The Macedonian War (Athenian Legacy)

The Macedonian War was the final engagment of the classical greek era, ending with the final victory of Alexander the Great and therefore the ushering in of the Hellenic Period. The Macedonian War, though contained, was the climax of the wars between the Athenian Republic and the quickly growing Macedonian Kingdom, which had been previously restricted after a crushing defeat several years earlier against the Strategos, Helmetrus. Following a crippling civil war, the Kingdom of Macedonia was able to recover, eventually driving the Athenians to near collaspe before they were defeated by the newly crowned King of Athens, Alexander.

Background
The Macedonian War was a clear result of the continued Macedonian resistance against Athenian influence and rule, which had already began collinizing much of the Thrace and Southern Macedonia. Initially, the king of Macedon, Phillip II (who had siezed power from Amyntas IV), succesfully battled against the Northern Athenian cities for many years, until finally he was checked and put down by the Athenian General, Helmetrus at Volo, where the majority of Phillips army was destroyed.

As a result, Amyntas was able to succesfully return to Macedonia, and lay claim to Phillip's throne. Despite his sustainable support from the people, Phillip's endless years of war and turmoil, eventually turned the people against him. 10 years after Volo and 5 years after Amyntas's return, Phillip was removed from power after being clearly defeated in a long civil war. The return of Amyntas was marked by dramatic reform and the recruitment of a large Mercanary army which was paid by the old king's many assets and treasuries. With the execution of Phillip in 342 BCE, Amyntas's position was secure, though not solid.

In order to rally the people against Macedon's increasing allies, Amyntas moved against the Kingdom of Thrace, uniting together the Macedonian people against their rivals. In 341 BCE, following the refusal to return Alexander to Macedon for execution (as a possible claimaint), Amyntas moved undisputedly against Athens, effectively wiping most of the remaining colonies from Macedon. The move greatly enraged the Athenian Generals and Poltiticans, though many reluctantly turn away from the war in fear of another Helmetrus victory. The Archon of Athens, Krolpols, was able to convince the people against Helmetrus's desires for another war, but effectively surrendered all opposition to Amyntas's throne in such a move.