There are several great forces at play during this period, including the enormous Persia, the forcibly established Sparta, Athens with its commerce and trade, aspirant Macedonia, the twin heroes of the Western Mediterranean, the burgeoning Rome, and others.
Agesilaus II, the last king of Sparta, Epaminondas, the Rising General of Thebes, Philip II, the creator of Macedonia's hegemon, Dionysius, the tyrant of Syracuse, Camillus, the dictator and savior of Rome—these are the stars of this age.
Aristophanes, the famous dramatist, Hippocrates, the father of western medicine, Pythagoras, the school of numbers, Democritus, the encyclopedia scholar, and Plato, the great philosopher, all participated in this time of debate among a hundred schools of thought.
English translation of Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greek