- 338 BC
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Events
By place
Persian Empire
* The Persian general and
vizier , theeunuch Bagoas , falls out of favour with KingArtaxerxes III . Bagoas seeks to remain in office by replacing Artaxerxes with his youngest son Arses, whom he thinks will be easier to control. So Bagoas murders Artaxerxes III and all his sons, other than Arses, who is then placed on the throne by Bagoas. Artaxerxes IV Arses is little more than a puppet-king while Bagoas acts as the power behind the throne.Greece
* After his significant victory over the Locrians,
Philip II of Macedon swiftly entersPhocis . He then turns south-east down the Cephissus valley, seizesElateia and restores the fortifications of the city.
*Athens arranges an alliance withEuboea ,Megara ,Achaea ,Corinth ,Acarnania and some other states in thePeloponnesus . However, the most desirable ally for Athens is Thebes. Therefore, the Athenian leader,Demosthenes , goes to theBoeotia n city and secures an alliance with Thebes despite the efforts of a Macedonian deputation to persuade Thebes to join withMacedon ia. In return, Athens agrees to Thebes' controlling Boeotia, Thebes being in command solely on land and jointly at sea, and Athens paying two thirds of the campaign's cost.
*August 2 —Philip II of Macedon defeats the Athenians and Thebans in the Battle of Chaeronea in western Boeotia. His son, Alexander, commands the left wing of the Macedonian army during the battle. In victory, Philip II is harsh on Thebes, but merciful on Athens, thanks to the efforts of the Athenian orator and diplomat,Demades , who helps negotiate a peace agreement between Macedonia and Athens.
* Philip II advances into Peloponnesus. He defeatsThessaly , subduesSparta and summons a Pan-Hellenic Congress atCorinth . This results in the establishment of Macedonian hegemony over central Greece (including Athens).
* Athenian statesman and orator, Lycurgus, is given control of the state's finances and goes about doubling the annual public revenues.
* KingArchidamus III ofSparta , after five years of campaigning in southernItaly , fails to achieve any decisive results and while leading a mercenary army to help Tarentum against the Lucanians, he is killed with most of his troops atManduria inCalabria .
* KingArchidamus III is succeeded as theEurypontid King ofSparta by his son,Agis III .icily
*
Carthage makes another effort to conquer all ofSicily . The Carthaginians dispatch some mercenaries to extend the conflict betweenTimoleon and the Siciliantyrant s. But this effort ends in the defeat of Hicetas, the tyrant ofLeontini , who is taken prisoner and put to death. By a treaty between Syracuse and Carthage, the dominion of Carthage in Sicily is confined to the lands west of the Halycus (Platani) River.
* With peace finally achieved with Carthage, Timoleon of Syracuse is able to depose two more tyrants in Sicily and then retires into private life.Roman Republic
* The
Latin War ends with theLatin League being dissolved and the individual Latin cities having to accept Rome's terms. Many of the cities are incorporated into the Roman state. In making peace with the cities of the defeated Latin League, Rome offers liberal terms. The men of many of these cities are granted citizenship and, as a result, Rome gains friends rather than enemies.
* With the fall of their chief city,Antium , to the Romans, theVolsci finally abandon their resistance against the Romans and accept an alliance with Rome.Births
*
Deaths
*
Artaxerxes III , king of Persia (murdered) (b. c.425 BC )
*Archidamus III , king ofSparta (killed in battle)
*Isocrates , Athenian orator and rhetorician (b.436 BC )
*Hicetas ,tyrant ofLeontini (approximate date) (b. ca.400 BC )
*Shang Yang , Chinese statesman of Qin (executed)
*Xiao of Qin , Duke of Qin, China (b.381 BC )
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