Demetriev's war

In 239 BC e., after the death of the Macedonian king Antigonus II, his son Demetrius ascended the throne. Arat, the strategist of the Achaean Union, decided to start a new war with Macedonia, while Demetrius was forced to pay attention to the Dardanian tribe, threatening the borders of his kingdom. To this end, Aratus entered into an alliance with the Aetolian Union, and, thus, two powerful symmachies , also enjoying the support of Egypt, united against Macedonia.

The Aetolians and Achaeans marched to Thessaly , hoping to tear Thessaly away from Macedonia. Macedonia was in great danger of losing its influence. An army was sent to Thessaly under the command of the tsarist strategist Bitius, who managed to defeat the allies, led by Aratus under Philakia. As a result of this battle, the allies were forced to leave Thessaly.

In 236 BC e. Demetrius at the head of the army invaded Boeotia , which was after the defeat at Heronius in 245 BC. e. forced ally of Aetolia , and persuaded the Boeotians to the side of Macedonia. The Phocians and Lokrians probably also joined him. However, at the Peloponnese, the Achaeans achieved great success, having achieved the accession of Megalopolis and Orchomen to their union. True, Arat was not able to conquer Argos, where, after the death of the tyrant Aristippus in the battle with the Achaeans, his brother Aristomakh asserted his authority.

In 231 BC e. The inhabitants of the Acarnan city of Medion , who was besieged by Etolian troops, turned to Demetrius for help. The Macedonian king, having no opportunity at that time to provide direct military support, bribed the king of the Illyrian Ardis Agron. Agron sent a landing to Medion, defeating the Aetolites. Participation in the fate of the Medion was the last known foreign policy action of Demetrius.

Since the second half of the 230s. BC e. Demetrius' main focus was on the northwestern border of Macedonia, where attacks by the Dardanians became more frequent. I. G. Droisen believes that the king died during the struggle with them ^[1] . However, sources do not indicate this.

The first steps of Antigonus III were aimed at restoring the borders of Macedonia. He defeated the Aetolians, subjugated most of Thessaly, and with some concessions made the Aetolians abandon their alliance with the Achaeans. To strike at the Achaean Union, Antigonus attacked his ally and eternal enemy of Macedonia - Egypt , landing in the strategically important region of Asia Minor - Caria . He managed to capture Caria, which Macedonia held to the second war with the Romans . This is where the war ended. The Aetolians cooled to an alliance with the Achaeans, and the Achaeans were concerned about the strengthening of Sparta , with which they started a war.

Having gained a foothold in Asia Minor, Antigon III Dawson began preparations for war with the Achaean Union. At this time, in the Peloponnese between the Achaean Union and Sparta in 229 BC. e. war broke out, called Kleomenova . For three years, the Spartan king Cleomenes III won a series of victories, almost capturing the entire Peloponnese and putting the Achaean Union on the brink of destruction.

By 224 BC e. After another defeat at the battle of Hekatombei, the position of the Achaean Union became desperate, and its strategist Arat Sikionsky , having been refused help from the Aetolians and Athenians , turned to Macedonia. The intervention of Macedonia saved the Achaeans from defeat, and Antigonus created the Hellenic Union , making the Achaean Union dependent on Macedonia.

• * Droizen I. History of Hellenism. - Rostov-on-Don: Phoenix, 1995 .-- T. 3 .-- 608 p.