Allied war (220-217 BC. E.)

In 222, after the defeat of Sparta, relative peace reigned in the battle of Celémenia in the Battle of Celasius on the Peloponnese. Even during the war, Macedonia, the Achaean alliance , some states of the Peloponnese and Central Greece ( Thessaly , Epirus , Akarnania , Boeotia ) formed in 224 BC. er Hellenic Union .

At the end of the war, Messenia became an arena in which the interests of the Achaea and Aetolia unions clashed for influence on the Peloponnese. Thanks to the diplomatic art and intrigues of the strategist of the Achaeans Arata Messenia , ally of Aetolia from the late 240s. BC e., became part of the Hellenic Union.

After the treason of Messinia, only Elida and Figalia remained the allies of Aetolia in the Peloponnese. This meant that the Aetolian alliance was surrounded on all sides by the lands of a hostile alliance: in the north - Thessaly, Macedonia and Epirus, in the east - Boeotia , Phocis , Epicnemidus Locrid , in the west - Acarnania, in the south - Ahea Union.

The agreements on the formation of the Hellenic Union and universal peace implied the prohibition of piracy and robbery, which categorically did not suit the Aetolians, who were engaged in looting the neighboring lands.

Treason Messinia forced the Etotols to take retaliatory steps. The Etoleanian Dorimah was sent to Messenia and Figalea with the aim of returning the Messenians into an alliance with Aetolia, but, meeting with strong opposition from the pro-Achaean party, he turned to robbery and violence.

Soon followed by two predatory raids by the Aetolians on the Peloponnese. During the first, the Aetolians defeated a three-thousand Achaean detachment under the command of Arat at Kafiy. It was the Achaeans who started the battle, and their defeat on their territory could have led to the declaration of war.

The second occasion was the incident in the Arcadian town of Kinefe. Kinefa’s ruling party allowed exiles of Cleomenes to return to the city. The exiles opened the gates to the Aetolians who appeared near the walls under the command of Dorimach, who plundered and burned the city with the complete inaction of the Achaeans. Attack suffered and the city of Claytor in Arcadia .

The war itself was in the interests of all parties. The Achaean alliance wanted to expand its zone of influence in the Peloponnese, the Aeolian Union wanted to weaken its hostile alliance. Macedonia, represented by the young Tsar Philip V, was not the immediate initiator of the war, but aimed at expanding its zone of influence in Central Greece, which narrowed considerably after the unsuccessful Demetrios War (239-229 BC).

The decision to start the war was considered at a meeting of the Sanhedrin of the Hellenic League in Corinth in the fall of 220 BC. er After the complaints of the Boeotians, the Fokida, the epirots, the Achaeans, and the atrocities of the Aetolians, the decision about the war was made unilaterally without any difficulty.

The war unfolded over vast territories. In the north and north-west, Epirus, Acarnania, Aetolia, Thessaly and the Macedonian region of Pieria were involved in the war. In the Peloponnese, battles took place in Elis, Laconia, Arcadia. Some military operations took place in Crete, where pro-Aechean and pro-Etholian-minded cities encountered. There were no major battles, the war was reduced to the clashes of small military units.

First year of war

The hostilities began Sparta , speaking as an ally of the Aetolians. The Spartans, led by Lycurgus, undertook a series of campaigns against neighboring towns, which were under their control before the Kleomen war. At the same time, the Aetolians made a number of predatory raids on the Peloponnese. At this time, Philip V struck at the Aetolian possessions in Acarnania and strengthened the Macedonian influence in the west of Balkan Greece, when the Aetolian army under the command of Skopasz invaded Macedonia.

The actions of the Achaeans during this period were unsuccessful, they could not resist the Aetolian tactics of lightning strikes and retreats, and the successful use of the fleet by the Aetolians gave them a significant advantage over the Achaeans. In addition, the Achaeans experienced difficulties with recruiting mercenaries for the war, because they did not fully pay off the mercenary units back in the Cleomena War. Philip V, in turn, showed caution, was in no hurry to get involved in dangerous adventures, thereby showing the Allies that without the support of the Macedonians they were inferior to the Aetolians.

Second Year of War

Fighting winter campaign 219 BC. er focused on the Peloponnese, where the Macedonians defeated the Aetolians at Stimfal and themselves attacked the Aetolian allies in Elida and Trifilia , with Trifilia being transferred under the direct control of the Macedonians and not subjected to robbery. Philip V held a very successful military operations, showing himself a talented tactician and successful commander.

In the spring of 218 BC. er Philip V landed on Fr. Mullet The assault on Pala’s kefallene town was unsuccessful, and the Macedonians retreated, but then suddenly landed in Aetolia itself. At the same time, the Macedonians repelled the Aetolian attack on Thessaly. Philip swiftly marched around Aetolia in a devastating campaign, twice defeating the Aetolian detachments and seizing the Aetolian capital of Farms . The city was completely plundered, the Macedonians destroyed everything they could not take with them. Even temples were burned, although the Macedonians did not touch the statues of the gods.

Suddenly for all, Philip fought from Aetolia to the Peloponnese and invaded Laconia, subjecting it to severe ruin. The Spartans, who believed that Philip was in Aetolia, and were preparing to send troops to help the Aetolians, were taken by surprise and could not provide any serious resistance. The only battle took place before Sparta, where the Macedonians with small forces won a quick victory. After the defeat of the auxiliary troops of the Macedonians, the Spartans did not dare to repeat the battle with the main troops. The Macedonians did not attack the city itself, since Philip V followed a strategy of limited goals.

The rapid and successful actions of Philip led to the fact that Aetolia and Sparta were ready to ask for peace, but the negotiations did not take place due to court unrest in Macedonia. Philip suppressed unrest quickly and firmly, but the position of the Macedonian king was undermined by this rebellion, and negotiations did not take place.

Third Year of War

In the third year of the war, the fighting centered on Peloponnese, Phocis and Thessaly. Philip was unable to seize Melitea in Central Greece, but he took Thebes from Thyotides , sold all their inhabitants into slavery, and renamed the city the name of Philippopolis. In addition, Philip captured allied Aetolia island Zakynthos west of the Peloponnese. The attack of the Spartans and Aetoli on Messenia was repelled, the retaliatory attacks of the Achaean fleet on Aetolia were crowned with success.

The war came to a standstill - the Aetolians and their allies suffered heavy losses, their attacks on the Hellenic Union did not reach the goal, but the Macedonians were exhausted by the war. The Macedonian treasury was empty, it was not possible to force the Aetolians to a major battle, and the war in the mountainous territory of Aetolia threatened to become protracted, ruinous and fraught with great losses.

The warring parties agreed to the negotiations, which were initiated by the Aetolians in 217 BC. er in Aetolia Navpakta .

The peace concluded in Navpakta stated that all warring parties remain with their possessions. The Achaean Union acquired some territories in the Peloponnese, for a short time, Messinia entered into its sphere of influence. Macedonia strengthened its influence in Central Greece and created a number of strongholds in the west of the Balkan Peninsula. Aetolia was weakened by war, neutralized, its pirate raids stopped. However, the power of the Aetolians was not destroyed, they retained influence in Delphi and had the power to oppose Macedonia in the First Macedonian War two years later.

• Polybius General history
• Syvkina N. Yu. The Last Conflict in Independent Greece. Allied war 220-217 BC e .. - St. Petersburg: Academy of Humanities, 2007. - 384 p. - 1000 copies - ISBN 978-5-93762-067-5 .