defeat came @ battle of chaeronea (338 bc), decisive contest in philip ii of macedon, son alexander, extinguished theban hegemony. battle culmination of philip s campaign central greece in preparation war against persia. fought between macedonians , allies , alliance of greek city-states led athens , thebes. diodorus records numbers involved 2 armies more or less equal, both having around 30,000 men , 2,000 cavalry.
the traditional hoplite infantry no match novel long-speared macedonian phalanx: theban army , allies broke , fled, sacred band, although surrounded , overwhelmed, refused surrender. thebans of sacred band held ground , plutarch records 300 fell stood beside last commander, theagenes. defeat @ battle significant victory philip, since until then, sacred band regarded invincible throughout of ancient greece. plutarch records philip ii, on encountering corpses heaped 1 upon , understanding were, wept , exclaimed,
perish man suspects these men either did or suffered unseemly.
though significance of battle well-documented ancient scholars, there little surviving information on deployment of armies involved. modern scholars (including n. g. l. hammond , george cawkwell) credit alexander having led cavalry wing. james g. devoto, likewise, says in theban sacred band alexander had deployed cavalry behind macedonian hoplites, apparently permitting theban break-through in order effect cavalry assault while hoplites regrouped . other historians argue alexander commanded hoplites armed sarissas (pikes), rather cavalry, since plutarch mentions sacred band fell lances of macedonian phalanx . plutarch , diodorus both credit alexander being first engage sacred band.
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