The Battle of Chaeronea 338 BCE

Boeotia, 338 BCE -- Philip II of Macedon began his conquest of Greece not on the battlefield, but in the political arena.  Commander of one of the few professional armies of the time (others being Sparta and the Theban Sacred Band), Macedonian aid was sought by the Amphictionic League to crush a domestic dispute in Phocis.  The Amphictionic League, comprised of a number of Greek states, was an ancient religious and political association, somewhat reminiscent of today's United Nations.  Macedonia was made a member of this League, and Philip eventually was elected Chief of the Amphictionic Council.

In 339, an Amphictionic War broke out and Philip was called in to assert control.  Moving through Thermopylae, he seized Elatea and fortified his position.   At his point, he sent an envoy to Thebes asking them to join him in an invasion of Attica.  While he had no intention of carrying out such an invasion, Philip needed to know where Thebes stood, as both they and Athens abstained from the Amphictionic War.   Athens, alarmed by the presence of the Macedonian army in Elatea, sent ten envoys to Thebes, hoping to sway them to their side.  By offering to pay 2/3 of the war expenses, as well as recognizing Theban domination of Boeotia, the Athenian Demosthenes managed to pull off a major diplomatic coup, persuading Thebes to join them in defense against the Macedonian.

Philip responded with a lightning campaign through Phocis, capturing Amphissa and the port of Naupactus, threatening the Greek rear.  The Greeks responded by falling back to the plain of Chaeronea.  Philip, advancing through the pass of Parapotamii from which the Greeks had withdrawn, found the Greek army barring his path to Thebes.

The Greeks deployed with the Theban hoplites and Sacred Band on the right, opposite to their customary place on the left employed by Epaminondas in his victories at Leuctra and Mantinea.  The Thebans were commanded Theagenes, respected if not gifted general.  The Athenians were under the command of three generals, Chares, experienced but with no talent for command, the incompetent Stratocles, and the rash Lyiscles.   Demosthenes himself served as a hoplite in the Athenian ranks.

The Macedonians countered with their legendary phalanx in the center, facing the Thebans.  Heavy cavalry, under the command of 18 year old Alexander, was on the left, with the intent of riding down the Theban hoplites once routed.  Hypaspists and light infantry secured the right of the phalanx.

Early in the day, a contingent of Philip's cavalry was routed by Lysicles. Believing he had won the battle, Lysicles began in pursuit of the horse, only to encounter the long spears of the Macedonian phalanx.  Meanwhile, Philip pressed the phalanx against the Theban hoplites.  Alexander and his Thessalian cavalry charged, slaughtering the legendary Sacred Band to the last man.  With the Thebans routed, Alexander turned towards the Athenians, who were suddenly the focus of a swift onslaught by Philip.  The Athenians broke and ran (none faster than Demosthenes himself), and the Macedonians cleaned up what was to be known as the Greek Waterloo.

Jeff Vitous

Further Reading

A History of Greece to the Death of Alexander the Great
J.B. Bury and Russell Meiggs
St. Martin's Press, 1980  ISBN 0 312 37940 4

Alexander
Theodore Ayrault Dodge
De Capo Press, 1996  ISBN 0 306 80690 8

Map provided by The Perseus Project

The Game

Favored Side:  Macedon
Suitability for Solitaire:  Fair   Computer does not handle Macedon well; play as the Greeks is easier than it should be, play as the Macedon is usually no challenge.
Suitability for Multiplayer:  Good  Greek player must make the most of his defensive position.

Strategy - Greek
There are two rivers between you and the Macedonian.  Since the onus is on Macedon to press the attack, let them come.  Cohesion hits from crossing the river will help compensate for the disparity in troop quality between the Macedonian phalanx and the Greek hoplites.  Do not let Alexander and his Companions break through on your right -- if this happens, all is lost.  You have sparse cavalry, move them off the flanks and into reserve.  Use them to run down any routed Macedonian phalanx units before they rally.

Strategy - Macedonian
The bad news is you have two rivers to cross.  The good news, they are not straight rivers.  If the Greek tries to defend the banks, attack on the river bends, preferably with the hypaspists and light infantry.  Bring the phalanx along slowly, repairing cohesion loss after the river crossings if able.  Once you pry a hole in the line of Greek hoplites, send in Alex and his cavalry to run amok in the rear of the Greek army.  10 turns is a lot of time, and your army is vastly superior so don't rush needlessly.

Notes
   1.  Greek phalanx units are two-hex hoplite HI and are listed as phalanx to distinguish them from standard HI.
   2.  Alexander's initiative is only 6 in this battle as he is subordinate to his father.
   

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