MACEDONIAN EMPIRE SECTOR (Philip Subsector)

Sample Timeline

John W. Braue, III [braue (at) ratsnest (dot) win (dot) net], December 2001

Sample Timeline

 

382 BCE: Philip (later Philip II "the Great) born.

 

359: Philip's elder brother, Perdiccas III, is killed in battle against the Illyrians. Perdiccas' infant son, Amyntas IV, nominally becomes king, with Philip regent. Philip soon is crowned king, and pushes his nephew aside.

 

356: Philip's son, Alexander III "the Restless", born.

 

352-336: Philip builds up his reputation and power in Greece, Thrace, Epirus.

 

336: Philip dispatches an army under Parmenion to Asia Minor.

Philip famously escapes death when his bodyguard (somatophylax) Pausanias attempts to assasinate him at the wedding of Philip's daughter, Cleopatra, to her uncle Alexander of Molossia. Pausanias is killed by another somatophylax, Attalus. The subsequent trials before the Macedonian Assembly acquit Alexander and Amyntas; however the Lyncestids (a collateral royal line) are executed [1].

Hellenic Revolt. An early, incorrect report that Pausanias was successful causes revolt in Central Greece. Philip puts down the revolt.

 

335: Philip crosses to Asia. The Greek mercenary general Memnon advises a "scorched earth" strategy, but the Persian satraps of Asia Minor refuse the advice and retreat before Philip.

 

334: Having faced no worse than harassment from irregular forces and native partisans in his march through Caria and Cilicia, Philip finally faces the might of Persia under Darius III (r. 336-316) at Myriandrus. Darius is completely defeated. After Myriandrus, Darius offers Philip all Persian territories west of the Euphrates, 10,000 talents of silver, and the hand of his daughter in marriage. This said to have caused the famous (but probably apocryphal) exchange between Philip and Parmenion:

 

            Parmenion: I'd accept, were I Philip.

            Philip: I'm not Parmenion, but I'll accept anyway.

 

Aside from moving Darius' daughter one generation down, to Alexander, the offer is accepted.

 

334-332: Philip organizes his new empire. Asia Minor (except the nominally free Greek cities and the Alexandrine territories), Palestine, and Egypt are put under direct Macedonian rule. Syria, Cilicia, and Cappadocia is given to Alexander, with the title of king (basileus) but subject to Philip (as basileus megistes) as a buffer between Persia and Great Macedonia. Afterwards, Philip returns to Pella.

 

332: Birth of Alexander's eldest son, Archelaus.

 

331: Megalopolitan War. Agis III attempts to lead a coalition against Macedonia, but is routed and killed by Philip's superior forces. Alexander refers to it as "a battle of mice"; Philip, upon hearing this, retorts: "In Asia. my son faces women, but here, we face men"[2].

 

330: Philip's brother-and-son-in-law, Alexander of Molossia, is assassinated by Italiotes (Greek colonists of Italy) while ostensibly defending them from aggression by Italic tribes,

 

329-325: Italian expedition, launched on the pretext of avenging Alexander's death. Philip successfully seizes Taras (Tarentum, Otranto) as a base, and conquers the Italian coast from Messene to Bergamo (the "spur" on the Italian boot). Ill-health prevents him from progressing to Sicily.

 

324: Death of Philip; accession of Alexander.

 

324-280 Alexander III the Restless

324: Formal reunion of the Alexandrine kingdom with Great Macedonia.

Revolt in southern Italy on the news of Philip's death. Alexander pacifies the area, famously destroying Taras (reputed to be in origin a colony of Sparta) and crosses into Sicily.

324-318: Carthaginian War. Carthage finally surrenders on terms. It surrenders all territory in Sicily except the port of    Lilybaion; a Macedonian resident (tamios) is installed at Carthage; the city agrees to submit to the Great King's laws in certain areas (preserving much local autonomy, however), and to pay a small tribute (25 talents of gold per year).

