First Olynthian War

Last updated
First Olynthian War
Part of the Spartan hegemony
Spartan King Agesilaus.jpg
Spartan King Agesilaus II
Date382–379 BC
Location
Result Spartan victory
Belligerents
Peloponnesian League
Macedonia
Chalcidian League
Commanders and leaders
Agesilaus II Unknown
Strength
Unknown Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown

The First Olynthian War 382-379 BC. War of Sparta, Macedonia and their allies against the cities of the Chalcidian League, led by Olynthus.

Contents

The reasons were, firstly, the strengthening of the Chalcidian League led by Olynthus, which created a threat to Macedonia, and secondly, the desire of Sparta to establish its dominance in Northern Greece.

Background

In 393/392 BC. Macedonia was invaded by the Illyrians, who defeated Amyntas III and drove him out of the country. [1] Trying to enlist the help of Olynthus, Aminta transferred part of the border territory to this policy. However, there is no information that Olynthus provided the overthrown king with any assistance. [2] Amyntas is believed to have fled from Macedonia to Thessaly, where he had supporters who soon helped him return to the throne.

Some time later (probably c. 391 BC), a 50-year treaty was concluded between Macedonia and the Chalcisian League. Part of the text of this treaty was found on a stone at Olynthus. There is talk of a military alliance, and rules are established for the export of timber, a strategic raw material, the export of which was previously under the control of Macedonia. From now on, the Chalcidians were allowed to freely export resin and wood to build ships. Only to export spruce it was necessary to obtain permission from the king and pay duties. In the political part of the agreement, the parties agreed not to conclude, except by common consent, treaties of friendship with Amphipolis, Akanthos, and Bottieya. [3]

The main points of the treaty were in the interests of Olynthus, who, in addition to unheard of trade privileges, achieved the isolation of his rivals in the region. Over the next few years, the economic and political position of the Chalcidian League continued to strengthen, while Macedonia remained very vulnerable.

In the mid-380s. BC. The Illyrians again intensified their pressure on their neighbors: in 385/384 BC. At the instigation of the Syracusan tyrant Dionysius the Elder they attacked the Epirus Kingdom to restore the exiled king Alcetes to the throne. About 15 thousand Molossians died in the battle, and then the Spartans sent army to Epirus to drive out the barbarians. [4]

Based on the story Diodorus [5] it is assumed that the Illyrians in 383/382 BC made a new invasion of Macedonia, and this prompted King Amyntas to make additional concessions to the Chalcidians. However, it is more likely that Diodorus simply duplicated the report of the 393/392 BC invasion. [6]

However, Macedonia was still weakened, and when Amyntas asked to return the lands ceded to the Chalcidians, he was refused. [7] Moreover, according to Xenophon, Olynthos continued his expansion, “taking possession of many other Macedonian cities, including even Pella, the largest city in Macedonia”. [8] Amyntas's domain was as a result reduced, it is believed, to the borders of the ancestral domain of the Argead dynasty - the region of Pieria around Aegae (Macedonia). [9]

Embassies to Sparta

Aminta decided to turn for help to the strongest Greek power - Sparta, which, after the conclusion of the Peace of Antalcidas, had a free hand for active action in Greece. [10] The cities of Apollonia and Akanthos, which the Olynthians forced to join the Chalcidian League, also turned to Sparta with requests for help against Olynthus. The ambassadors of these cities most of all emphasized that Olynthus was negotiating with the enemies of the Lacedaemonians - Athenians and Thebans, and if measures are not taken, then the Spartans may soon face a powerful coalition. [11]

Start of war

Agesilas (center) Agesilas in Egypt 361 BCE.jpg
Agesilas (center)

The Spartans decided to equip 10,000 troops against the Chalcidian army. Since it took time to gather it, in the spring of 382 BC. 2,000 were sent to Chalkidiki. A detachment of Neodamodes and perieks under the command of Eudàmides. Arriving at the place, Eudamidas placed garrisons in the cities that asked for it, occupied Potidea, recently included in the Chalcisian League, and established his base there. He had few troops for offensive operations, so the Spartan commander limited himself to the defense of the possessions of the allies. [12]

The Thebans did not dare to oppose Sparta, but took a hostile position, forbidding their citizens to participate in the campaign against Olynthus. [13]

In the summer of 382 BC. The Spartans sent reinforcements to Eudamidas under the command of his brother Phoebids. He, passing by Thebes, supported the oligarchic coup that brought the pro-Spartan party to power in the city. A Spartan garrison. [14]

The Spartans then sent the rest of the army to Chalkidice, led by harmostom Teleutius, brother of king Agesilaus II. This army was joined by contingents from the allied cities, Thebes also fielded hoplitess and cavalry. [15]

