Chaeronea

Chaeronea is a town and a municipal unit in Boeotia, Greece. It lies in central Greece, within the regional unit of Boeotia and the municipality of Orchomenos. The modern town sits near the site of the ancient city of Chaeronea, after which it is named.

In antiquity, Chaeronea was the site of the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BCE, where Philip II of Macedon defeated the combined forces of Thebes and Athens, aided by other Greek states. The battle marked a turning point in Greek history, leading to Macedonian hegemony in Greece. The Sacred Band of Thebes, a famed elite corps, was destroyed in the engagement.

Archaeological remains at Chaeronea include the battlefield and related artifacts; a notable monument associated with the site is the Lion of Chaeronea, a 4th-century BCE statue discovered nearby.

In modern administration, Chaeronea became part of the municipality of Orchomenos under the 2011 Kallikratis reform. It is a small community whose economy relies on agriculture and tourism.