Corinthian War
The Corinthian War, which lasted from 395 to 386 BCE, was a significant conflict in ancient Greece that arose from growing tensions and rivalries among Greek city-states, particularly against Sparta, following its military successes in Asia Minor. The conflict was instigated by a coalition of cities, including Argos, Corinth, Thebes, and potentially Athens, which were alarmed by Sparta's increasing power. Persian intervention played a crucial role in the war; they bribed key politicians to support the anti-Spartan coalition and became involved directly in the conflict.
The war saw a series of military engagements, including the Spartan defeat at the Battle of Haliartus and subsequent Spartan victories on land, which were ultimately undermined by naval losses to the Persian-backed Athenian general Conon. As the fighting continued, Spartan leaders sought to negotiate peace with Persia and other Greek states, reflecting their concern over Athenian naval dominance. The culmination of the conflict was the imposition of the King's Peace in 386 BCE, which curtailed the expansionist ambitions of Athens, Argos, and Thebes, while consolidating Sparta's influence over Greece. The Corinthian War thus marked a pivotal moment in the power dynamics of ancient Greek politics.
Corinthian War
Related civilizations: Classical Greece, Persia.
Date: 395-386 b.c.e.
Locale: Greece
Background
Both the Persians and Sparta’s erstwhile allies became alarmed by the success of the Spartan expedition in Asia Minor led by Agesilaus II of Sparta.
Action
In 395 b.c.e., the Persians bribed politicians in Argos, Corinth, Thebes, and possibly Athens to instigate a war against Sparta, and an anti-Sparta coalition was formed. After the Spartan defeat at the Battle of Haliartus in Boeotia in 395 b.c.e., Agesilaus II was recalled from Asia Minor. In 394 b.c.e., the Spartans won two land battles, but these victories were negated by the defeat at sea to the renegade Athenian general Conon, in command of the Persian fleet, which put an end to Spartan domination of the sea. Desultory fighting around Corinth ensued. In 392 b.c.e., the Spartans, worried about increasing Athenian naval activity, attempted unsuccessfully to make separate peace agreements with Persia and within Greece. Eventually the threat of renewed Athenian imperialism caused the Persians to intervene in support of Sparta and impose the King’s Peace (also known as the Peace of Antalcidas) of 386 b.c.e.
Consequences
The King’s Peace thwarted the imperial ambitions of Athens, Argos, and Thebes and confirmed Sparta’s hegemony of Greece.
Bibliography
Hamilton, Charles D. Sparta’s Bitter Victories. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1979.
Strauss, Barry S. Athens After the Peloponnesian War. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1986.
Xenophon. Hellenika. Translated by Peter Kretz. Warminister, England: Aris & Philips, 1995.