First battle of Olynthus

Spartan helmet Spartan helmet 2 British Museum.jpg
Spartan helmet

Arriving in Chalkidiki in the late summer of 382 BC. Teleutius linked up with a small Macedonian army, which Amyntas was able to recruit, as well as with a selected detachment of 400 horsemen, who were brought by Derda II, the ruler of Elymyotis in Western Macedonia. The combined forces of the Spartans and their allies exceeded 10,000 people. Having marched with these forces to Olynthos, Teleutius defeated the Chalcidians under the walls of the city, after which he devastated the surrounding area. Derda's cavalry especially distinguished itself in the battle, whose attack, in fact, decided the outcome of the battle. The Olynthian infantry, however, did not suffer significant losses, since they promptly took refuge behind the city walls. [16]

The Olynthians themselves carried out successful raids on cities allied with the Spartans until Derda in the spring of 381 BC. Did not defeat the cavalry detachment that invaded the lands of Apollonia. [17]

Second Battle of Olynthus

In May 381 BC. Teleutius again approached Olynthos. The Olynthian cavalry crossed the river that flowed near the city in order to secretly get close to the Spartan formations, but were noticed, and Teleutius ordered the chief of the peltasts Tlepolid to attack the horsemen. They did not engage in battle, and went back across the river, and when the peltasts who rushed in pursuit crossed the river and went ashore, the cavalry turned around and attacked the infantrymen who did not have time to line up for battle. Tlepolis and a hundred of his warriors were killed. [18]

Teleutius, according to Xenophon, flew into a rage and ordered his troops to pursue the enemy to the very city walls. This was a mistake, as the Spartans, who came too close to the walls, were showered with a hail of stones and other projectiles, and were forced to retreat in disarray from the fire zone. The Olynthians took advantage of their confusion and made a sortie with all their might. Teleutius died in battle, and his army completely fled and took refuge in the allied cities. [19] According to Diodorus, Spartan losses exceeded 1,200 people [20]

End of the war

The Spartans equipped a new army led by King Agesipolis. [21] He approached Olynthos, but since the enemy did not come out to fight this time, the Spartans began to devastate the area. Toroni, allied to the Olynthians, was taken. Summer 380 B. Agesipolis died of fever, and the harmost Polybiades. [22] He blockaded Olynthos and starved the city into capitulation (Autumn 379 BC) [23]

The Chalcidian Union was dissolved, Olynthus became a satellite of Sparta, and the lands both ceded to the Olynthians and captured by them were returned to Macedonia.

Result

The defeat of the Chalcidian League and the subjugation of Thebes significantly strengthened the Spartan hegemony, which had been shaken during the Corinthian War. However, it turned out that this victory was the last for Sparta. The rude and cynical policy of the Spartans, who did not care about the interests of other states, caused a response, and the last straw that broke the patience of the Greeks was the entry of the Spartan garrison into Cadmea.

The Spartans liquidated the Chalcidian League on the basis of the provisions of the Peace of Antalcis, which asserted the independence of individual policies and prohibited hegemonic alliances. They hoped that politically fragmented Greece would not be able to get out of their influence. However, in accordance with this treaty, the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta was also subject to dissolution; however, it never occurred to the Spartans that anyone could seriously demand this.

But the following year, the democratic coup took place in Thebes, and the Athenians began the formation of the anti-Spartan League, the constitution of which corresponded to the conditions of the Royal Peace. The days of Spartan hegemony were numbered.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amyntas III of Macedon</span> King of Macedonia from 393/2 to 370 BC

Amyntas III was king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia from 393/2 to 388/7 BC and again from 387/6 to 370 BC. He was a member of the Argead dynasty through his father Arrhidaeus, a son of Amyntas, one of the sons of Alexander I. His most famous son is Philip II, father of Alexander the Great.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peloponnesian League</span> Military alliance led by Sparta, c.550–366 BC

The Peloponnesian League was an alliance of ancient Greek city-states, dominated by Sparta and centred on the Peloponnese, which lasted from c.550 to 366 BC. It is known mainly for being one of the two rivals in the Peloponnesian War, against the Delian League, which was dominated by Athens.

