated the Illyrians, ending the danger from the north.

357

Philip conquered Amphipolis with its gold mines; this was crucial because it gave him unlimited money for his army.

He married Olympias, making an alliance with King Arymbas of Molossia; shortly after he exiled Arymbas and took control of the country.

356

Philip conquered Crenides, renaming it Philippi.  Alexander was born, and Philip’s horse won the Olympic horse race.

354

Philip conquered Methone and drove the Athenians out of Macedon (though it was here that he lost an eye).

353-2

Philip conquered Thessaly (Third Sacred War), defeating them at the Battle of Crocus Field.

348

Philip conquered Olynthus, razed it to the ground, and killed Arrhidaeus and Menelaus.

346

Philip threatened to invade Sparta, saying ‘If I bring my army into your land, I will destroy your farms, slay your people, and raze your city’ – Sparta’s one-word reply – ‘if’ – stopped him.

343

Arymbas died; Philip merged Molossia into Macedon.

343

Philip conquered Thrace (though he failed to capture Byzantium).

338

Battle of Chaeronea – Philip and Alexander destroyed the Theban army.

·         He marched to Thebes, installed a Macedonian garrison and fined them severely.

·         He was more lenient with Athens, but he controlled them because he controlled their grain routes from the Black Sea.

·         He marched round Greece establishing garrisons.

337

Philip formed the League of Corinth, and agreement to unite and attack Persia – with himself as Strategos (leader) – to regain the Ionian cities.

336

Philip was assassinated at his wedding to Cleopatra.