Campaigns of Philip of Macedon (359-336)

Year	Events	D 16	Other Sources	Secondary
360s	Macedonia in decay from internal civil war, coups, and attacks by barbarian Illyrians, Paeonians and Thracians
	Introduction to Philip’s reign	1 (17.1.1)
	Young Philip hostage at Thebes; studies Pythagorean philosophy and military science with Epameinodas, victor at Leuctra	2.1-3
359	Defeat of Macedonians under Perdiccas III by Illyrian Dardanians under king Bardylis; collapse of Macedonian morale; Athens send expeditionary force	2.4-6		Ashley 112
359	Rise of Philip to the throne; military reforms	3.1-3
	The Athenians, involved in fighting the Odrysae in Thrace, made peace with the Macedonians. Macedonia gave up its claim to Amphipolis, and Athens promised to turn over Pydna.	3.4
359	Philip buys peace with Paeonians and Thracians with bribes	3.5
	Philip defeats the mercenary army of Argaeus	3.6
	Philip founds Philippi	3.7
358	Peace with Athens	4.2
	King Agis of Paeonia dies; Philip defeats Paeonians and receives tribute	4.3		Ashley 111
358/s	Lake Lychnitis (Erigon Valley): Philip invades Illyria with 10,000 I and 600 C; defeats Bardylis (10,000 I, 500 C), killing 7000, breaking power of Illyrians and annexing territory to Lake Lychnitis	4.3-7		Ashley 113-4; Ellis 58; Hammond 27
357-353	War of the Allies (Social War): Angered by Athens' increasingly domineering attitude toward its league, Chios, Rhodes, and Cos overthrew their democratic governments and together with Byzantium revolted against Athens. In midsummer the Athenian fleet was decisively defeated and Chabrias, its commander, killed. The Athenians, under Chares, withdrew to the Hellespont and began operations against Byzantium.	7-8, 21-22

357	Siege of Amphipolis: Using distraction and weakness of Athens with its War of the Allies, Philip captures Amphipolis but, instead of turning it over to Athens, granted it independence. Over the winter, he also conquered and kept Pydna. Uses captured lands to lure military aristocracy from all over Greece to enter his service.	8.1-5	Ashley 134-7
357	Gold mines at Crenides: Philip also took the city of Crenides from the Odrysae Thracians at Mt. Pangaeus and renamed it Philippi; exploits the local gold and silver mines producing 1000 talents of gold each year. Philip uses the money to pay and raise massive mercenary army; new gold coinage (from 348)	8.6-7	Ashley 137
356	Confederation of Thracians, Paeonians and Illyrians defeated by Philip	22.3
356	Naval Battle of Embatta: The revolting allies ravaged Lemnos and Imbros, which had remained loyal to Athens, and then laid siege to Samos, which was defended by cleruchs. The Athenian fleet under Chares was decisively defeated in the Battle of Embata. Persia ordered Athens to leave Asia Minor, threatening war.
355	Caving in to Persian pressure, Athens withdraws from Asia Minor and recognized the independence of its allies there. The war party of Chares and Aristophon was replaced at Athens by a peace party under Eubulus.

