Fourth Sacred War

In the fourth Sacred War, Philip II of Macedon defeated the Athenians and Thebans. This victory paved the way for domination over Greece by Philip and later by his son Alexander, whose conquests were of vast historical consequence.

Fourth Sacred War (339–338 BC) was short. The Athenians were accused in the Amphictyony in impiety by the Amphissans; Aeschines, representing the Athenians, reacted with a counter charge that the Amphissans had been cultivating the cursed land of Cirrha, dedicated to the god Apollo in the First Sacred War.

A dispute between Athens and Thebes escalated when ambassadors to the Amphictyonic meeting, including Aeschines were attacked by the men of Amphissa during an inspection of the sacred plain. 

The next day the Amphictyony attacked Amphissan houses and port facilities on the sacred plain. Amphictyony declared war on Amphissa and appointed Philip as a military leader of the Amphictionic League in the fall of 339.

Philip brought his army south through Thessaly into Doris but instead of continuing south to Delphi he turned east and occupied Elateia, close to the border with Boeotia.

This provocation convinced Athens and Thebes to resolve their differences and mount the final resistance to Philip.

A few months later the war was renewed, but was overshadowed by the alliance made between Athens and Thebes and the resulting conflict with Philip at Chaironeia in 338. The alliances which were including Athens, Thebes the Euboean cities, Megara, Corinth, Achaea and several other islands was defeated at the Battle of Chaeronea in August 338.
Fourth Sacred War