4th Century BCE — Conflicts, Raids, Naval Actions & Battles

A complete, wargamer‑ready register of major recorded conflicts in the 4th century BCE: battles, sieges, expeditions, naval actions, raids, revolts — starting with Italy & Sicily, then the Aegean/Asia Minor (Corinthian War, Theban ascendancy), and finally Macedon, Alexander & the Diadochi. Each entry shows year — name — type — belligerents — outcome. Where sources are thin, use the “Force Composition Cheats” to build plausible OOBs and fleet mixes.

Italy & Sicily (400–301 BCE)

400–380 BCE

  • 396 — Veii (Siege/Battle) (Etruria, siege/land) — Rome (Camillus) storms Veii — Roman victory.
  • 394–390 — Roman–Etruscan frontier actions (various, land) — recurring raids and clashes.
  • 390 — Allia (Latium, land) — Romans routed by Senone Gauls (Brennus); Sack of Rome follows — Gallic victory.
Recommended maps:
  • Siege of Veii — Wikipedia “Siege of Veii”; Barrington Atlas Map 41 (Central Italy); Shepherd Historical Atlas plate “Early Rome.”
  • Battle of the Allia — Wikipedia “Battle of the Allia”; locator of Allia–Tiber and “Gallic Sack of Rome”; Shepherd plate “Gauls in Italy.”

399–370 BCE — Sicily: Dionysius I vs Carthage

  • 397 — Motya (Siege) (Sicily, sea/land) — Syracuse (Dionysius I) captures Carthaginian Motya — Greek success.
  • 397 — Catana (off east Sicily, naval) — Syracusan–Punic actions during the campaign — operationally inconclusive.
  • 376 — Cronium (Sicily, land) — Carthage defeats Syracusans; heavy losses to Greek allies — Punic victory.
Recommended maps:
  • Siege of Motya — Wikipedia “Siege of Motya”; Barrington Atlas Map 47 (Sicily); coastal inset of Marsala lagoon.
  • Catana actions — Eastern Sicily coast (Etna–Catania) locator; “Greek–Carthaginian Wars in Sicily” overview on Wikipedia/Commons.
  • Cronium — Campaign map “Timoleon vs Carthage”; region around Gela/Agrigento; Shepherd Atlas “Sicily in the 4th c. B.C.”

360–330 BCE — Timoleon & Latin War

  • 339 — Crimissus (Sicily, land) — Timoleon (Syracuse) crushes Carthaginian field army — Greek victory.
  • 340–338 — Latin War (Latium/Campania, campaign) — Rome & Samnites vs Latin League & allies — Roman victory; key actions: Vesuvius (340), Trifanum (339), Pedum/Astura sector (338).
Recommended maps:
  • Crimissus — Wikipedia “Battle of the Crimissus”; river approaches NW of modern Castelvetrano; Shepherd Sicily plate.
  • Latin War — Wikipedia “Latin War”; individual battles “Vesuvius (340)”, “Trifanum (339)”, “Pedum (338)”; Barrington Map 41 + 42 for Latium/Campania.

343–321 BCE — Samnite Pressure

  • 343–341 — First Samnite War (Campania, campaign) — Roman victories incl. Saticula — Roman advantage.
  • 326–304 — Second Samnite War (Apennines/Campania, campaign) — incl. Caudine Forks (321) — Roman setback within wider war.
Recommended maps:
  • First Samnite War — Wikipedia “First Samnite War”; Campania theatre maps; Barrington 41–42.
  • Second Samnite War — Wikipedia “Second Samnite War”; “Caudine Forks” pass map (near Montesarchio); Shepherd Italy plates.

Aegean & Asia Minor: Corinthian War & Theban Ascendancy (395–362 BCE)

Corinthian War (395–387 BCE) — Naval Core

  • 394 — Cnidus (off SW Asia Minor, naval) — Conon (Athens) + Pharnabazus defeat Spartan fleet — anti‑Spartan victory.
Recommended maps:
  • Battle of Cnidus — Wikipedia article; Wikimedia Commons diagrams; Asia‑Minor coastline inset (Datça peninsula).

Athenian Naval Recovery (380s–370s)

  • 376 — Naxos (Cyclades, naval) — Athens (Chabrias) defeats Sparta — Athenian victory.
  • 375/374 — Alyzia (Ionian waters, naval) — Athenian win in western theatre — Athenian victory.
Recommended maps:
  • Battle of Naxos (376) — Wikipedia article; Cyclades locator map; optional wind/lee arrows for scenario inset.
  • Battle of Alyzia — Wikipedia “Alyzia”/“Battle of Alyzia”; Acarnania/Leukas coast locator.

Theban Ascendancy (371–362 BCE)

  • 371 — Leuctra (Boeotia, land) — Epaminondas shatters Spartan hegemony — Theban victory.
  • 362 — Mantinea (Arcadia, land) — indecisive tactically; Epaminondas mortally wounded — strategic stall.
Recommended maps:
  • Leuctra — Wikipedia “Battle of Leuctra”; Boeotia theatre maps; Shepherd “Greece after the Peloponnesian War.”
  • Mantinea (362) — Wikipedia “Battle of Mantinea (362 BC)”; Arcadia locator; Barrington maps for central Peloponnese.

Macedon, Alexander & the Diadochi (359–301 BCE)

Philip II & Greek Order

  • 338 — Chaeronea (Boeotia, land) — Macedon defeats Athens/Thebes — Macedonian hegemony.
Recommended maps:
  • Chaeronea — Wikipedia article; Boeotia/Phocis theatre; Shepherd map “Macedonian Expansion.”

