Messenian Wars — 750-650 B.C. Argive Wars, Athenian Rebellion — 670-494 B.C.
Arcadian Wars — 570-470 B.C. Megaran War — 595 B.C.
By the fifth century BC, Sparta was the undisputed leading military power in Greece, and had brought virtually all of the Peloponnesian Peninsula under her sway. Sparta was the chief city in Laconia, (also known as Lacedaemonia), the southeastern most region of the Peloponnese. In order to become the predominant power in the region, she had to subdue her three nearest neighbors, Messenia to the West, the mountainous region of Arcadia to the North, and Argolis to the Northeast. The earliest dates and circumstances of Sparta's rise to supreme power in the Peloponnese are somewhat shrouded in legend, but the events occurred approximately as follows:
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The Helots were not entirely pacified, but there were no further major revolts until 464 BC when Sparta was almost destroyed by an earthquake. In the resulting confusion many of the Helots took up arms, and eventually sought refuge at Ithome, a natural mountain fortress that was also used during the Second Messenian War. This rebellion is sometimes called the Third Messenian war, and it resulted in a rupture with Athens, which had been allied to Sparta since the Persian War.
Date | Battle Summary | |
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Battle of Caprysema (First Messenian War )
Messenians victory
Fought B.C. 743, between the Spartans and Corinthians, and the Messenians with their allies from other Peloponnesian states under Cristomenes. The Spartans were routed, and, but for the eloquence of Tyrtaeus, would have abandoned the struggle. | ||
Battle of Megaletaphrus
Spartans victory
Fought B.C. 740, between the Messenians, under Aristomenes, and the Spartans. The Messenians were surrounded and cut to pieces, Aristomenes escaping with a few followers. |
Semi-mythical leader of Messenia during the First Messenian War. | |
Bravely defended Messenians from Spartan conquest, for 17 years. | |
Wrote inspiring battle ballads for Sparta during the Messenian War. Historian of Sparta. | |
King of Sparta who led the first Messenian War. |
General and the Fox in | Fifty Famous People by James Baldwin |
Story of Aristomenes in | Three Greek Children by Alfred J. Church |
Messenian War in | The Story of the Greeks by H. A. Guerber |
Music of Tyrtaeus in | The Story of the Greeks by H. A. Guerber |
Aristomenes' Escape in | The Story of the Greeks by H. A. Guerber |
Aristomenes and the Fox in | The Story of Greece by Mary Macgregor |
Aristomenes, the Hero of Messenia in | Historical Tales: Greek by Charles Morris |
How the Spartans Became Powerful in | The Story of the Greek People by Eva March Tappan |
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In 510 BC Sparta was invited by the Alcmaeonid clan to march on Athens and overthrow the tyrant Hippias. When this expulsion led not to a pro-Spartan oligarchy, but to the democratic reforms of Cleisthenes, Cleomenes I, the Spartan King, led an expedition into Attica which failed because of the opposition of the other Spartan King, Damaratus. In spite of this failure Cleomenes won great prestige for himself and Sparta by decisively defeating of Argos in the battle of Sepeia (494) and thereby disposing of Sparta's only remaining rival for power in the Peloponnese. He was so emboldened by this victory, he succeeded in deposing his rival Damaratus on a charge of illegitimacy. Damaratus fled to the court of Persia, and later accompanied Xerxes on his invasion of Greece.
Date | Battle Summary | |
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Battle of Hysiae (Argive War )
Argos victory
Fought, approximately, 668 B.C., between the Spartans and the Argives. The former were totally defeated, and Argos was left in undisputed possession of the supremacy of the Peloponnesus. | ||
Battle of Sepeia (First Messenian War )
Spartans victory
Fought B.C. 494, between the Spartans, under Cleomenes, and the Argives. The Spartans, by a ruse, succeeded in surprising the Argives while the soldiers were dining, and totally routed them. This defeat deprived Argos of the paramountcy in the Peloponnesus. |
King of Argos, under whose leadership the city rose to great power. | |
King of Sparta before Persian Wars, removed tyrants from Athens, defeated Argos. |
Tegea was the chief city of mountainous Arcadia, which in the 7th century BC was rather backward and disunited. They opposed Sparta during the Messenian Wars, but to little avail. By 560 BC Sparta reduced the Tegeates to the status of subject allies, that is, they were not enslaved like the helots or required to pay tribute, but their government was under firm Spartan control. Tegea remained in this condition until about ten years after the Persian Wars, and at that time deserted Sparta to form an alliance with Argos. These events were probably fostered by the Athenian Themistocles, a well-known political schemer. In 473 BC Sparta defeated Tegea and her allies at the battle of Tegea, but suffered heavy losses and was too weakened to take the city. Two years later however, she soundly defeated the Arcadians at Dipma and brought them back into the league. The Arcadians remained subject allies of Sparta except during a brief rebellion during the Peloponnesian War, which was settled at the battle of Mantinea. Their alliance was not permanently broken until after Spartan power was crushed by Thebes during the Boeotain Wars.
Date | Battle Summary | |
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Battle of Tegea (Arcadian War )
Spartans victory
Fought B.C. 473, when the Spartans defeated the combined forces of the Arcadian League and the Argives, under the walls of Tegea. Though victorious, the Spartans were too much reduced in numbers to venture upon the attack of Tegea, which had been the object of the expedition. | ||
Battle of Dipma (Argive War )
Spartans victory
Fought B.C. 471, between the Spartans and the Arcadian League. The Arcadians were totally defeated, and Tegea, the head of the League, shortly afterwards submitted to Sparta. |
King of Sparta before Persian Wars, removed tyrants from Athens, defeated Argos. | |
Exiled King of Sparta, advisor to Xerxes during his invasion of Greece. |
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One of the most significant battle of Athens during the sixth century was the successful conquest of the Island of Salamis from their rival Megara. This occurred during the lifetimes of the Solon and Peisistratus, and did much to establish Athens' preeminence in the region.
Date | Battle Summary | |
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Battle of Salamis (Aragonese Conquest of Sicily )
Athenians victory
Fought B.C. 595, between Athens, under Solon, and Cyrrha for control of the Island of Salamis. |
Rewrote the laws of Athens to better protect poor citizens from the rich. | |
Tyrant of Athens. Respected Solon's laws. Established festivals, and promoted culture. |
Statesman and Poet in | Pictures from Greek Life and Story by Alfred J. Church |
Solon in | Our Young Folks' Plutarch by Rosalie Kaufman |
Athenians Take Salamis in | The Story of Greece by Mary Macgregor |
Solon, the Law-Giver of Athens in | Historical Tales: Greek by Charles Morris |
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![]() Aristomenes Freed by the Fox in Greatest Nations - Greece |