league of corinth.

Discuss Philip's achievements and Macedonia pre-Alexander

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spitamenes
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league of corinth.

Post by spitamenes »

Did Philip strongarm his way into being the leader of the league of Corinth? Or did the Greeks actually vote him as the leader through they're own free will? Im just wondering if it was because they believed in Philip or just feared him. Or both.
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Paralus
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Re: league of corinth.

Post by Paralus »

Well the Philipinos "voted" Marcos president many a time.

The Greeks had no choice in the matter for their resistance had been crushed at Chaeronea. That defeat was exceptionally heavy and the Achaeans, as Pausanias reports, did not join the Lamian war as they were yet to recover from that reverse (7.6.5). The settlement in the aftermath of that battle was a rather different one to the last "peace" which had involved Philip (that of Philocrates in 346). Then Athens pushed for a koine eirine or "common peace" of the sort imposed by Persia in 387/6 and renewed variously afterwards. Philip was in no way interested as he was, at that stage, not finished. Before there was to be any common peace and attendant symmachia (alliance/'league') Philip would reorganise the Greeks both geographically and politically. Philip would break up confederacies and leagues (Athens' - what remained of it for example) and create others (the Phokians for example). He would ensure freindly governments and transfer cities (Naupactus from Achaea to Aetolia for example). He would also invade Laconia and partition large tracts of land to Sparta's neighbours not to mention enemies (Thyreatis / part of Cynuria to Argos; Sciritis to Tegea; Belbinatis to Megalopolis and Denthaliatis to Messenia).

By the time he was finished Philip was quite content to formalise the koine eirene and bind all to the symmachia that we call the "League of Corinth". The terms of this "league" bound all members to protect the constitutions, laws and territorial status quo of the members at the time of signing and to preserve the kingdom of Philip and his heirs. Philip's remaking of the Greek geopolitical landscape was franked.
Paralus
Ἐπὶ τοὺς πατέρας, ὦ κακαὶ κεφαλαί, τοὺς μετὰ Φιλίππου καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου τὰ ὅλα κατειργασμένους;
Wicked men, you sin against your fathers, who conquered the whole world under Philip and Alexander.

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