Battles & Wars › Greece, Rome & Han › Alexander the Great
Battle of Chaeronea
August 2, 338 BC· Battle· Europe
Well documentedSolid records, physical evidence or scientific consensus.
Philip II of Macedon defeated Athens and Thebes in 338 BC, making Macedon master of Greece.
See it on the Battles & Wars map →What happened
Philip had spent two decades building Macedon's professional army of pikemen and cavalry. Athens, urged on by the orator Demosthenes, allied with Thebes to stop him. At Chaeronea in central Greece, roughly 30,000–35,000 men stood on each side. Philip, on the right, seems to have pulled back to draw the Athenians forward, opening a gap in the Greek line. His 18-year-old son Alexander, leading the left, broke the Thebans; their elite Sacred Band died almost to a man.
Why it matters
It ended the independence of the Greek city-states and gave Philip, then Alexander, a united Greek base for the invasion of Persia.
How we know
Diodorus and Plutarch, writing centuries later; the Lion of Chaeronea monument; and a mass grave of 254 men beneath it, probably the Sacred Band.
Still debated
The battle plan is rebuilt from thin sources: whether Philip's retreat was a deliberate trick, and whether Alexander led cavalry or infantry, are debated.
Connections (2)
▸Alexander the Great commanded the wing that broke Thebes at the Battle of ChaeroneaWell documented
The connection
At 18, Alexander commanded the Macedonian left wing, facing the Thebans. When the Greek line stretched and opened a gap, his attack broke through and destroyed the Theban Sacred Band. It was his first major command and proved him to the army.
When and how
Chaeronea in Boeotia, central Greece, August 2, 338 BC, under his father, Philip II.
How we know
Diodorus says Alexander broke the Theban line first; Plutarch says he was first to charge the Sacred Band. Both wrote centuries later.
Debates and open questions
Whether he led a cavalry charge, as often told, or infantry is debated; the sources never clearly say.
▸Battle of Chaeronea gave Macedon the Greek base for the Conquests of Alexander the GreatWell documented
The connection
Chaeronea made Macedon master of Greece. Philip then formed the League of Corinth, a Greek alliance under Macedonian command, which voted for war on Persia in revenge for Xerxes's invasion. When Philip was murdered in 336 BC, Alexander inherited both the army and that mandate.
When and how
Corinth, 338–337 BC, where the Greek states except Sparta joined the league; an advance force crossed into Asia in 336 BC.
How we know
Diodorus and Arrian, plus a surviving inscription of the league's oath found in Athens.
Debates and open questions
Whether 'revenge' for Xerxes was a real goal or a slogan to win Greek support is debated; many Greeks resented Macedonian rule.