317-316: Arabian Expedition. Alexander sails around Arabia; on the way he conquers the Himyarite kingdom (northern Yemen) and the coasts north and east to Bahrein. Like many of his conquests, the Arab satrapy degenerates into a few garrisoned outposts in the next few decades. Alexander sails his fleet into the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab, and is greeted ceremoniously by his newly acceded brother-in-law, Artaxerxes IV (r. 316-266). Potential conflict between then is negated by Artaxerxes' having to defend eastern Iran from Chandragupta Maurya, whilst Alexander's attention is drawn westwards, by his desire to "unite the Hellenes under one crown".

315-314: First Scythian expedition. Alexander quiets unrest in northern Thrace (largely by being there) and crosses the Ister (Danube) to "rescue the Hellenes from the Scythians". The Scythians retreat before his phalanx, using a combination of hit-and-run harassment and scorched-strategy to attempt to defeat him. Alexander's infantry, however, is used with effect both in the field and in garrisoning mutually-supporting strongpoints. The Scythian Province is pushed along the Black Sea coast from the mouth of the Ister to Olvia.

 

313-309: Second Scythian expedition. King Paerisades I of Bospor (the southwestern, Greek-settled part of Crimea) submits to Alexander, both to keep his throne and to gain defenses from Scythian attacks. Alexander sails to Panticapaeum (the capital of Bospor) and marches up the eastern coast of Lake Maeotis to the mouth of the Tanais (Don). Although this area was nominally part of the kingdom of Bospor, and Alexander never made any formal declaration of its annexation, it received Macedonian garrisons and a Macedonian satrap who took orders from Pella, not from Panticapaeum. Alexander then turned southeast and conquered Albania and Georgia, organizing them as the satrapy of Colchis. During this campaign, Paerisades dies; the satrap of East Scythia, Arrybas, supports Eumelus as his successor, a decision later confirmed by Alexander.

 

306: Alexander seized Corsica, nominally in the Carthaginian sphere of influence, although no attempt at colonization or pacification had been made. This increased anti-Macedonian sentiment at Carthage.

 

304: Treaty with Rome.

 

304-302: Alexander campaigns in southern Gaul, annexing part of the Proven¨al coast (satrapy of Calleia).

 

302-289: Lucanian incursions into the Macedonian satrapy of Great Greece (southern Italy). Alexander fights them, but to little effect.

 

289-265: Messene seized by and under the rule of its mercenary garrison.

 

282-275: First Roman War. The Macedonians are the nominal victors in three battles, but find that the Roman confederacy and the legionary organization are difficult opponents. The war is complicated by the death of Alexander and the incursion of the Celts in eastern Europe. In the end, Archelaus withdraws from the Vergamo region; the satrapy of Sicily is dissolved and handed over to Carthage.

 

280: Alexander dies in battle against the Romans; accession of his son Archelaus II.

 

280-261: Archelaus II, "the Savior".

 

280: Archelaus continues the war against the Romans, but is soon distracted by the rebellion of his half-brother Megas in Cyrenica.

 

279: The invasion of the Celts. Eastern Celtic tribes migrate down the Ister valley and into the Balkan peninsula. The westernmost invades Macedonia and Greece, killing Archelaus' viceroy of Macedonia, Caranus (his cousin) and sacking Delphi. Archelaus is forced to withdraw from Italy to deal with the invasions; his general, Neoptolemus, continue the war but with little success.

 

279-275.    Archelaus drives the Celts out of Macedonia (276); the province of Thrace, however, is detached by them as a separate kingdom. Crossing into Asia Minor, Archelaus stops the Celtic advance there with the aid of Carthaginian forces (particularly their elephants).but is unable to subject them completely.

 

275-272: Rebellion of Neoptolemus; Archelaus makes peace with the Romans to deal with him.

 

266-262: Rebellion in Greece; Athens and Sparta lead rebellion against Macedon. Areus I of Sparta is defeated and killed at Megalopolis; Athens is besieged and starved into submission. End of Athenian democracy; Archelaus imposes an oligarchy and garrison on Athens.

 

264-241: SECOND ROMAN WAR. The Romans took the city of Messene, after its mercenary rulers had been driven out by the Carthaginian governor of Sicily, Hanno. Because of the frequent rebellions in the eastern and central provinces, Archelaus and Alexander were forced to entrust much of the conduct of the war to the Carthaginians, who proved even less successful against the Romans than his father and grandfather had.

 

263-255: Rebellion of the satrap of Western Asia Minor, Eumenes.

