Athens and Phillip II

With the emergence of the Macedonian threat  in the mid-4^thcentury B.C., Athenian public opinion was in favour of action against Philip II, but it did not have the desired results; the military unrest at Propontis in 351 B.C. caused by Philip II�s launch of his fleet against the Athenians, interrupted food supplies to Athens

In order to confront the Macedonian threat, many solutions were proposed. Demosthenes� argued in favour of stepping up military action against Philip, and on his suggestion a military fund was set up in 349 B.C. Another suggestion put into practice, but without any practical results, was the delegation of ambassadors in 348/7 B.C. to other Greek cities with a view to forming an alliance against Philip II. In the end they capitulated to the Macedonian king.

During the peace negotiations Philip II realised that Athens was divided on foreign policy, as it could not decide on the stance it should take regarding the Boeotian cities. After a premeditated delay he eventually agreed to the terms of peace, but the Athenians were not pleased with the results the ambassadors achieved.

After 346 B.C. the Assemmly of Citizens  followed roughly the political direction of Demosthenes. The loss of the Thracian coastlines, the danger of losing the strait of the Hellespont, the military occupation of Thermopylae by Philip II and his alliance with the Boeotians, troubled the Athenians. The alliance between Philip II and the Great King following Athenian rejection of the Persian proposal of a confederacy, caused turmoil in Athens, which hastened the creation of a large league against the Macedonians. The military operations which followed culminated in the victory of the Macedonians at Chaeronea (338 B.C.), after which Philip II was more conciliatory and moderate when he concluded peace with the Athenians and their allies.

Macedonia was supreme in Greece. A few years later, in 337 B.C., the conference of the Greeks passed Philip�s II suggestion regarding the creation of an alliance aiming at a Panhellenic expedition to Asia and appointed the Macedonian king as �imperial supreme commander�.

References:

Ulrich Wilcken, Ancient Greek History

N. Hammond, The Macedonian State

Isocrates, Letter to Phillip

That sentence simply does not make any sense. Persian never offered Athens a coalition, nor did Macedon ever have anything beyond the �friendship� that any leading state in Greece sought from Persia (as in don�t funnel Darics to my enemies, and I won�t invade or allow my citizens to join your enemies as mercenaries).  At the very time Athens (that would be Demosthenes) was dredging up allies to oppose Philip, Athens and Persia were essentially tacitly cooperating to counter Macedonian aggression in region around Thrace.

You are correct, that is essentially the standard view: Philip wins at Chaeronea and is conciliatory, lucky Greeks�

But let�s just consider the actual post Chaeronea situation; sure Philip won a battle but so what. The alliance Demosthenes had put together had generally not sought Persian aid, if Philip pressed the attack Athens and company would almost certainly seek (and receive) Persian coin. Philip�s loyal allies in Greece, the Argives, Elis etc, had all found excuses for not showing up. Sure Athens lost a couple thousand troops, but if Philip invaded Attica, Hyperide�s proposal to enfranchise the metrics and slaves would almost assured have passed, easily making up the loss (and Philips failed attack on Byzantium had already proved he could not take a major port city with free access to the sea).

What could Philip do: Corinth blocked his access through the isthmus; Besiege Thebes and a hostile Athens was still at his back, free to carry out attacks on Macedon or his army; Attack Athens, he would be forced to fight through the Athenian boarder defenses and then besiege Athens, but then Thebes would be free behind him (and he could still not prevent Athens from flanking his besieging army via navel transport).  Don�t forget Philip had only one rout home back over land; Athens could keep dispatching armies via her navy, say to recapture forts around Thermopylae, trapping Philip in central Greece.

Finally, considering that most of the period accounts note that Alexander was not exactly rolling in cash when he launched his invasion of Persia I�m not sure Philip had the resources to sustain a protracted war against the Greeks. Especially since the harder Philip pushed the more likely the Greeks were to turn to for money.