Alexander’s Campaigns (334–323 BCE)

  • 334 — Granicus (Asia Minor, land/river) — Alexander defeats Persian satraps — Macedonian victory.
  • 334 — Halicarnassus (Caria, siege + fleet counter) — fortified port with Persian naval sorties — Macedonian success.
  • 333 — Issus (Cilicia, land) — Alexander defeats Darius III — Macedonian victory.
  • 332 — Tyre (Siege) (Phoenicia, amphibious/sea) — causeway + allied Phoenician/Cypriot fleets break harbor — Macedonian victory.
  • 331 — Gaugamela (Assyria, land) — decisive field victory — Macedonian victory.
  • 326 — Hydaspes (Punjab, river/land) — Alexander defeats Porus — Macedonian victory.
Recommended maps:
  • Granicus, Issus, Gaugamela, Hydaspes — Wikipedia battle pages; Shepherd & USMA plates widely reproduced.
  • Halicarnassus — Wikipedia “Siege of Halicarnassus”; harbor/boom diagram; Caria coast inset.
  • Tyre — Wikipedia “Siege of Tyre”; multiple siege diagrams; Livius.org and Emerson Kent archives for alternate plates.

Lamian War & Athenian Naval Sunset (323–322 BCE)

  • 322 — Amorgos (Aegean, naval) — Cleitus the White (Macedon) defeats Athenian fleet — Macedonian victory.
  • 322 — Echinades (Ionian/Aetolian waters, naval) — further Macedonian victory over Athens — Macedonian victory.
Recommended maps:
  • Amorgos — Wikipedia “Battle of Amorgos”; Cyclades locator.
  • Echinades — Wikipedia “Battle of Echinades (322 BC)”; Ionian/Aetolian coast locator; Gulf of Patras inset.

Diadochi at Sea (319–301 BCE)

  • 306 — Salamis (Cyprus) (off Cyprus, naval) — Demetrius I defeats Ptolemaic fleet — Antigonid victory.
  • 301 — Ipsus (Phrygia, land) — Antigonid coalition defeat — re‑partition of the Hellenistic world.
Recommended maps:
  • Salamis (Cyprus) 306 — Wikipedia article; Cyprus theatre inset (Salamis–Kition axis); Shepherd Hellenistic plates.
  • Ipsus — Wikipedia “Battle of Ipsus”; Phrygia locator; Hammond & Barrington Asia Minor plates.

Quick Indexes

Roman‑Sphere (Italy‑first) — 4th‑c subset

  • 396 — Veii (siege) — Roman victory.
  • 390 — Allia & Sack of Rome — Gallic victory.
  • 343–341 — First Samnite War — Roman advantage.
  • 340–338 — Latin War: Vesuvius, Trifanum, Pedum/Astura — Roman victory.
  • 326–304 — Second Samnite War (incl. Caudine Forks 321).

Aegean — Naval Only (highlights)

Cnidus (394); Naxos (376); Alyzia (375/4); Amorgos (322); Echinades (322); Salamis–Cyprus (306).

Alexander — Amphibious/Port Sieges

Halicarnassus (334); Tyre (332) — classic combined ops (moles, towers, allied Phoenician squadrons).

Force Composition Cheats (4th‑c Defaults)

Greek/Phoenician Fleets (Early–Mid 4th)

  • Triremes as main battle hulls; pentekonters/biremes for scouts/raids.
  • Phoenician/Carthaginian squadrons emphasize stout hulls & boarding; Greeks favor ramming windows and maneuver.
  • Convoys: 2–6 roundships (4–6 kt) with light escorts in choke‑points.

Italian Waters (Rome, Etruria, Latins)

  • Naval mostly coastal/riverine; major sea fights rarer than Aegean theatres.
  • Roman land OOBs trend toward manipular blocks late‑century; allied Italians bulk out numbers in Latin/Samnite wars.

Alexander/Diadochi Fleets

  • Triremes with emergent heavier types by late century; mixed Phoenician/Cypriot contingents at Tyre (332).
  • Diadochi era sees large set‑piece naval (e.g., Salamis–Cyprus, 306).

Map & Visual Pointers (General)

  • Italy/Etruria: Wikipedia “Siege of Veii”; “Battle of the Allia”; Barrington Atlas 41–42; Shepherd Italy plates.
  • Sicily: Wikipedia “Siege of Motya”, “Battle of the Crimissus”; Commons campaign overviews for Greek–Carthaginian wars.
  • Corinthian War: Wikipedia “Battle of Cnidus”; Commons diagrams; Datça peninsula inset.
  • Athenian Recovery: Wikipedia “Battle of Naxos (376 BC)”, “Battle of Alyzia”; Cyclades/Acarnania locators.
  • Theban Ascendancy: Wikipedia “Battle of Leuctra”; “Battle of Mantinea (362 BC)”; Barrington central Peloponnese plates.
  • Alexander: Wikipedia “Siege of Halicarnassus”, “Siege of Tyre”, “Granicus”, “Issus”, “Gaugamela”, “Hydaspes”; Livius.org Tyre diagrams; Emerson Kent map archive for classic plates.
  • Lamian War: Wikipedia “Battle of Amorgos (322 BC)”, “Battle of Echinades (322 BC)”.
  • Diadochi: Wikipedia “Battle of Salamis (306 BC)”, “Battle of Ipsus”; Hammond Atlas, Barrington Asia Minor plates.