355-346	Third Sacred War: Phocis vs. Thebes and the Amphictyonic League; Led by Philomelus, the Phocians seized Delphi, initiating the Third Sacred War. When the Amphictyons declared war, Phocis used the sacred money of Delphi to recruit a large mercenary army. Sparta joins Phocis, Philip joins Thebes (351), Athens joins Phocis; Philip defeats Phocis and annexes most of Central Greece	23-33, 35-39, 52-64	Ashley 115-25
354	Battle of Neon: The Phocian mercenary army was defeated by the Boeotians; and Philomelus was killed. Onomarchus succeeded him as the leader of Phocis.		Ashley 115-8
354	Siege of Methone: Philip captures and razes the city, but is blinded in eye and disfugured by an arrow.	31.6, 34.3-5	Ashley 126
353	Philip joins Sacred War against the Phocians. The Phocians, led by Onomarchus, seized Thermopylae and Orchomenos and twice defeated Philip of Macedon.	35.1-2	Ashley 119 Ellis 79-81
353	Mausolus of Caria annexed Rhodes and Cos.
353/f	Crocus Field: Philip (20,000 I, 3000 C) decisively defeats Onomarchus of Phocis (20,000 I, 500 C); Onomarchus is killed along with 6000 Phocian dead and 3000 prisoners; Philip united Thessaly under his rule as archon Recruits the superb Thessalian cavalry into his force	35.3-6	Ashley 119-20 Ashley 130-3
352	Philip marched south toward Greece but was stopped at Thermopylae by the Phocians in alliance with the Athenians, Achaeans, and Spartans.	38.1-2	Ashley 120-1
353	Olynthus, suspicious of Philip, appealed to Athens for aid. Demosthenes appeared as the leader of the anti-Macedonian party, urging action in his three Olynthiac Orations. Philip held at bay.
348	Philip induced Euboea to revolt from the Athenian League. Athens, against Demosthenes' advice, divided its effort by sending forces both to Euboea and Olynthus. The Athenian commander Phocian was successful in Euboea, but his successor Molossus lost the country. Philip took Olynthus, razed it, and enslaved its citizens. Philip conquers Olynthus and other cities of the Hellespont; comments on Philip’s use of bribery; Philip’s victory celebration and generosity.	52.9-55.4	Ashley 128-30 Ashley 145-7
346	Frustrated by continued Phocian resistance, the Thebans and Thessalians called on Philip to intervene on behalf of the Amphictyonic League.
346	Athens could not secure help from the other Greeks, and even Demosthenes favored peace. Athens withdraws support for Phocis, signing the Peace of Philocrates, which ended the Third Sacred War. Philip defeats Phocis in a final battle, dispersing the mercenary army.	59	Ashley 121-5
346	Philip acquired seat of Phocis on the Amphictyonic Council.	60
346-345	Campaigns against the Illyrians, Dardanians and Taulantians force them to become tributaries of Philip
345	Ardiaioi: Philip attacks the Illyrian Ardiaioi in preemptive strike. He is severely wounded, but subdues the tribe	69.7-8	Ashley 114
345-343	Persians under Artaxerxes III Ochus (359-338) conquer rebellious Phoenicia (345), Cyprus (344), Egypt (343) and Ionia	40-52.8	Briant, ch 15

344	Anti-Macedonian ferment: Demosthenes traveled through the Peloponnesus trying to develop an anti-Philip alliance. At Athens, he delivered his Second Philippic.
342-340	Philip campaigns against and defeats the Thracians; incorporates their soldiers into his army as light auxiliaries.	71
340	Siege of Perinthus and Byzantium: After lengthy siege, Philip fails to take the cities	74-76.4 77.1-3		Ashley 140-4
339/s	Scythian Campaign: Philip marches to the Danube, defeats the Scythians under king Ateus, returns with 20,000 prisoners and 20,000 horses		J 9.2	Ashley114, Ashley148-9 Ellis 186 Hammond 136
339/s	Mount Haemus: Triballians demand part of booty; Philip refuses. In ensuing battle Philip is wounded in leg and Macedonians defeated, losing booty; Philip manages to withdraw army intact to Macedonia			Ashley 115 Hammond 136
341-339	Hellenic League: Anti-Macedonian Alliance with Athens, at the urging of Demosthenes, with Euboea and the Peloponnese.
339-338	Fourth Sacred War: against the Locrians of Amphissa. The Amphictyonic Council gave command of the League's forces to Philip, and in response the Athenians made an anti-Macedonian alliance with Thebes. Athens sent a force of 10,000 mercenaries to guard Amphissa.	84-85.4		Ashley 149-52
338 Aug 2	Battle of Chaeronea. Philip annihilated Athens' mercenary force and captured Amphissa. In August, at the Battle of Chaeronea, Philip crushed the allied armies of Thebes and Athens. He garrisoned Thebes but let Athens go free.	85.5-87		Ashley 153-8 Hammond 145-9

338	Philip as Hegemon of Greece: Philip called the Congress of Corinth, during which all the Greek states, except Sparta, entered a League of the Hellenes (or Corinth) against Persia, under Macedonian hegemony. The league council had proportional representation and was presided over by a chairman, replaced by the Macedonian king in wartime. The autonomy of the members was guaranteed, existing constitutions were not to be altered, and no private property was to be confiscated. There was no tribute required and no more than four garrisons Thebes, Corinth, Chalcis, and Ambracia. The king had supreme military command, and the Amphictyonic Council served as a court of appeals. Philip announced plans for a campaign against the Persian Empire.
338/f	War with Sparta: After his victory at Chaeronea, Philip invaded Peloponnesus to establish his dominance there. Corinth, Megara and Argos surrendered without a fight. Philip invades Laconia, but does not engage the Spartan army; he restores land to city-states Sparta had conquered, but left Sparta independent, perhaps because he feared their power, and to leave the Peloponnesian states dependent on him.	Ashley 159-60
337	The Second Congress of Corinth declared war on Persia.