Alliance War (Hellenism)
The Social War (also Aitolischer war ) 220-217 v. BC was a military conflict between two Greek alliances, which were under the leadership of Macedonia and the Aitolian League .
Cause and outbreak
The combination of two political conflicts led to the outbreak of the Allied War: The new Macedonian King Philip V wanted to further expand Macedonia's hegemonic position in Greece and came into conflict with the Aitolians. The Achaean League wanted to extend its territory to the entire Peloponnese , with Sparta and Elis standing in its way.
The Messenians called on the Achaean League to help against repeated plundering of the Aitolians. However, since the Achaeans were left behind in relation to the Aitolian League, Philip V of Macedonia intervened. This mediated the admission of Messenia into the Achaean League and promised to proceed against the Aitolians. These in turn formed an alliance with Sparta and Elis in order to be able to break the hegemony of Macedonia in Greece.
Course and peace agreement
Both warring parties avoided a decisive battle, but the political situation in Greece was shattered by looting and piracy. This affected not only the smaller states such as Akarnania , Epiros and Boiotia , which were in a symmetry with Macedonia, but also neutral powers such as Athens , Rhodes or the Ptolemy monarchy.
After Hannibal's great victory in the Battle of Lake Trasimeno in 217 BC. BC against the Romans threatened a shift in the Mediterranean balance of power. In order to get a free hand, Philip V concluded the Peace of Naupaktos with the Aitolian League , in which the status quo was recognized. Macedonia and the Achaeans are to be seen as the victors of the war: On the one hand, the Peloponnese was largely brought under their control, on the other hand, the Aitolians had lost parts of their peripheral areas to Macedonia.
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- Polybius , Historien , Book IV.