389—Rome was conquered and, except the capitol, destroyed, by the Gauls under Brennus. The barbarians soon retired and the city was rebuilt.
384—Aristotle, the most learned of the Grecian philosophers, was born at Stagira, in Macedon. He laid the foundation of scientific study, and was the tutor of Alexander the Great.
371—Epaminondas defeated the Spartans at Leuctra, and 362—again at Mantinea, where he was killed.
360—Philip became king of Macedon, and soon began to undermine the liberties of Greece in a very artful way.
357—The “Sacred War” against the Phocians, who had plundered the temple of Apollo, at Delphi, commenced.
356—Birth of Alexander the Great. Rutilius, the first plebean dictator at Rome.
349—Death of Plato, the brightest light of Grecian philosophy. He systematized and enlarged the doctrines of Socrates.
338—Occurred the battle of Chaeronea between Philip and the allied Athenians and Thebans. The Greeks were totally defeated and their liberty lost. Demosthenes, the most celebrated orator of the Greeks, spent his whole life and his magnificent eloquence in the effort to rouse the Greeks against Philip; but Philip was too crafty and the Greeks too little accustomed to act in concert. For nearly a hundred years the states of Greece had been exhausted by wars among themselves, and they were too weary of fighting to make the necessary effort against so powerful and skillful an adversary.
336—Philip was assassinated on the eve of an expedition against Persia, as chief of the Grecian states. This popular idea consoled them for the loss of liberty. Alexander succeeded his father.