Mantinea and Sparta – Victory and Defeat

Authors:

Pages: 73-81
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54664/KKBX2789

Abstract:

Two of the battles that took place near the ancient city-state of Mantinea were of greatest importance for the history of Hellas – and Sparta in particular, whose army participated actively in both battles. In the first battle, which took place in 418 B.C., the Spartans, by themselves, faced a coalition, comprising the armies of some of the strongest Hellenic city-states. Laconia’s victory led to the restoration of its prestige in Hellas, which became one of the prerequisites for the final victory of the Spartans in the Peloponnese War. The second battle, analyzed in this paper, took place in 362 B.C. It too, to a great extent, predetermined the history of Hellas during the several following decades. The Spartans took active part in it once again but this time they suffered a defeat which practically led to Sparta’s transformation from a leading power in Hellas to one of the many powerful city-states claiming the leadership position – but without real chances of success.

Keywords:

Mantinea, Sparta, battles, Laconia, defeat

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