24. Twilight of the Polis (cont.) and Conclusion

Introduction to Ancient Greek History (CLCV 205)

In this lecture, Professor Kagan tells the story of the rise of Philip and describes his early actions: unifying Macedon, defeating barbarian armies, and creating a new, professional, national army. According to Professor Kagan, through these actions, Philip was able to make inroads into the Greek world. What made these inroads more effective was Philip's uncanny talent for diplomacy and the fighting between the various poleis. Eventually, the Greeks under the efforts of Athens and Demosthenes decided to face Philip in the battle of Chaeronea. The battle, though close, was won by Philip and his Macedonian forces. Finally, Professor Kagan evaluates the actions of Demosthenes and concludes that his actions should be judged as a noble endeavor of one who loved freedom.

00:00 - Chapter 1. The Rise of Philip of Macedon
10:56 - Chapter 2. Philip, the Military Genius
24:52 - Chapter 3. Philip, the Diplomat
31:29 - Chapter 4. Philip's Expansion
38:17 - Chapter 5. Athens' War Tax and Demosthenes' Opposition to Philip
52:29 - Chapter 6. Increased Threats from Philip and Athens' Response
01:03:09 - Chapter 7. Demosthenes' Stand and The Battle of Chaeronea

Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website: http://open.yale.edu/courses

This course was recorded in Fall 2007.