Isocrates's Political Thought Of "Panhellenism"

After the Peloponnesian War, the ancient Greek poleis in political, economic and ideological field got into a comprehensive crisis, which is called the "city-state crisis" in historiography. In order to restore the past peace and eliminate the current dispute, Isocrates made a speech of Panegyricus at the Olympia Conference in 380 B.C.. In the speech, he called on the Greek poleis to unite and wage war against the Persian Empire. However, after a long time of the speech, the ancient Greek poleis never ceased to dispute among them so that none of them could undertake this important task. At the same time , the rise of the northern kingdom of Macedonia gave Isocrates a new hope. In his view, the powerful kingdom of Macedonia may be able to lead ancient Greece into a better future. Driven by this notion, Isocrates wrote to Philip in 346 B.C.. In the letter, he advised Philip to mediate disputes of the ancient Greek poleis and begin a war with the Persian Empire.Under the social situations of ancient Greece and the "Panhellenic" consciousness's influence, Isocrates declared his political thought in public. The main contents of his political thought is summarized as that he called on the ancient Greece to unite and wage war against the Persian Empire. However, in the contradiction between the reality and the ideal of development, Philip put the ancient Greece under his own rule after Chaeronea War in 338 B.C.. On the surface, the ancient Greece united in peace , but the ancient Greek poleis lost the autonomia in reality. In my opinion, two aspects answered for this result. First of all, Isocrates lacked of political sensitivity, and secondly, Isocrates did not foresee Philip's desire for hegemony of the ancient Greece.