Social War (357–355 BC)

Social War
Date	357–355 BC
Location	Asia Minor
Result	Confederate allies independent; Athens provoked by Persia
Belligerents
Athens and the Second Athenian League	Byzantion
Commanders and leaders
Chares; Chabrias †; Timotheus; Iphicrates	Numerous including:; Mausolus

The Social War, also known as the War of the Allies, was fought from 357 BC to 355 BC between

Byzantion

.

Origins

Provoked by Athens' increasingly dominating stance over the Second Athenian League, Chios, Rhodes, Cos and Byzantion overthrew their democratic governments and broke away from the league. The Athenian generals Chares and Chabrias were given command of the Athenian fleet.

War

During midsummer of 357 BC Chabrias's fleet was defeated and he was killed in the attack on the island of Chios.

In 356 BC, the revolting allies ravaged the Athenian-loyal islands of

cleruchs

.

Hellespont for operations against Byzantion. The generals Timotheus, Iphicrates

and his son Menestheus were sent to help him.

At the Battle of Embata Timotheus and Iphicrates refused to engage due to a blowing gale but Chares did engage and lost many of his ships. Timotheus and Iphicrates were accused by Chares and put on trial, however only Timotheus was condemned to pay a fine, and escaped.

Philip II's interference

King

Odrysae and renamed it Philippi

.

End of the war

Chares was in need of money for his war effort but frowned upon asking it from home; thus, partly compelled by his mercenaries, he entered the service of

Artaxerxes III Ochus

complained, since they feared he would otherwise start supporting their opponents in the war.

Furthermore, as a result of increasing Athenian operations near the Persian empire, in 356 BC Persia asked Athens to leave

Asia Minor

and threatened war. In 355 BC, Athens, not in any shape for another war, complied and withdrew by recognizing the independence of the confederate allies.

v t e Ancient Greek wars
Archaic	First Messenian War Lelantine War Second Messenian War Lydian–Milesian War First Sacred War Sicilian Wars
Classical	Greco-Persian Wars Aeginetan War Wars of the Delian League Third Messenian War First Peloponnesian War Second Sacred War Samian War Second Peloponnesian War Phyle Campaign Corinthian War Boeotian War Wars of the Theban hegemony Theban–Spartan War Social War (357–355 BC) Third Sacred War Foreign War Expansion of Macedonia Wars of Alexander the Great
Hellenistic	Lamian War Wars of the Diadochi Antigonid–Nabataean confrontations Seleucid–Mauryan war Pyrrhic War Syrian Wars Pyrrhus' invasion of the Peloponnese Chremonidean War Seleucid–Parthian Wars Cleomenean War Lyttian War Social War (220–217 BC) Macedonian Wars (First, Second, Third, Fourth) Cretan War Roman–Seleucid War Aetolian War War against Nabis Galatian War Maccabean Revolt Seleucid Dynastic Wars Achaean War Mithridatic Wars (First, Second, Third) War of Actium
Military history

Origins

War

Philip II's interference

End of the war

Further reading