Battle of Nemea
Part of the Corinthian War
A Greek hoplite
Date: 394 BC Location: Nemea, Peloponnese, present-day Greece Result: Spartan victory Casus belli: {{{casus}}} Territory changes: {{{territory}}}
Combatants
Sparta	Thebes Argos Athens Corinth
Commanders
Aristodemus	Unknown
Strength
18,000 hopites	24,000 hoplites
Casualties
1,100 dead or wounded	2,800 dead or wounded
{{{notes}}}

The Battle of Nemea (394 BC) was a battle in the Corinthian War, between Sparta and the allied cities of Argos, Athens, Corinth, and Thebes. 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. Combatants Sparta and Peloponnesian League Athens, Argos, Corinth, Thebes, and allies Commanders Agesilaus and others Numerous Strength Casualties {{{notes}}} The Corinthian War was an ancient conflict fought between 395 BC and 387 BC. In the course of it a number of Greek city states challenged the hegemony that Sparta had... Centuries: 5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC Decades: 440s BC 430s BC 420s BC 410s BC 400s BC - 390s BC - 380s BC 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC 340s BC Years: 399 BC 398 BC 397 BC 396 BC 395 BC - 394 BC - 393 BC 392 BC... Nemea is an ancient site near the head of the valley of the Nemea River in the Peloponnessus of Greece. ... Though Peloponnese is used to refer to the entire peninsula, the periphery with that name includes only part of that landmass. ... Casus belli is a Latin expression from the international law theory of Jus ad bellum. ... Sparta (Σπάρτη) was a city in ancient Greece, whose territory included, in Classical times, all Laconia and Messenia, and which was the most powerful state of the Peloponnesus. ... For the ancient capital of Upper Egypt, see Thebes, Egypt. ... Argos (Greek: Άργος, Árgos) is a city in Greece in the Peloponnesus near Nafplio, which was its historic harbor, named for Nauplius. ... Athens (Greek: Αθήνα Athína IPA ) is the capital of Greece and one of the most famous cities in the world. ... Temple of Apollo at Corinth Corinth, or Korinth (Κόρινθος; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is a Greek city, on the Isthmus of Corinth, the narrow stretch of land that joins the Peloponnesus to the mainland of Greece. ... At the Battle of Cnidus (394 BC), the Persian fleet, led by the former Athenian admiral Conon, utterly destroyed the Spartan fleet of Peisander, ending Spartas brief bid for naval supremacy. ... At the Battle of Coronea (394 BC), Spartan forces under Agesilaus II defeated the Thebans. ... At the Battle of Naxos (376 BC) the Athenian fleet of Chabrias defeated the Spartans. ... Leuctra was a village of Boeotia in the territory of Thespiae, chiefly noticeable for the battle fought in its neighborhood in 371 BC between the Thebans and the Spartans and their allies. ... After the battle of Leuctra in 371 BC had shattered the foundations of Spartan hegemony, there was an attempt by Thebes chief politician and general Epaminondas to build a new hegemony centered on his city. ... Centuries: 5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC Decades: 440s BC 430s BC 420s BC 410s BC 400s BC - 390s BC - 380s BC 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC 340s BC Years: 399 BC 398 BC 397 BC 396 BC 395 BC - 394 BC - 393 BC 392 BC... Combatants Sparta and Peloponnesian League Athens, Argos, Corinth, Thebes, and allies Commanders Agesilaus and others Numerous Strength Casualties {{{notes}}} The Corinthian War was an ancient conflict fought between 395 BC and 387 BC. In the course of it a number of Greek city states challenged the hegemony that Sparta had... Sparta (Σπάρτη) was a city in ancient Greece, whose territory included, in Classical times, all Laconia and Messenia, and which was the most powerful state of the Peloponnesus. ... Argos (Greek: Άργος, Árgos) is a city in Greece in the Peloponnesus near Nafplio, which was its historic harbor, named for Nauplius. ... Athens (Greek: Αθήνα Athína IPA ) is the capital of Greece and one of the most famous cities in the world. ... Temple of Apollo at Corinth Corinth, or Korinth (Κόρινθος; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is a Greek city, on the Isthmus of Corinth, the narrow stretch of land that joins the Peloponnesus to the mainland of Greece. ... For the ancient capital of Upper Egypt, see Thebes, Egypt. ... At the Battle of Coronea (394 BC), Spartan forces under Agesilaus II defeated the Thebans. ...

