Spartan Hegemony - Agesilaus and His Campaigns

Agesilaus and His Campaigns

Agesilaus II was one of the two kings of Sparta during Sparta’s hegemony. Plutarch later wrote that Agesilaus was a king of the traditional Spartan ideals, often seen wearing his traditional cloak which was threadbare. He began his kingship after the end of the Peloponnesian war after his brother Agis II died and was left without an heir. (Agis’ son Leotychidas was rumored to be the illegitimate son of the Athenian Alcibiades.) One of Agesilaus’ biggest supporters was the famous Spartan naval commander Lysander, who was previously Agesilaus’ erastē, or mentor.

The Campaigns

Agesilaus’ first campaign was one which trekked into the eastern Aegean and Persian territories via the Hellespont. He first descended upon the Phrygians and their leader Tissaphernes who had broken a “solemn league” with the Greeks and had earned the “downright contempt of the gods.” He followed Tissaphernes into Persian territory. The Persian king, fearing further plundering of his country ordered Tissaphernes beheaded. He then attempted to bribe Agesilaus with money to leave Asia Minor. Remaining true to the Spartan ideals of austere living practices, Agesilaus rejected the gold saying “he would rather see it in his soldier’s hands than his own.” Agesilaus did, however, remove his army into Phrygia, grateful for the death of Tissaphernes. Agesilaus soon began another campaign into the western regions of the Persian Empire. Plutarch states that he wished to march his armies all the way to the Persian capital of Susa. He was unfortunately deterred by unpleasant news from Epicydidas that the mainland Greek poleis were starting war once again. This would later become known as the Corinthian War and featured an alliance between the Argives, Corinthians, Athenians and Thebans against Sparta. The Corinthian war took place between 395 and 386 BC. In Greece, the Spartans under Agesilaus met the numerous rebelling poleis. Among the most important battles were Coronea and Tegyrae fought against many Greeks but especially the Thebans. Tegyrae was the site where the Thebans first defeated the Spartans. The Spartans sought the aid of the Persians, asking them to cut off their support of the Thebans, Corinthians and Athenians. The resulting Peace of Antalcidas, named for the Spartan who negotiated it, was established in 386 BCE and resulted in Sparta’s loss of its Asian territories.