The Cretan War (205–200 BC) was fought by King Philip V of Macedon (pictured) and a coalition that included several Cretan cities against the forces of Rhodes, Attalus I of Pergamum and their allies. Wishing to eliminate Rhodes, the king formed an alliance with pirates. With the Rhodian fleet and economy suffering from their depredations, Philip believed his chance to crush Rhodes was at hand; in alliance with the Seleucid Empire, he attacked the lands of Ptolemy V of Egypt and Rhodes' allies in the Balkans. In 201 BC, Rhodes, Pergamum and their allies defeated Philip at the Battle of Chios, but shortly afterwards, his fleet defeated the Rhodians at Lade. While he was plundering Pergamese land, Attalus went to Athens and secured an alliance against Macedon. Philip assailed Athens, but Rome warned him to withdraw or face war. After being defeated again by the Rhodian and Pergamese fleets, Philip withdrew to Greece. He rejected the Roman ultimatum to stop attacking Greek states, and the Romans invaded Macedon. The Cretan coalition cities, deprived of their strongest ally, were forced to sign a treaty favourable to Rhodes, ending the Cretan War. Three years later, the Romans defeated Philip in the Battle of Cynoscephalae. (Full article...)
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