Prelude

Following the declaration of war, the forces of the anti-Spartan alliance gathered at Corinth to decide on their strategy and choose a commander. It was decided that they would try to force a battle in or close to Spartan territory. The Spartans, meanwhile, also decided to send out a force; since Agesilaus was in Asia, and the other king, Agesipolis, was a boy, the force was commanded by his guardian Aristodemus. While the allies remained at Corinth, debating over who should command their army, Aristodemus marched up through the Peloponnese, picking up contingents from Sparta's allies along the way, and arrived in Corinthian territory. The allies were thus forced to fight much closer to home than they had intended. As the Spartans marched up through Corinthian land, burning and plundering along the way, the allies marched out to meet them. The two armies found each other near the river Nemea. Agesilaus II, or Agesilaos II (Greek Ἀγησιλάος), king of Sparta, of the Eurypontid family, was the son of Archidamus II and Eupolia, and younger step-brother of Agis II, whom he succeeded about 401 BC. Agis had, indeed, a son Leotychides, but he was set aside as illegitimate, current rumour representing... Agesipolis I was King of Sparta from 394 to 380 BC. He succeeded his father Pausanias, and was himself succeeded by Cleombrotus I. See also: Sparta Categories: European nobility stubs | 380 BC deaths | Rulers of Sparta ... Nemea is an ancient site near the head of the valley of the Nemea River in the Peloponnessus of Greece. ...

The battle

The Spartan army was composed of some 18,000 or 19,000 hoplites, with associated light troops; of the hoplites, 6,000 were Spartan, with the remainder coming from the other states of the Peloponnesian League. On the allied side were about 24,000 hoplites, and the associated light troops; Thebes, Athens, and Argos each provided about one quarter of the troops. The Peloponnesian League was an alliance of states in the Peloponnese in the 6th and 5th centuries BC. By the end of the 6th century, Sparta had become the most powerful state in the Peloponnese, and was the political and military hegemon over Argos, the next most powerful state. ...

The Spartans and their allies lined up for battle with the Spartans on the right and the allies on the left. The opposing coalition was divided over how to arrange themselves; the Athenians wanted to line up on the right, but ultimately had accede to the demand of the Boeotians that they take the left, while the Boeotians took the right. This meant that the Athenians were opposite the Spartans, while the Boeotians and other allies faced the Spartans' allies. Boeotia (Greek Βοιωτια) was the central area of ancient Greece. ...

As the two phalanxes closed for battle, both shifted to the right. (This was a common occurrence in hoplite battles—hoplites carried their shield on their left arm, so men would shift to the right to gain the protection of their neighbor's shield as well as their own.) This shift meant that, by the time the armies met, both of them extended past their opponents' left flank. Consequently, the right flanks of both armies were victorious, while the left flanks of both were defeated. Phalanx (Greek word from phalangos, meaning Finger) can refer to: phalanx formation in ancient warfare. ...

The Spartans then turned from their defeat of the Athenians to face the soldiers from the allied right wing who were returning from their pursuit of the Spartans' allies. The Spartan phalanx took first the Argives, then the Corinthians, and then the Boeotians in the side, inflicting heavy losses on all three. At the end of the day, the Spartans had inflicted 2,800 casualties, while suffering only 1,100.

Aftermath

Following the battle, the Spartans and their allies seem to have returned home, since we have no further accounts of their actions. The anti-Spartan coalition, however, was soon in action again against a different Spartan army at the Battle of Coronea. There they were defeated again, reinforcing the dominance of the Spartans in land combat at this period. At the Battle of Coronea (394 BC), Spartan forces under Agesilaus II defeated the Thebans. ...

See also

• Corinthian War
• Spartan hegemony

Combatants Sparta and Peloponnesian League Athens, Argos, Corinth, Thebes, and allies Commanders Agesilaus and others Numerous Strength Casualties {{{notes}}} The Corinthian War was an ancient conflict fought between 395 BC and 387 BC. In the course of it a number of Greek city states challenged the hegemony that Sparta had... Period in classical Greek history. ...

References

• Xenophon, Hellenica
• Diodorus Siculus, Library

Xenophon (In Greek , c. ... Diodorus Siculus (ca. ...

External links

• The relevant passage from Xenophon

• The relevant passage from Diodorus