Battle of Chaeronea (338 BCE)
The Battle of Chaeronea, fought in 338 BCE, was a significant conflict between the Macedonian forces led by King Philip II and an alliance of Greek city-states, primarily Athens and Thebes. Philip's army comprised approximately 30,000 infantry and 2,000 cavalry, while the Greek forces were only slightly smaller, resulting in a front line that extended over three and a half miles. Notably, Philip’s son Alexander, who was just eighteen at the time, commanded the Macedonian cavalry. Philip employed a tactical strategy that involved feigning weakness against the Athenian forces, luring them uphill to exhaust them, while simultaneously reinforcing his line against the Theban troops.
As the battle unfolded, the Athenian forces became separated from their Theban allies, leading to a catastrophic charge by the Macedonians that decisively scattered the Athenians. The aftermath of the battle was devastating for the Greeks, with approximately 1,000 Athenians killed and 2,000 captured, while the elite Theban Sacred Band fought to the last man. The Battle of Chaeronea marked a pivotal moment in Greek history, symbolizing the military superiority of the Macedonian phalanx and heralding a new era of Macedonian dominance over Greece. This victory not only initiated a prolonged period of subjugation for the Greek city-states but also signaled the decline of their independent political structures, paving the way for future dominance by Rome and later the Ottoman Empire.
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Battle of Chaeronea (338 BCE)
Type of action: Ground battle in the Macedonian conquest of Greece
Date: 338 b.c.e.
Location: Boeotia in central Greece
Combatants: Macedonians vs. Athenians, Spartans, and Thebans
Principal commanders:Macedonian, Philip II, later king of Macedonia (382-336 b.c.e.); Athenian, Chares
Result: Macedonian control of the Greek mainland
Philip II advanced through Boeotia with a force of 30,000 infantry and 2,000 cavalry. The Greek army was only slightly smaller, causing the front lines to extend three and one-half miles. Philip’s eighteen-year-old son, Alexander (later the Great), led the Macedonian cavalry, and Philip himself took a position opposite the Theban Sacred Band, the most feared brigade of its time.
Philip made his lines intentionally weak opposite the Athenians. His goal was to tire the Athenians by allowing them to force the Macedonians uphill. At the same time, the Athenians became separated from the Thebans who were held by Philip’s heavily reinforced line. Philip’s strategy worked as intended; when the Athenians began to tire, the Macedonians suddenly charged, scattering the Athenians. About 1,000 Athenians were killed and 2,000 more captured. The Theban Sacred Band died fighting to the last man.
Significance
Chaeronea represented the victory of the thirteen-foot Macedonian pike over the six-foot Greek spear. In political terms, the Battle of Chaeronea was both the beginning of a long period of subjugation for the Greeks—whose Macedonian overlords would be replaced by the Romans and later by the Turks—and the end of the independent city-state as the basic political unit of Greece.
Bibliography
Ashley, James R. Macedonian Empire: The Era of Warfare Under Philip II and Alexander the Great, 359-323 b.c. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 1998.
Bradford, Alfred S., ed. Philip II of Macedon. Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 1992.
Hammond, Nicholas G. L. Philip of Macedon. London: Duckworth, 1994.