In winter 362/1 BC all the mainland states, except for Sparta still refusing to recognize the independence of Messenia, agreed to a ‘general peace and alliance’. In 361 BC Athens undermined this alliance when pursuing her own ambitions at the expense of Boeotia, she made two separate alliances: one with Arcadia, Achaea, Elis and Phlius, and the other with the Thessalian League against Alexander of Pherae. Boeotia responded by sending an army under Pammenes to maintain her grip on Megalopolis.
Alexander of Pherae (now acting in the interests of Boeotia) built a fleet, plundered Tinos and other cities of the Cyclades, besieged Peparethus off the coast of Thessaly, defeated the Athenian admiral Leosthenes (1), and made a profitable raid on Piraeus itself. Moreover, following Epaminondas’ venture into the northern Aegean; Byzantium, Chalcedon and Cyzicus were detaining the Athenian cornships. For his loss of five triremes and six hundred men Leosthenes was condemned and he only escaped death by voluntarily going into exile.
Iphicrates made several unsuccessful attempts (367-364 BC) to recover Amphipolis and to avoid prosecution for his failure he retired to Thrace. The Athenians sent Timotheus to replace him and also organised a rebellion against Cotys, led by his treasurer Miltocythes (d.359 BC). Iphicrates, helped by the Greek mercenary Charidemus (d.333 BC), who had fought under him against Amphipolis, bribed the Athenian military commanders and the rebellion was suppressed.
In 362/1 BC Potidaea asked Athens to establish cleruchs in its territories to make the city more secure against Chalcidian attacks; Timotheus appears to have established garrisons in Methone and Pydna and made an alliance with Menelaus of Pelagonia (northwest Macedonia); and the Athenians were continuing their attacks on Olynthus. Fearing this expansion of Athenian power into the north, Perdiccas joined Amphipolis and the Chalcidian League, and turned against Athens. In 360 BC after two failed attempts (his successor, Callisthenes, also failed and was executed by Athens), Timotheus made a last attempt to capture Amphipolis but had to burn his fleet on the Strymon River rather than let it fall into enemy hands.
In 361 BC Chares sailed to Corcyra to settle a dispute that had arisen there. His intervention in the oligarchs’ favour resulted in the secession of Corcyra and the loss of Athens’ influence in the west. In 360 BC Cotys captured Sestus and threatened Crithote and Elaeus, but in the following year he was murdered and his kingdom was divided between his three sons: Cersobleptes (r.359-341 BC) ruling the eastern area, Berisades (r.359-352 BC) the western area, and Amadocus II (r.359-351 BC) the inland area. On assuming their thrones all three kings signed a treaty of alliance with Athens.
In Euboea, where the governments were pro-Theban, risings began in early 357 BC. Both Thebes and Athens (in response to a forcible appeal from Timotheus) sent troops to the island. After a month of fighting the Thebans were driven out. From Euboea, mercenary troops under the command of Chares proceeded directly to the Chersonese where all the Greek cities, except for Cardia controlling the entrance to the Chersonese, agreed to join the Athenian Alliance but pay tribute to the Thracian kings as well as contributions to Athens.
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