300 BC / Map / Athens in the War / 359 BC

By 300 BC the Greeks reached a new era witch was the Hellenistic era. During which they were the leading international culture but their way of life was also influence by the people that ruled. But the Greeks themselves had evolved from a barbarian people on civilizations northwest edge. They did this to become a more dominant civilization.

            During the war it was hard for either side to strike a decisive blow until the Athenians naval looses in Sicily. The also ran out of money and supplies from the still mighty Persian Empire. This enabled Sparta to build a navy the defeated Athens. But Athens soon formed an alliance of city-states to go over to the offensive, which most of the Greek city-states on the Aegean coast and islands eventually joined. Money was given to build triremes that went under Athens commands. They then gained command over several hundred ships. After the Persians excepted defeat the Athens forced its allies to keep sending money. The city-states of Greece were provoked by the Athenians. The city- states were usually run by oligarchies, but Athens insisted on being run by a Democracy. The course of the war, the Athenians, under the guidance of Pericles, at first showed caution and sound strategy. The Spartans, unbeatable on the battlefield but not equipped for siege warfare, often raided Attica but could not capture the city itself or cut its link to the sea.

In 359 BC, Macedonia came under the rule of King Philip II, a ruler of broad vision who was determined to gain control of the city-states and to lead the Greeks and Macedonians in a united force against barbarian peoples to the north, He strengthened his army and adopted Greek phalanx tactics, improving the weapons of his hoplites, and building up a stronger cavalry force than any city-state possessed.