Chaironeia 338 BCE

Boiotia, late summer 338 BCE. On a small plain east of Chairōneia, the armies of Philip II of Macedon met the combined forces of Athens, Thebes and their allies in one of the decisive battles of the ancient world. By sunset, the independence of the Greek city-states had effectively come to an end. Philip's victory shattered the old political order, established Macedonian supremacy over Greece and laid the foundations upon which Alexander the Great would build his empire.

Yet Chairōneia was far more than a single day's fighting. It represented the culmination of decades of political rivalry, military innovation and relentless campaigning. In this comprehensive study, Nic Fields examines the decline of the traditional Greek city-state, the rise of Macedon under Philip II, and the emergence of a professional military system capable of defeating the citizen armies that had dominated Greek warfare for centuries.

The book explores the political landscape of fourth-century Greece, the ambitions and personality of Philip himself, the economic resources that financed his expansion, and the revolutionary reforms that transformed the Macedonian army into the most formidable fighting force of its age. Detailed chapters analyse the organisation, equipment and tactics of the Macedonian phalanx, Companion cavalry, hypaspists and supporting arms, alongside equally thorough examinations of the armies of Athens and the Boiotian Confederacy, placing each within its political, social and military context.

Only then does the narrative turn to the dramatic campaign of 338 BCE. Step by step, Fields reconstructs Philip's advance into central Greece, the diplomatic manoeuvring that brought Athens and Thebes into alliance, the deployment of both armies on the plain of Chairōneia, and the fierce struggle that followed. The controversial role of the eighteen-year-old Alexander, the destruction of the Sacred Band, Philip's celebrated feigned retreat, and the battle's lasting consequences are all examined against the surviving literary, archaeological and topographical evidence.

Richly illustrated with specially commissioned colour artwork, detailed maps, photographs of the battlefield and surviving artefacts, and supported by an extensive bibliography and commentary, Chairōneia 338 BCE provides both a vivid account of one of antiquity's greatest battles and a wider study of the military and political revolution that ended the age of the independent Greek city-state and ushered in the age of Macedonian domination.

"As someone still a novice when it comes to Ancient Greece, I found one of the book’s biggest strengths to be its clarity. Fourth-century BCE Greek politics could easily become a fog of shifting alliances, rival ambitions and civic squabbles, but Fields keeps the story moving. The road to war is set out cleanly, with enough context to explain why Athens and Thebes ended up facing Philip’s army on the plains of Boeotia, without drowning the reader in detail....For readers interested in Classical Greece, Philip II or the military foundations of Alexander’s empire, this is an engaging and rewarding read." carryingsonupthedale.com Blog