Was it the actions/personality of Phillip II, or political changes in Greece, or military technology, or...a combination of everything?? Which events between resisting the Persians and falling victim to Philip II were the most crucial for this to happen?
Why after fighting off the Persians so successfully, did the Greek world fall so fast to Macedonia?
It was mostly due to the Peloponnesian Wars at the end of the 4th century BCE. Athens and their allies faced off against Sparta and their allies (mainly Corinth). This civil war strecthed the militaries of both sides thin, to the point where they fought battles in Sicily. Sparta won these wars, but did not weaken Athens enough to put an end to its influence for long. Athens, Thebes, and Corinth turned against Sparta not long after this, resulting in more civil war and political instability. By the time Sparta was finally defeated, the Macedonians were prepared to attack the weakened city states.
Ironically, the Persian Empire played an important role in the Peloponnesian Wars.
Why after fighting off the Persians so successfully, did the Greek world fall so fast to Macedonia?
The Greeks were weak because after the defeat of Persia the Greek cities went to war with each other signifantly reducing their strength.
The Macedonians did not fight much with the persians and were less damaged than the other Greek states.