This article concerns the period 379 BC – 370 BC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philip II of Macedon</span> King of Macedon from 359 to 336 BC

Philip II of Macedon was the king (basileus) of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia from 359 BC until his death in 336 BC. He was a member of the Argead dynasty, founders of the ancient kingdom, and the father of Alexander the Great.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peace of Antalcidas</span> 387 BC peace treaty ending the Corinthian War

The King's Peace was a peace treaty guaranteed by the Persian King Artaxerxes II that ended the Corinthian War in ancient Greece. The treaty is also known as the Peace of Antalcidas, after Antalcidas, the Spartan diplomat who traveled to Susa to negotiate the terms of the treaty with the king of Achaemenid Persia. The treaty was more commonly known in antiquity, however, as the King's Peace, a name that reflects the depth of Persian influence in the treaty, as Persian gold had driven the preceding war. The treaty was a form of Common Peace, similar to the Thirty Years' Peace which ended the First Peloponnesian War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pelopidas</span> 4th century BC Theban statesman and general

Pelopidas was an important Theban statesman and general in Greece, instrumental in establishing the mid-fourth century Theban hegemony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Leuctra</span> Thebes victory against Sparta in 371 BC

The Battle of Leuctra was fought on 6 July 371 BC between the Boeotians led by the Thebans, and the Spartans along with their allies amidst the post–Corinthian War conflict. The battle took place in the vicinity of Leuctra, a village in Boeotia in the territory of Thespiae. The Theban victory shattered Sparta's immense influence over the Greek peninsula, which Sparta had gained with its victory in the Peloponnesian War a generation earlier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perdiccas II of Macedon</span> 5th-century BC king of Macedon

Perdiccas II was the king of Macedonia from 454 BC until his death in 413 BC. During the Peloponnesian War, he frequently switched sides between Sparta and Athens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olynthus</span>

Olynthus is an ancient city in present-day Chalcidice, Greece. It was built mostly on two flat-topped hills 30–40m in height, in a fertile plain at the head of the Gulf of Torone, near the neck of the peninsula of Pallene, about 2.5 kilometers from the sea, and about 60 stadia from Poteidaea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corinthian War</span> Ancient Greek war (395–387 BC)

The Corinthian War was a conflict in ancient Greece which pitted Sparta against a coalition of city-states comprising Thebes, Athens, Corinth and Argos, backed by the Achaemenid Empire. The war was caused by dissatisfaction with Spartan imperialism in the aftermath of the Peloponnesian War, both from Athens, the defeated side in that conflict, and from Sparta's former allies, Corinth and Thebes, who had not been properly rewarded. Taking advantage of the fact that the Spartan king Agesilaus II was away campaigning in Asia against the Achaemenid Empire, Thebes, Athens, Corinth and Argos forged an alliance in 395 BC with the goal of ending Spartan hegemony over Greece; the allies' war council was located in Corinth, which gave its name to the war. By the end of the conflict, the allies had failed to end Spartan hegemony over Greece, although Sparta was durably weakened by the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Nemea</span> Land battle during the Corinthian War (394 BC)

The Battle of Nemea, also known in ancient Athens as the Battle of Corinth, was a battle in the Corinthian War, between Sparta and the coalition of Argos, Athens, Corinth, and Thebes. The battle was fought in Corinthian territory, at the dry bed of the Nemea River. The battle was a decisive Spartan victory, which, coupled with the Battle of Coronea later in the same year, gave Sparta the advantage in the early fighting on the Greek mainland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teleutias</span> Brother of the Spartan king Agesilaus II

Teleutias was the brother of the Spartan king Agesilaus II, and a Spartan naval commander in the Corinthian War. He first saw action in the campaign to regain control of the Corinthian Gulf after the Spartan naval disaster at Cnidus in 394 BC, and was later active in the Spartan campaign against Argos in 391 BC. Later that year, he was dispatched to the Aegean to take command of a Spartan fleet harassing Rhodes. Once in command, he attacked and seized a small Athenian fleet sailing to aid Evagoras I of Salamis, Cyprus, then settled in to attack Rhodes with his newly augmented fleet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Athenian League</span> 4th-century BC maritime confederation of Aegean city-states

The Second Athenian League was a maritime confederation of Greek city-states that existed from 378 to 355 BC under the leadership (hegemony) of Athens. The alliance represented a partial revival of the Delian League, which had been disbanded in 404 BC following the defeat of Athens in the Peloponnesian War. The new League was centered in the Aegean and included over 60 states, among which were Kos, Mytilene, Rhodes, and Byzantium. It was primarily formed as a defensive alliance against Sparta and secondly the Persian Empire. The new League's main objective was to preserve peace in Greece and counterbalance Sparta's growing hegemony and aggression. The League largely revived Athenian influence in the Greek world, reestablishing it as the strongest naval power in the eastern Mediterranean. This time, Athens made conscious efforts to avoid the strict terms that had eventually rendered the previous Delian League unpopular. The alliance lasted until 355 BC, when most of the allied cities became independent following the Social War that broke out in 357 BC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chalcidian League</span> Greek state on the Chalcidice peninsula (430 BC-348 BC)

The Chalcidian League, also referred to as the Olynthians or the Chalcidians in Thrace to distinguish them from the Chalcidians in Euboea, was a federal state that existed on the Chalcidice peninsula, on the shores of the northwest Aegean Sea, from around 430 BCE until it was destroyed by Philip II of Macedon in 348 BCE.