 

263: Rebellion of Hanno, who declares himself king of Sicily (to 251), and allies with the Romans. Syracuse, Agrigentum, and other cities come under Roman control, either directly or through Hanno.

 

261-246: Alexander IV, "the Godly".

 

260-255: Reduction of Eumenes by Alexander.

 

257-255: Roman invasion of Africa.

 

256: Alexander sends his general Xanthippus to stem the Roman advance. He drives them from Africa, but is unable to make headway in Sicily.

 

254: Hanno, with Roman aid, seizes Panormus.

 

251: Hanno dies and is succeeded by his son Hasdrubal.

 

252-246: Rebellion of the satrap of the Peloponnesse, Antigonus. Alexander does not enjoy military success against him, and the rebellion is ended only by Antigonus' death.

 

251: Rebellion of Sicyon, nominally in alliance with Antigonus. In fact, Aratus quickly declares himself king and rules over the northern Peloponnese.

 

249-241: Generalship of Barcas in Sicily.

 

246-226: Archelaus III, "the Gloriously Victorious" (an epithet applied to him by panegyrists).

 

245-235: Social and economic unrest at Sparta. Archelaus, by his policy of neglect, fails to regain any but nominal control of the Peloponnese.

 

243: Corinth expels its Macedonian governor and joins the kingdom of Achaea (ruled by Aratus).

 

241: Archelaus attacks Achaea in an attempt to regain Corinth, but succeeds only in exhausting the agricultural resources of the Isthmus.

Rebellion of Attalus, the satrap of western Asia Minor. He succeeds in making himself independent, ending the raids of the Celtic hordes of Asia which had been going on for half a century.

Rebellion of Hieracon, brother of Archelaus, in eastern Asia Minor. The peninsula is now divided between Attalus, Hieracon, and Deiotarus of Celtatia.

Second Roman War ends. The kingdom of Sicily is confined to its western tip; the rest of the island, with Apulia, is declared Roman territory. Macedonia pays 320 talents/year per year in reparations for ten years. Barcas flees to Spain, where he makes himself king.

 

238: Rome seizes Corsica and Sardinia. Dionysius, satrap of Calleia, takes the title of king.

 

237-236: War between Archelaus and Hieracon, the former allied with Attalus, the latter with Celtatia. The Celts defeat Archelaus at Ancyra in 236.

 

233-229: War with Thrace.

 

229.   Argos expels the Macedonian satrap Aristomachus and joins Achaea. Athens expels its governor and proclaims its independence.

 

229-226: Attalus defeats Hieracon, who flees to Thrace.

 

228: Death of Barcas; accession of his son Hannibal, under the regency of his son-in-law Theodore.

Second treaty with Rome; Archelaus recognizes the seizure of Corsica and Sardinia and admits Romans to the Eleusinian Mysteries.

 

228-227: Defeat of Achaea by Cleonymus II of Sparta, who seizes control of the southern Peloponnese.

 

226-223: Barcas, who takes the royal name of Alexander (V).

 

225: Aratus appeals to Alexander V for aid.

 

225-222: War with Attalus of Asia:

 

223: Assassination of Alexander V.

 

223-187: Philip III, "the Disappointed", brother of Alexander V.

 

223-222: Philip forces Attalus to surrender the former kingdom of Hieracon.

 

222: Philip accepts Aratus as tributary and crushes Cleonymus at Sellasia, re-conquering the southern Peloponnese.

 

221: Philip defeats Baramus II, king of Persia, and seizes Mesopotamia from him.

 

218-196: THIRD ROMAN WAR.

 

===

 

[1] In Piper's time-line, of course, the assassination of Philip was successful. Pausanias was killed, apparently accidentally, by Leonnatus, another of Philip's bodyguards. Attalus acted suspiciously, however; he may have been tasked to kill Alexander, and refrained from acting when Philip changed the order of the wedding processing at the last moment. Two of the Lyncestids, Arrabaios and Heromenes, were executed; the third, Alexander, escaped (possibly because he was the first to hail Alexander son of Philip as king).

 

[2] Actually, the latter was said by Alexander's viceroy, Antipater, who did face and defeat Agis. Alexander did make the disparaging remark.