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| Battle of Plataea | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Lamian War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Athens | Boeotia | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Leosthenes | Unknown | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 5,000 soldiers 500 cavalry 2,000 mercenaries | Unknown | ||||||
The Battle of Plataea was fought in Boeotia between the Athenian and Boeotian armies during the Lamian War in 323 BC.
After Macedonian king Alexander the Great had destroyed Thebes in 335 BC, he had given the Theban lands to the Boeotians. [1] However, without Macedon as hegemon in central Greece, the Boeotians feared the Athenians would revive Theban power as a counterweight to the Macedonians and so the Boeotians would lose the lands they gained. [1] When a coalition of cities including Athens and the Aetolian League decided to wage war against Macedonia in 323 BC, the Boeotians opposed the decision. [1]
When Athens sent reinforcements to the army led by Athenian general, Leosthenes, the Boeotians mobilized to resist the Athenians. The Athenians' reinforcements consisted of five thousand men and five hundred horses, as well as two thousand mercenaries, [1] while Leosthenes moved with part of his forces to meet with them. After joining with the Athenian reinforcements, Leosthenes formed his men in line and attacked the Boeotian camp, defeating the enemy. After the victory he hurried back to Thermopylae where he would meet Antipater's army.