Bottiaeans or Bottiaei were an ancient people of uncertain origin, living in Central Macedonia. Sometime, during the Archaic period, they were expelled by Macedonians from Bottiaea to Bottike. During the Classical era, they played an active role in the military history of ancient Chalcidice, but after the Macedonian conquest under Philip II nothing remained except the names of these two regions and the adjective Bottiaean, which was limited to sole geographical meaning. Unlike other tribes of Macedonia ruled by kings or living in villages, Bottiaeans developed some polis form of self-government. Unfortunately, no Bottiaean individual is known to us and the limited historical or archaeological sources shed no further light.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Expansion of Macedonia under Philip II</span> The Rise of the Macedonian Empire 359-336 BC

Under the reign of Philip II, the ancient kingdom of Macedonia, initially at the periphery of classical Greek affairs, came to dominate Ancient Greece in the span of just 25 years, largely thanks to the character and policies of its king. In addition to utilising effective diplomacy and marriage alliances to achieve his political aims, Philip II was responsible for reforming the ancient Macedonian army into an effective fighting force. The Macedonian phalanx became the hallmark of the Macedonian army during his reign and the subsequent Hellenistic period. His army and engineers also made extensive use of siege engines. Chief among Philip's Thracian enemies was the ruler Kersebleptes, who may have coordinated a temporary alliance with Athens. In a series of campaigns stretching from 356 to 340 BC, Philip II managed to ultimately subjugate Kersebleptes as a tributary vassal, conquering much of Thrace in the process. Philip II also fought against the Illyrian king Bardylis, who threatened Macedonia proper, and against Grabos II and Pleuratus in Illyria. In his newly conquered territories, he founded new cities such as Philippi, Philippopolis, Herakleia Sintike, and Herakleia Lynkestis.

One column containing two treaties between Amyntas III of Macedon and the Chalkidian League has been discovered at Olynthus. The first treaty is dated in c. 393 BC, the second one before 382 BC. The language of the texts is Ionic Greek, the main dialect of Chalcidice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theban–Spartan War</span> 4th century BCE conflict between Thebes and Sparta

The Theban–Spartan War of 378–362 BC was a series of military conflicts fought between Sparta and Thebes for hegemony over Greece. Sparta had emerged victorious from the Peloponnesian War against Athens, and occupied an hegemonic position over Greece. However, the Spartans' violent interventionism upset their former allies, especially Thebes and Corinth. The resulting Corinthian War ended with a difficult Spartan victory, but the Boeotian League headed by Thebes was also disbanded.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Macedonia (ancient kingdom)</span>

The kingdom of Macedonia was an ancient state in what is now the Macedonian region of northern Greece, founded in the mid-7th century BC during the period of Archaic Greece and lasting until the mid-2nd century BC. Led first by the Argead dynasty of kings, Macedonia became a vassal state of the Achaemenid Empire of ancient Persia during the reigns of Amyntas I of Macedon and his son Alexander I of Macedon. The period of Achaemenid Macedonia came to an end in roughly 479 BC with the ultimate Greek victory against the second Persian invasion of Greece led by Xerxes I and the withdrawal of Persian forces from the European mainland.

Derdas II was the ruler of the region of Elimiotis (Ἐλιμιώτις), also rendered as Elymia (Ἐλιμία) and Elimeia (Ἐλίμεια), in the early 4th century BCE. Elimiotis was a client state of Macedon.

References

  1. Diodorus, XIV, 92, 3-4
  2. Borza, p. 237—238
  3. Borza, p. 238—239
  4. Diodorus, XV, 13, 1-3
  5. Diodorus, XV, 19, 2
  6. Borza, p. 240
  7. Diodorus XV, 19, 2
  8. Xenophon. Greek History, V, 2, 13
  9. Borza, p. 240—241
  10. Diodorus XV, 19, 3
  11. Xenophon. Greek History, V, 2, 11-20
  12. Xenophon. Greek History, V, 2, 24
  13. Xenophon. Greek History, V, 2, 27
  14. Xenophon. Greek History, V, 2, 25-30
  15. Xenophon. Greek History, V, 2, 37
  16. Xenophon. Greek History, V, 2, 39-43
  17. Xenophon. Greek History, V, 3, 1-2
  18. Xenophon. Greek History, V, 3, 3-5
  19. Xenophon. Greek history, V, 3, 5-6
  20. Diodorus, XV, 21, 2
  21. Xenophon. Greek history, V, 3, 8-9
  22. Xenophon. Greek History, V, 3, 18-20
  23. Xenophon. Greek History, V, 3, 26

Sources