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The Third Sacred War was fought from 356 to 346 BC when the Amphictyonic League, backed by Macedon, retaliated against Phocis for seizing and looting the Temple of Apollo at Delphi rather than pay a fine to the League for cultivating sacred land. The war allowed for King Philip II of Macedon to become the ruler of Thessaly, allowing for Macedon to have a greater role in Ancient Greece.

Background[]

Philip II of Macedon

Philip II of Macedon

Philip II of Macedon, the son of Amyntas III of Macedon, grew up during a period of civil strife in Macedon which forced him to become pragmatic and pitiless. At the age of 15, he was sent to Thebes for his education, and he learned the art of war from the renowned Theban generals Epaminondas and Pelopidas and became an admirer of Ancient Greek civilization; he became known as a charmer, a great political actor, and a brilliant orator. Five years after returning from Thebes, in 359 BC, he usurped the crown of Macedon from his 6-year-old nephew Amyntas IV of Macedon. He inherited a crisis-stricken nation whose upper regions had been occupied by the Illyrian chieftain Bardylis, the Thermaic Gulf cities were controlled by foreign Greeks, and the Paeonians were raiding Macedonian territory in the north. Much of Philip's tax base was under the control of foreign powers or had been raided, while he inherited a weakened army. Philip employed his diplomatic skill by opening peace talks with Bardylis, recognizing Illyrian rule over most of upper Macedonia and paying him rich tribute. He then turned south to deal with the Athenians, who had backed the usurper Argaeus due to his promise to return the timber-rich city of Amphipolis to Athens. Another pretender, Pausanias, won the support of the Odrysian Kingdom also by promising them Amphipolis. Philip's own half-brother Menelaus secured the support of the Chalcidian League. Philip simply had Archelaus assassinated, forcing his other half-siblings to flee. He then withdrew the Macedonian garrison from Amphipolis as a peaceful gesture to Athens, but Athens took this as a sign of weakness and continued to prepare an invasion forces. Realizing that a military confrontation was inevitable, Philip instead sent bribes to the Thracian king Cotys and the Paeonian tribes in exchange for their abandonment of Pausanias, who was then killed. Philip reduced the threats facing his kingdom and then embarked on his famous military reforms, politically unifiyng Macedonia. Now, Macedonian influence began to radiate outwards again.

Philip and Thessaly[]

Philip Thessaly

Philip II of Macedon overseeing peace negotiations

Philip's first and foremost target was Thessaly, a region bordering his own lands. Thessaly was made up of a large plain surrounded by mountains, and it was one of Greece's largest and richest regions; it also provided access to sea trade and agriculture, it could also serve as an invasion highway into Greece, and it was known for its cavalry. Rather than invade Thessaly, however, Philip decided to act with permission at all times, however; from 358 to 352 BC, Macedon never intervened in Greece without an invitation. In 358 BC, the patriarch Cineas of Larissa's Aleuadae convinced Philip to help them against the rival Thessalian city of Pherae, and he took on the role of a neutral arbiter and enacted a temporary peace between the two cities. While this peace was not to last, Philip had established himself as a major player in Thessalian politics, one to whom other cities could turn to in times of need. While waiting for an opportunity to intervene in Thessaly, he captured Methone and Amphipolis from the Athenians, losing an eye in the former siege. He curried favor with his Thessalian friends by hosting lavish parties and distributing gifts and bribes to the country's upper and lower classes. Whenever Philip won over Thessalian rivals, he never exiled his enemies; he intervened whenever he was asked to, supported rather than destroyed factions, took care of the weak, brought down the strong, and came to be a popular leader.

War[]

Temple of Apollo at Delphi

The Temple of Apollo at Delphi

In 356 BC, the Delphic Amphictyonic League, led by Thebes, imposed a large fine on Phocis for cultivating sacred land, an offense to the gods. The Phocians refused to pay, and they instead seized the Temple of Apollo at Delphi and used the accumulated treasures to fund large mercenary armies.

Thebes and its allies attempted to retaliate, but the wealthy Phocians continued the war for many years, despite suffering many major defeats. In 353 BC, Philip leapt at the opportunity to intervene in Greece and crushed the tyrants of Pherae in a decisive military engagement. After he did, the region's aristocrats considered him a savior and honorary Thessalian, and they made him Archon of the Thessalian League for life. He was given control of military forces and taxation, and he was also made the de facto leader of the Amphictyonic League. To cement himself even more firmly, he wed a native Thessalian aristocrat, Nicesipolis, in 353 BC, consolidating his rule over the region. When Nicesipolis died 20 days after giving birth to Philip's daughter, Philip named his daughter Thessalonike in honor of his victory in Thessaly. In the end, Philip's growing power and the exhaustion of the other states led to Philip enforcing a peace treaty in 346 BC. Phocis' two votes in the Amphictyonic League were taken over by Macedon, which now also controlled Thessaly's votes. The Phocian cities were destroyed, the Phocians were settled in villages of no more than 50 houses each, and they had to repay the temple 60 talents per year. Philip then returned to Macedon for seven years, but he kept a Thessalian garrison near Thermopylae at Nicaea.

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